College Park Trolley Trail Expansion

 

Though it doesn't appear to be mentioned in any of the papers, today when I drove by the CPTT on my way to REI, I noticed that Phase II is done. This section isn't technically a trail, since it's all bike lane, but it's well marked with both paint and signs. While it's narrow in some spots, it's still nicer than just a shoulder. The new section runs along Rhode Island Avenue from Greenbelt Road to Paducah Road, which is just outside the beltway. It also includes some cutaways in the curbs so you don't have to slow down. Phase III, which pushes the trail south to Albion road has already been approved. As mentioned before the rail bed this trail is built on is part of the old Washington to Laurel trolley. It's feasible this trail could someday run from Hyattsville all the way to Beltsville, but phase III is the only expansion approved right now.

Comment: Riverdale Park and Hyattsville hope to turn more of this abandoned trolley line into a hiker-biker trail extending the College Park Trolley Trail.

We are showing a movie clip from the 1950s of a trolley car rolling along this line through My Rainier, Hyattsville, Riverdale and College Park. The movie clip is a delightful quick peak into our past (just 12 minutes long).

After the movie there will be a short 10-minute Q&A, then we'll take a walk (weather permitting) and identify some landmarks from the film and see where this hiker-biker trail might run. Come dressed for the outdoor hike. The whole event will take less than an hour.

When: Saturday, Feb 3, 2007, 3 p.m.

Where: S&J Restaurant in Riverdale Park Town Center,  6108 Rhode Island Ave and Queensbury Rd.

 

It should be fun and educational (no charge). Dress is very casual - weekend hike-in-the-woods casual.

 

We hope to see you there. Please pass this along to anyone that might be interested.

 

- Mayor Vernon Archer and Council Member Rob Oppenheim, Riverdale Park

P.S. In the movie, we board the streetcar (line #82) at 4th St NW and Rhode Island Ave. Here the trolley runs up the middle of Route One. We see a few sites, such as the railroad underpass, the loop in Mt.Rainier (terminal cafe), and a bit of downtown Hyattsville.

And from Hyattsville the trolley car follows alongside the railroad tracks into Riverdale Park, where we get a glimpse of the Riverdale Park town center from the late 1950s - including the S&J restaurant where we will be viewing the movie. We then see the trolley continuing north thru Riverdale and College Park.

Metropolitan Branch Mess

It's been 6 years since DC's political elite gathered together for the Metropolitan Branch Trail ribbon cutting ceremony and there isn't much to show for it. There's a small stretch of bike lane by Union Station, a shrub infested stretch along John McCormack Road near Catholic University (that ends at the trash transfer station) and another short piece from the Takoma Campus of Montgomery College that ends abruptly at the DC line. There's also the piece they built with the New York Avenue Metro station, but it was open for exactly one day and has sat unused for almost a year.

And there's controversy.

1) In Montgomery County,  project planners, after presenting three designs for public input, recommended an option that included a bridge over Georgia Avenue and a tunnel under the East-West highway. But DPWT management rejected it as too expensive and forced them back to the drawing board for a "no tunnel, no bridge" option. The new option is not in keeping with the master plan and threatens to slip the schedule enough that the trail misses the two-year budget cycle.

2) The section of land north of the New York Avenue metro needed to open that section of trail has been held up by complicated land ownership issues. The northern tract - owned by Pepco and WMATA (Not CSX as previously reported here) - was supposed to be given to DDOT. WMATA needed to survey it first, something they completed in July 2005. In May, DDOT sent a letter to WMATA asking them to complete the trail, but they have not acted on the letter.

3) Originally the trail was to pass through Fort Totten Park and over Riggs road on a trail bridge, but the National Park Service put the kabash on the bridge because it would have too large an impact on environmental and historical aspects of the park.

So all in all, DC area politics as usual. 

50 States Ride - Review

The 50 States Ride was this past Saturday and all things considered, it was a success. I did this ride in 2003 and it was much better this year - mostly due to the weather.  The 2003 ride was on Flag day and it was just too hot.  Also better were the numerous bike lanes. You can really see the 18 miles the city has added since the bike plan was completed. The only downside was that the "$10 recommended donation" came with something of a hard sell, but I guess WABA's gotta make money. This ride is not an easy one. DC has more hills than you might think, and the stop and go nature of the ride makes the 60 miles feel more like a century. I also would not recommend doing the ride after staying out drinking till 4:00 am.

When 18 miles isn't long enough

 

The National Park Service is studying the prospect of extending the Mt. Vernon Trail north from its current terminus at Roosevelt Island all the way to the American Legion Bridge. At some point later, a connection would be built across the Bridge to Maryland. At this point they've only completed a Feasibility Study but this has identified some limitations created by the Parkway, the Potomac, the steep topography and limited right-of-way - all of which force the trail onto county streets for much of the way. Oh yeah, and the CIA headquarters is right in the way - and you know how they love visitors. NPS next has to decide whether or not to go forward with the project and if so, with which of the feasible alternatives to go. WABA has been pursing this project for years.  All in all it's a good project, but it won't be as nice as the Mt. Vernon Trail segments that already exist.

Tour of Hope wraps up in DC

 

Lance Armstrong was in the area over the weekend with the Tour of Hope. Apparently, he's a pretty good cyclist.

Collapsible Bikes

 

There was a Green Festival at the Washington Convention Center the weekend of September 30th. One of the things it featured was collapsible bikes.  They may not be as pretty as a Bianchi, but they can get you around Metro's inane rush hour restrictions.

Changes Afoot for CCT Intersection

Changes are being planned for the empty parking lot that borders the north end of the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT). The eloquently named Lot 31 will eventually become what the area so desperately needs, another condo. But it will also include

a possible bike shop to accompany plans for a ‘‘bicycle depot,” a rest area where bikers on the adjacent Capital Crescent Trail would congregate

Bikers do love to congregate.

In conjunction with this construction, the county plans to redesign the intersection of Woodmont and Bethesda Avenue (see insert) - the intersection cyclists pass through to get from the CCT to the "future" CCT. Proposed improvements include the removal of the southbound free right turn lane from Woodmont Avenue to Bethesda Avenue. It will be replaced with an expanded pedestrian gathering place in front the Barnes and Noble. Wider crosswalks will be provided to handle the increased volume of pedestrians and cyclists.

Of course bikers will still cut across the road without using the crosswalks.

 

How not to work with the community.

 

The Coalition for the Capitol Crescent Trail (CCCT) worked out a deal with Minkoff Construction Company, that would give Minkoff the right to park on CCT land in return for landscaping improvements and a rest plaza. Seems like a good private-public partnership, no?

But on August 29, after seven years of negotiations, Minkoff backed out of the agreement without having spent a dime on improvements and continues to park company vehicles, for free, on the publicly owned CCT right-of-way. As a result the CCCT, the Citizens Coordinating Committee for Friendship Heights, and the Montgomery County Planning Board have all come out against the agreement. Statements have been issued. Tersely worded letters have been written.

Minkoff said the delays stemmed from the project’s plans exceeding the original budget. He originally agreed to spend $165,000 to redesign the 30,000-square-foot space, which included the paving of 11 parking spaces exclusively for Minkoff Construction, 25 spaces for the use of both Minkoff and the public, and five spaces exclusively for the public. The project would also include amenities for the trail users like benches and a water fountain, along with improved landscaping. ‘‘That was the project, $165,000,” Minkoff said. ‘‘Unfortunately...the project escalated to some $400,000.

Ultimate responsibility for handling the situation lies with County Executive, and candidate for Governor, Douglas Duncan.

Riverdale-Hyattsville Trail Proposed

A University of Maryland professor of Architecture, Planning, and Historical Preservation briefed the Hyattsville city council on a proposal that would include a trail running from Riverdale to the Northwest Branch Trail in Hyattsville. The trail would be placed on narrow band of land between Route 1 and the train tracks. It's highly unlikely this will ever be acted on and it seemed like more of a thought exercise, but it's not a bad idea. Though at first glance it seems redundant, since it runs parallel to the Northeast Branch Trail, the proposed trail would run through a more urban, developed area and would serve a greater role as a commuter route.

The idea of developing land along a railroad into a linear park is the same idea behind the Metropolitan Branch Trail and linear parks have been very successful elsewhere.

Addition: The narrow band of land mentioned above is actually the remaining rail bed for the DC to Laurel trolley line. The same rail bed makes up part of the Paint Branch Trail and the College Park Trolley Trail.

Is CSX playing hardball?

On February 15th Mayor Williams signed the Terrorism Prevention in Hazardous Materials Transportation Emergency Act of 2005 which, among other things, prevents CSX Transportation from moving explosives and flammable and poisonous gases, such as chlorine and propane, within a 2.2-mile radius of the Capitol. 

Since then CSX has changed direction on three deals with the city, each one having a negative effect on the city's bike trail expansion plans.

1) CSX had originally agreed to allow the Anacostia Riverwalk to pass over the tracks near Barney Circle at grade. They then quickly changed their mind - citing safety of course - forcing the city to build an expensive overpass.

2) The city planned to buy the abandoned Blue Plains rail line (aka Shepard Industrial Spur) from CSX for its Light Rail starter line. This would have included a parallel bike trail. But the plan fell apart when the city claimed CSX was asking for too much money and may not have owned the entire right of way anyway. So that pushed the light rail onto city streets and the bike trail off the map.

3) Last year a portion of the Metropolitan Branch Trail was opened for one day when the New York Avenue metro station was opened. Since then it's been closed because negotiations with CSX for land it owns it Eckington has dragged on.

If CSX isn't playing hardball with the city over the hazardous materials ban, they sure don't seem inclined to play nice.

Correction: It seems the negotiations for the land needed to build the Metropolitan Branch Trail are with WMATA and Pepco, not CSX

DDOT has completed the conceptual design on the Union Station Bicycle Transit Center (aka the Bike Station). The design is pretty cool and hopefully it can get past the Fine Arts Commission. The station will provide parking, rentals, repairs and retail sales as well as changing rooms, but the location makes showers impossible. It'll be located on the west "carriage court" where the bike racks are now. This area is often used as a staging area for Union Station construction, but hopefully this project can restore the area to the plaza it was before the removal of the north side train room in the 1970's.  If this station is a success as it has been elsewhere, it should lead to more parking facilities throughout the area.

DCist talked about this back when the meeting was being planned. And a report on the meeting can be found on Urban Places.