A dedicated group of volunteers, cyclists, hikers, elected officials, donors and nature lovers have been working together over the years to make their combined vision a reality. They hope to designate the longest connected biking and walking trail in the country, called the East Coast Greenway.
The projected length is 3,000 miles, extending from Calais, Maine, to Key West – with approximately 600 miles of trail in Florida that pass through 13 counties, including Brevard. Last year, Brevard’s Board of County Commissioners designated 12.8 miles of trail as part of the greenway. The trail passes through Titusville, Rockledge, Cocoa and Melbourne, then over the Eau Gallie Causeway, and south on Riverside Drive to 6th Avenue, north to AIA and through the center of Melbourne Beach, and 17.4 miles on A1A’s side path.
During January’s meeting, the Melbourne Beach Town Commission voted unanimously to approve a request for the shared-use trail to run through Melbourne Beach.
“The parkway is a designation of existing bike routes and paths, so we are not doing anything except supporting that designation,” said Melbourne Beach Mayor Jim Simmons.
Simmons doesn’t know if the trail will increase tourism to the town, but he likes the idea of promoting walking and biking outdoors.
“We don’t really have much of a tourism economy, with only two bed-and-breakfasts and our local restaurants. There may be some benefit to them, but I would think it would be nominal,” Simmons said. “My reason for supporting it had more to do with promoting a bike/pedestrian friendly attitude in town.”
For more information about the East Coast Greenway and to view an interactive map, visit: www.greenway.org.
