Growing Our Greenways – Faster

Dennis Markatos-Soriano grew up playing in the creeks in rural Chatham County. North Carolina. As he puts it, the experience of spending his formative years in and with nature, set him on the path as an advocate for the outdoors. As executive director of the East Coast Greenway Alliance, that path literally runs some 3,000 miles, from Canada to Key West. And on an unseasonably mild February night, advocating for that path put him here in Charlotte.

Markatos-Soriano joined a panel discussion with our partners from Sustain Charlotte, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, and the Catawba Lands Conservancy. The bait that lured the packed house: how to get greenways funded faster.

“We need to get greenway construction moved from, ‘nice to have,’ to an ‘urgent, must-have’ level,” he said. “Everyone deserves to have access to this kind of infrastructure. We have to work with transportation folks at the federal, state and local levels.”

In the 30 years since the East Coast Greenway was founded, the nonprofit has developed over 1,000 miles of this eventual 3,000 miles trail with $2B in public infrastructure investment. Since then, over 50M bike rides, walks and runs are enjoyed each year. Markatos-Soriano says it’s not individual effort or some angel investor that’s led to the Alliance’s success, because of the partnerships formed over the years.

“These type of partnerships are important for everyone involved,” said Beth Poovey, president of Partners for Parks. “There’s more power from all of us coming together and representing many perspectives. All of those perspectives coming together make for some very holistic advocacy.”

Brian Mister listened-in on the presentation after the Midnight Mulligan run club wrapped-up it’s weekly run.

“Having the ED from the East Coast Greenway Alliance keynote the evening had my wheels turning on what’s possible for our city, state, and region,” he added.

There is no “secret sauce” to getting greenways on the ground faster. But In what Markatos-Soriano called an, “historic infrastructure moment,” he urged those gathered to seize the momentum that greenways have right now, and work together with partners who are already in the conversation.

“You have to get involved at the local level first,” he said. “Get out and enjoy your greenways, then find a way to get involved with the groups that are doing the work to advocate for these projects – like Partners for Parks, Sustain Charlotte, the Catawba Lands Conservancy… they’re doing the work every day, and they need your help.”

To learn more about the East Coast Greenway, you can visit their website: https://www.greenway.org 

To read Sustain Charlotte’s event summary, visit their website: https://www.sustaincharlotte.org/growing_our_greenways_for_all