East Coast River Relay Arrives in Charleston on October 11th

The public is invited to join several local bike rides and evening social hours around Charleston on Wednesday, October 11th as part of the East Coast River Relay. The East Coast Greenway Alliance is celebrating its 25th anniversary by hosting the 3,000-mile, 68-day River Relay, a series of events held in partnership with local organizations. In Charleston, the Alliance is partnering with Charleston Moves, East Cooper Land Trust, and Keep Charleston Beautiful.

“Charleston and Mount Pleasant are priority corridors of the East Coast Greenway in the Southeast. The Alliance is thrilled to work with such enthusiastic partners in creating safe places to walk and bike in the region,” says Brent Buice, South Carolina and Georgia coordinator for the East Coast Greenway Alliance.

MORNING BIKE RIDE: West Ashley Library, 8 am

We will convene at the West Ashley Library (45 Windermere Boulevard) at 8 am, and depart at 8:30 am. Our police-escorted ride will take us across the Legare Bridge and end at Cannon Park downtown. Head to work, then join us for the ride home later that evening!

Katie Zimmerman, executive director of Charleston Moves notes, “One of the most obvious gaps in our multi-modal transportation network is the Legare Bridge. Until elected officials ap- prove and build the most efficient and equitable access for people on bikes and foot, we will continue to offer opportunities like the morning ride to experience a safe and beautiful Legare Bridge commute.”

LITTER SWEEP: begins @ West Ashley Greenway, 6 pm

We will convene on the West Ashley Greenway behind Starbucks Coffee (6 Windermere Boule- vard) at 6 pm. With supplies from Keep Charleston Beautiful, volunteers will clean up the Greenway for approximately a mile, culminating with a social gathering at Mellow Mushroom Avondale.

EVENING BIKE RIDES:

Charleston Waterfront Park, 5:30 pm

For riders who live downtown or east of the Cooper, we will convene at Charleston Waterfront Park (1 Vendue Range) at 5:30 pm, ride across the Ravenel Bridge to Patriots Point and end at Reel Bar at Charleston Harbor Marina for a social hour. For extra fun, take the 5 pm Charleston Water Taxi ($6 one-way) from Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina to waterfront park, then bike back. RSVP for water taxi only to info@eastcooperland.org or 843-224-1849. “East Cooper Land Trust is excited to be a part of establishing safe, connected, community trails. We are leading the effort to create the East Cooper Trail, a section of the East Coast Greenway. As you will see on this evening bike ride, the point where the Ravenel Bridge path enters Mount Pleas- ant will be the beginning of the East Cooper Trail. Once completed, the trail will dramatically shape the ability of residents and tourists to enjoy the outdoor recreation opportunities east of the Cooper River,” says Catherine Main, executive director of the East Cooper Land Trust.

White Point Garden, 6 pm

For riders who live west of the Ashley, we will convene at White Point Garden (2 Murray Boule- vard) at 6 pm, and depart at 6:30 pm. We will ride across the Memorial Bridge with a police escort, then hop onto the West Ashley Greenway and end at Mellow Mushroom Avondale for a social hour. Be sure to thank the Charleston Police Department for allowing us to safely appre- ciate the beautiful view on our bike ride home!

SOCIAL HOUR:

The two groups of cyclists will offer a “virtual toast” to each other, honoring the ride, the fun, and enjoyment of our beautiful surroundings. East of the Cooper participants will meet at Reel Bar at Charleston Harbor Marina at 6:30 pm. West of the Ashley participants will meet at Mel- low Mushroom Avondale at 7:30 pm, where they’ll be joined by the Greenway cleanup volun- teers.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS: 

The nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance leads the development of the country’s longest connected biking and walking route: 3,000 miles from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida. More than 30 percent — 900 miles — of the route is now on traffic-free greenways. The Greenway fosters healthy lifestyles, empowers sustainable transportation, encourages civic engagement, and promotes active tourism. Learn more:  greenway.org

Charleston Moves is a nonprofit organization that advocates for enhanced conditions for walking and riding a bike in Charleston County. Throughout 2017, Charleston Moves is offering diverse programming to promote safer biking in our urban core, and advocating for a connected network that extends over bridges and into our neighborhoods. Learn more and become a member at CharlestonMoves.org.

East Cooper Land Trust is a community-supported organization devoted to conserving natural spaces, thus quality of life for current and future generations. The East Cooper Trail will be a safe and family-friendly trail that will con- nect from downtown Charleston all the way to the Francis Marion National Forest. Get outside and get involved: eastcooperland.org

Keep Charleston Beautiful (KCB) is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and PalmettoPride, and is also a division of the City of Charleston Department of Parks. KCB works with other national and state organizations to promote a clean and beautiful environment for all Americans through education, public awareness, and community involve- ment. KCB provides free environmental education programming to elementary and middle schools, and works with volunteer groups of all sizes to conduct litter cleanups throughout the City of Charleston.

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This is an unedited press release

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