A time-line of the Metropolitan Branch Trail

I thought it might be instructive to create a time-line for the Metropolitan Branch Trail, both past and present, to give an idea of how much has been done and how much there is to do. This is a pretty complicated project with many moving parts including DC, Montgomery County, PG County, CSX, WMATA, PEPCO, Catholic University and other private land owners. A project like that takes a while to finish.

1988 - The idea is conceived and pitched by Brookland resident and planner Patrick Hare.

1989 - The first exploratory ride was held.

1997 - The DC Department of Public Works completed an engineering feasibility study.

1998 - Congress allocated $8.5 million in demonstration project money to fund the trail.

1999 - WABA published the concept plan for the trail. A formal groundbreaking ceremony was held. The first section of the trail, a one mile long side-path along John McCormack Dr NE, was built.

2001 - WABA published a study describing the necessary acquisitions needed for the trail.

2002 - WMATA agreed to build a section of the trail as part of the New York Avenue Metro Station project. M-NCPPC completed a feasibility study and concept plan of the Maryland section of the trail.

2003 - Bike lanes painted on 1st St NE from G St to K St. 2004 - The New York Avenue Metro Station opened with 2000 feet of trail. A half mile of the trail was built, unpaved, in Takoma Park, MD along Takoma Avenue and Fenton Street. A bridge over the railroad tracks to Jessup Blair Park was built.

2005 - DDOT completed a comprehensive concept plan

2006 - Takoma Park trail section is paved.

2008 - Stairs from the New York Avenue Metro Station section to L Street NE, a sidepath section of the trail under the tracks along L Street NE and along a three-block portion of 2nd Street NE were completed.

2010 - Prince Georges County Connector in Avondale, MD from the DC/MD line to 19th Avenue opened. A 1.5 mile section of the trail rom New York Ave to Franklin Street opens.

Future

Fall 2010 - Completion of the Rhode Island Avenue Bridge design. Design begins of the trail from Michigan Avenue to 1st St, NE.

Spring 2011 - Work begins on the Art Walk development and with it a one block section of the trail between Monroe Ave and the CUA Metro.

Spring or summer 2011 - Completion of the Silver Spring Transit Center. This includes the northern trailhead and a temporary section of the trail. The section will be finalized when the Purple line is built through the center.

Fall 2011 - Rhode Island Avenue Bridge to open

2013 - Completion of the Transportation Access Improvements for 1st Place and Galloway Street, NE. This will include a section of the Met Branch Trail to Riggs Road, and the Prince Georges County Connector to South Dakota Avenue

2016 - Completion of phase 1 of the Montgomery County Section, from the Silver Spring Transit Center to Georgia Avenue - including the bridge over Georgia Avenue

2019 - Completion of phase 2 of the Montgomery County Section, from Georgia Avenue to Montgomery College

Indefinite hold - Prince Georges County Connector from 19th Ave to Chillum Road

TBD - Construction of section from Michigan Avenue to Fort Totten

TBD - Design and Construction of the 1st St, NE to DC-MD line section

TBD - Design and Construction of the PG County Connector from South Dakota Avenue to the DC/MD line

TBD - Ramp built from 1st St NE to trail above L Street (This is dependent on construction beginning on a building to replace the parking lot at the NE corner of 1st and L).

Comments

[David J]

Why does it take so long?

[washcycle]

The main reason is the land. It wasn't all owned by one property owner and so each piece has to be negotiated. And for NPS, CSX, WMATA, PEPCO, etc.. this is very small potatoes. So while it may be one of DDOT's top priorities - it doesn't make the top 100 at PEPCO. And then land use has so many legal elements - so then you get lawyers involved. Lawyers are paid to be cautious, so they move slowly (and for awhile they were all busy dealing with land acquisitions for the baseball stadium, so DDOT couldn't get them to look at anything for almost a year - a hidden cost of the baseball stadium). Some parts rely on property development - so that is outside of DDOT's control. In some cases DDOT isn't getting a deal they like, so they're waiting to see if things will change. And, this is DDOT's first real trail project in a very long time, so lack of institutional knowledge is probably an issue.

In MD, the problem is money. Montgomery county has none. And they need more than none to pay for this.