CWL 2010 #10 Wilson Connector

This is something of a repeat entry. But a more direct connection from the Wilson Bridge to DC would go along way toward shortening the ride between DC east of the river and Alexandria. With the Department of Homeland Security moving thousands of jobs to SE, it could make bike commuting a more viable option.

Currently a cyclist coming across the river has to go over the Beltway, along the trail downstream toward National Harbor and up a big hill to cross - once again - over the Beltway where a couple of choices exist for getting to DC. Through Oxon Hill Farm National Park (OHFNP) makes for a 4 mile trip from the Bridge to DC. Using the Park road and the access road along Indian Head Highway is a 3.25 mile ride.

The ideal path would have taken a cyclist along the north side of the Beltway and then the river side of the Anacostia Freeway to Overlook Avenue SW. 4 miles along that route would get a cyclist all the way to Malcolm X Avenue. Unfortunately, cyclists and pedestrians missed their best chance at that when the Anacostia Freeway Bridge over Oxon Cove was replaced - without a bike/ped lane - early last decade. That means that any such path would need to build a separate bridge across the cove. That's a very heavy lift.

The second best option would be to build a ramp down from the Maryland deckover to a trail along the "inside" of the Beltway and the entrance ramp from 295. Then go over 295 to OHFNP and to a short new section of trail that would connect to the existing trail. This would shorten the route to the DC line to a much flatter (and more pleasant) 1.75 miles.

The first section along the highway (which you can see in the old Google Streetview shot above) and a bridge over the ramp (visible in the old satellite photo below) used to exist in the form of a construction access road.  But they were removed and remediated at the end of the construction process. You can see where trees were planted on it here.  Another possible opportunity lost.

Still, bridges over the Beltway have been built recently, so the cost is not so high as to be impossible. Furthermore, NPS has changed some in the last 10 years and some of their concerns could be addressed with a boardwalk in sections. Getting Maryland to go along with building a trail that will basically make the state a cut-through might be the biggest impediment. But one would hope they would see the regional value in it.

There are very few chances to pull Alexandria and DC 2 miles closer together and this is one of them. Doing so would add thousands of new potential bike commuters - in both directions - as well as a host of other users. With the new Oxon Run and South Capital Trails it becomes that much more of a critical route. Maryland and DC should work together to build such a connection.

Comments

[Christopher Fotos]

A bit off topic, but the white gravel path that leads from the Wilson Bridge's bike-path landing zone on the Maryland side all the way over to National Harbor is dangerous--when I biked there this summer, parts of the path were falling into the Potomac. It's a fair drop and if you don't pay attention you can really get into trouble.

Separately, I thought I'd say this series of posts is really impressive. I don't always agree with your perspective and I snark as much as anyone, but the amount of thought and local knowledge you've put into all this is amazing.

[Jim Titus]

Thanks for this summary. Today WABA asked MDOT to include this in the state's official list of missing links, which could help secure funding--eventually.

Of course, getting Maryland excited about something that mainly benefits DC and VA makes this trickier to get MD to support than if it had been part of the Wilson Bridge trail to begin with. Can you direct me to your best vision of the South Capitol Street trail? Also, do you see an interstate vision of Oxon Run Trail as an interstate venture going all the way to the Potomac River? I've only seen segmented visions.

[washcycle]

I've seen some drawings of the South Capitol St Trail, but I don't believe they're online. It is possible Heather Deutsch with DDOT would show them to you if you asked.

DDOT is preparing for both an interstate and in-state only trail, but has a strong preference for the former. Obviously, PG County and NPS will have the majority say in that.

[Froggie]

Wash's ideal path is one very similar to what I came up with a year ago (#6), and more recently mapped. Relating to what Wash commented on, however, there are two items of note.

First, the 295 bridges over Oxon Cove were replaced as an early phase of the overall Wilson Bridge project. To have gotten a bike/ped path on those bridges would have meant getting it through the process back when the Wilson Bridge project was planned 15 years ago. As I understand it, it was a fight just to get the current Wilson Bridge trail on the docket.

Second, the problem with using Overland Ave SW is that it only goes as far as the south gate at Bolling (just north of Chesapeake St SW). Between there and Malcolm X (and even further north towards Firth Stirling), it's southbound only and is basically nothing more than a highway ramp. There's enough right-of-way to squeeze in an off-street path along the west side (as I suggest in my proposal), but the point is, you'd need new construction north of Chesapeake St to connect it to Malcolm X, Firth Stirling, or the Douglas Bridge.

[washcycle]

Froggie, I'm assuming the South Capitol Street Trail will be built and so Overlook Ave is used only from Oxon Cove to NRL's front gate.

[Jim Titus]

Froggie do you know the elevation of the bridge over Oxon Cove? The missed opportunity to which Washcycle alluded would add length (and force NPS cooperation) but otherwise may not be so bad, because a bridge over I-295 would be needed anyway to connect Oxon Run trail to Wilson Bridge

Clearly South Capitol trail and a Wilson Bridge to Oxon Cove trail would be re-inforcing. Maybe we need to have a joint DC and PG-BTAG meeting once a year to focus on the MD-DC line.

[Froggie]

Oxon Cove bridge is not all that high. Maybe 15-20ft? I don't think it's high enough to run a trail underneath.

[Jonathan Krall]

Thanks for the post. The lack of connectivity in this part of town is very frustrating. Not only is the WWB trail badly connected to DC, it is also badly connected to National Harbor (the gravel trail seems designed to thwart rather than welcome cyclists). Further, a simple connection to the neighborhood abutting NH would open a bike-friendly route to the Matthew Henson trail. Seriously, has anyone told PG county that cyclists carry actual (not toy) money with them on their actual (not toy) bicycles?

On another note, Heather Deutsch showed me a drawing of the S Cap trail recently. S Cap street is so over-engineered for the amount of traffic it carries that it was mis-labeled "I-295" on one of the drawings. I wish they'd re-stripe bike lanes on it as a stop-gap until the trail is built.