It’s been a long winter, and so much has happened since our October newsletter! From Congress passing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November to the official opening of Malcolm X Trail, there’s been a lot to celebrate. Here at the CTC we hired a new Trails Coalition Coordinator (meet Kevin!) and honored three Trail Champions who are helping to make our region’s trails more accessible and connected.
Read on for more of the things we’ve been up to across the region!
MARYLAND
- Our partners at the East Coast Greenway Alliance hosted a webinar on the Progress of trail projects in DC & MD in mid-November! We presented project updates across the Capital Trails Network.
Montgomery County:
- Our Trails Coalition Manager met with the Rockville Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting to discuss trails projects across Montgomery County.
Prince George’s County:
- On November 3rd, Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation hosted their second bike ride with their new Cycling Seniors Club! We braved the cold, and biked along the Lake Artemesia Trail (photos).
- The Henson Creek Trail is a popular oasis in Southern Prince George’s County. Given where it’s situated in the stream valley erosion and flooding are major challenges. In partnership with Black Women Bike, the CTC hosted a ride with maintenance staff from the Department of Parks & Recreation to discuss recent improvements and areas in need of additional attention. We were joined by the Chief of Maintenance for the Southern Area, Anthony Potts.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
- In November, the CTC Resolution was passed unanimously by the Council. A huge thank you to At-Large Councilmember Robert White for shepherding the resolution along. Read more about the resolutions here!
- WABA hosted its annual Cider Ride in November. The CTC had a table and handed out maps and CTC stickers!
- In January, Mayor Bowser approved the updates to the District’s long-range transportation plan, Move DC. In the first draft of the plan, trails were never mentioned! After meeting with DDOT staff, trails now have their own strategy (see strategy #22).
- The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) held a public meeting on the proposed Metropolitan Branch Trail between Blair Road and Piney Branch Road. WABA and the CTC provided detailed comments on the proposed alignments.
VIRGINIA
Alexandria
- In November, the CTC and WABA hosted a bike ride to look at the alignment for the planned Beauregard and the Four Mile Run – Potomac Yards Connector (in Arlington). The Potomac Yards Connector trail recently broke ground and construction will last until July.
- In January, the City of Alexandria Council unanimously passed the CTC resolution making it the 5th jurisdiction to pass it.
- The Old Cameron Run trail project will construct a 0.53 mile shared-use path between Hooffs Run Drive and South Payne Street (the existing shared-use path between Hooffs Run waterway and South Payne Street will be repaved). An additional 0.25 mile section of the trail is planned to be constructed through redevelopment between Mill Road and Hooffs Run Drive. We provided comments on the 60% design plans to ensure that the trail is as safe and accessible as possible.
City of Fairfax
- The Pickett Road Connector Trail is a key north-south link between the Wilcoxon and Cross-Country Trails and the City of Fairfax Connector Trail. The trail’s southern terminus will be at Thaiss Park and will run parallel to Pickett Road and terminate at the Route 50/Pickett Intersection. This new trail will connect over 40 miles of regional trails to provide alternative safe off-road access to the mass transit system, commercial businesses, employment centers, and parks and recreation facilities. We sent in a letter supporting the project!
Fairfax County
- The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is undergoing a prioritization process to determine how to spend money to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety. Learn about the proposed methodology here. Read our letter listing our priorities here.
MAP UPDATES!
Every winter the Coalition meets with our jurisdictional partners to update our interactive trail map. We make sure the trail alignments are up to date and update any trails that have gone from paper to pavement! The trail map is not static but evolves as plans are updated. We recently completed our updates for 2022. The current network is made up of 491.4 miles of existing trails and 499.3 miles of planned trails!
WHAT’S AHEAD?
We’re currently working hard to support our jurisdiction’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant applications. The RAISE Discretionary Grant program provides a unique opportunity for the DOT to invest in transit, road, and multi-modal projects that promise to achieve national objectives. DDOT is applying for the South Capitol Street Trail, Arlington DES is applying for the Cemetary Wall Trail, and M-NCPPC’s Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation is applying for a tri-jurisdiction package of trail projects that includes 7 multi-use trails across the region. Feel free to reach out to us for more information!
As the season gets warmer, people will be flocking to trails for exercise, recreation, and time with their friends and family! Come say hi to us at the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Mt. Vernon Trail on Saturday, April 16th from 10:00am-1:00pm. Register here!
