Updated Status of Arlington Bike and Trail projects

Arlington County recently released an updated status of the items in the Bikeway Facility Project List from the County's Master Transportation Plan. You can read it here, but I have some of the future highlights below. I've attempted to put them in chronological order (except for the bike lane projects, there are just too many of them).

• The first implementation of the Columbia Pike Parallel Bike Route is planned for late 2011.
• Installation of bike parking at Clarendon Metro station in 2011 and Rosslyn Metro station in 2012.
• Extension of the bike lanes on Crystal Drive from the existing lanes at 23rd street to Potomac Avenue. in late 2011 and early 2012
• Addition of bike lanes to the reconstructed Jefferson Davis Highway between 12th and Boundary Channel Drive as part of the first phase of the Long Bridge Park project which is to be completed in 2012
• Construction of a bike trail on the east/south side of Arlington Blvd From N. Pershing to Rolfe street has started. They studied the possibility of extending that south, all the way to Columbia Pike, but deemed it infeasible. However, the trail on the West side of Arlington/Washington Blvd is being extended to Columbia Pike with Construction planned for 2012
• Arlington would like to build a trail around the Boundary Channel basin that would connect on one end to the Humpback Bridge underpass and the MVT and on the other end to the Columbia Pike at S. Rolfe Street. They are negotiating with DoD and FHWA on the Humpback Bridge connection.  In the meantime, they have re-envisioned the project as a cycletrack along Army Navy Drive/Joyce Street. The portion under I-395 is under design with construction planned for 2012.
• The county has sent to VDOT for review a new 50% design of the Rosslyn Circle Area. This will include the elimination of a travel lane on Lee Highway westbound, the widening of the Custis Trail between Oak Street and Fort Myer Drive, and improvements at Fort Myer and N. Lynn Street. VDOT has expressed concern about removing the travel lane. Design does not include a tunnel.
• The Route 110 Trail project is currently at 50% engineering design and requires and Environmental Assessment. The project requires complete trail reconstruction, new highway ramp crossing and a new retaining wall.
• The county needs approval from DoD and VDOT to build a 1.2 mile trail around Arlington National Cemetery from Memorial Drive south to Southgate drive (near the Air Force Memorial)
• Hoffman-Boston Connector needs funding
• Arlington wants to build a sidepath along Wilson Blvd to connect the W&OD trail at Bluemont Park to Upton Hill Park, but the Dominion Hills Recreation Association won't grant the needed easements.
• Widening the Mount Vernon Trail requires NPS approval.
• The Potomac Yard-Four Mile Run Trail connector

Unfortunately, there is no update on the Iwo Jima Memorial Connection to the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, the Mount Vernon trail extension north to the Fairfax County line, The MVT-Roosevelt Bridge southside connection (which is even listed twice B-24 and B-37), and many other sought after projects. Patience.

Comments

[Ken Schellenberg]

Thanks for the great info. I appreciate that you posted this!

[Michael H.]

A lot of goodies in this list!

The Crystal Drive bike lane extension to Potomac Ave. will be nice, but I think they should convert the remainder of Crystal Drive to two-way traffic. It's not a major highway. The intersection at 23rd St. is awkward because southbound cars cannot continue on Crystal Drive. (I saw one drunk driver speeding through the wrong way down that section of Crystal Drive a couple weeks ago.) Two-way traffic would be more convenient for both cyclists and car drivers.

It's technically Old Jefferson Davis Hwy, near Long Bridge Park. That road is currently in poor shape, but it will likely be repaved once the first stage of the park is complete this fall.

I had no idea about the Washington Blvd. trail to Columbia Pike. This is excellent news. Now that CaBi has stations in both Pentagon City and (soon) in the Court House/Clarendon areas, we really need a better bike connection between the two neighborhoods. Someone suggested riding on the shoulder of Washington Blvd. on the Bike Arlington forum but I don't think that's realistic for CaBi riders or beginning cyclists in general. (Many experienced cyclists wouldn't be comfortable riding on that shoulder. I sure wouldn't be.) Courthouse Rd. is one option from Columbia Pike to the current trail, but it's not ideal. It's a narrow road and a noticeable climb from the south. Again, not great for CaBi riders. The new trail will be much better.

I like the Joyce St/Army-Navy Drive cycletrack proposal too.

No status update on the Washington Blvd. sidewalk upgrade. That sidewalk needs a lot of work.

[charlie]

I don't like removing lanes from cars, but that small section of Lee Highway might be able to take it. What could also help is call boxes for pedestrian signals CROSSING lee highway.

Or tear down that awkward ramp to the Gateway Park - which is only used by homeless/parkour -- and use that to build out the bike lane.

[Michael H.]

I read that Old Jefferson Davis Hwy may be renamed. That's a good idea. Besides the fact that most people in the area aren't so thrilled about honoring Jeff Davis, it's confusing to have that road nearly branching off from the regular Jefferson Davis Hwy.

Two of the suggested replacements are S. Clark St. and Fort Runyon Drive. S. Clark St. would be preferable because S. Clark connects to that road already. Very few people are going to figure out what Fort Runyon Drive is named after.

Only problem is that there's a side street that is already named S. Clark St., just a few feet from the (new?) S. Clark St. Maybe that side street would be renamed, or removed altogether.