East Bay Bike Path

East Bay Bike Path
Facing south near the path's southern terminus in Bristol
East Bay Bike Path
Established	1992
Length	14.5 miles (23.3 km)
Location	Providence County & Bristol County, Rhode Island
Designation	East Coast Greenway
Trailheads	India Point Park Bristol, Rhode Island
Use	Hiking, Walking, Cycling
Hiking details
Trail difficulty	Easy
Season	All year
Months	12
Sights	Narragansett Bay
Surface	tar
Website	East Bay Bike Path

The East Bay Bike Path is a 14.5-mile (23.3 km) paved rail trail in Rhode Island. The path begins at Providence and India Point Park, crosses the Seekonk River via the George Redman Linear Park (opened September 2015) and Washington Bridge and continues southeast to Bristol along the shoreline of Narragansett Bay. The path passes through the city of East Providence, the hamlet of Riverside, and the townships of Barrington and Warren. It is part of the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile system of trails connecting the Canada–US border in Maine to Key West. and provides access to Haines State Park, Brickyard Pond (Barrington), and Colt State Park. It is used annually by 1.1 million people.

What is now part of the East Bay Bike Path was originally part of the Old Colony Railroad. The line was built in the mid-1800s to take trains from Providence to Bristol. The line changed hands several times through the years, and all passenger service was discontinued in 1937. Freight service continued intermittently until the railroad went bankrupt, and the branch was completely abandoned in 1973.

The plan for what would become Rhode Island's first major bike path was approved in April 1983 by Governor Edward DiPrete. It was built from 1987 to 1992, following the abandoned rail bed of the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad. The property was acquired and constructed in four phases: