Rock Creek Park Trail EA to be released soon

A status update on DC trails

Rock Creek Park Trail -  DDOT is working with NPS to rehab and upgrade the trail.  NPS requested that DDOT prepare an Environmental Assessment. This is almost complete and could be released as soon as this winter. 

Metropolitan Branch Trail - 

A design team is being hired to design a replacement for the wooden stairs at L Street NE. The replacement will create a ramp down to the street level. If things go well, ground could be broken by the end of 2012.

Phase II (Ft. Totten to Takoma and the PG County Connector) - The EA for this section has been completed and a FONSI has been released. DDOT is finishing up a Memorandum of Understanding with NPS on the details. Once that is complete, it will take a few months to hire a design firm.  This project is going to be complex, especially in the Fort Totten area as the trail will need to run on top of a WMATA tunnel.  Getting all of Phase II complete, once work begins, could take as long as two years.

Capital Crescent Trail - There will be a Capital Crescent Trail work day on Dec 3rd to improve the trail connections to the Palisades area of DC. The National Park Service is supplying materials and tools to upgrade both the Norton Street Connector and the Palisades staircase. The connector will get a new surface - a "C&O pack" of crushed gravel - and a drain will be moved that currently spills water onto the connector. The staircase needs some carpentry work and some earthwork.

Friends of the C&O Canal and Capital Crescent Trail -- Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are needed to help spread and tamp surface material, trim vegetation, sweep and rake the two access paths which run from the Palisades community of DC into the C&O Canal Historic Park and the Capital Crescent Trail.

When:  Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 9 AM to 12 Noon. 

Where:  Meet at the top of the Norton Street path, at the corner of Potomac Avenue and Norton Street by the water works.  A group will split off to do some minor carpentry repairs and back fill at the Manning Street steps, just off of Potomac Avenue and Manning Street. 

Materials will be provided by the National Park Service.  Bring your work gloves.  Please pass the word to your neighbors and friends, especially to those who are frequent users of the paths.  For head count purposes, please RSVP to: jack@koczela.net

Comments

[SAS]

Not to whine too much, but how come Arlington is able to repave its part of the Custis Trail near Glebe Road but the NPS maintained portion of the CCT continues to deteriorate with no repaving having been done for the 15 years I've been an active user. My job is in NoVa so I head there from my DC home, and although there are many things about Va I cannot abide - the whole cell phone and driving thing, to name one - Arlington county seems FAR and away the best local jurisdiction when it comes to bike infrastructure. Just wondering.

[xmal]

@SAS:
It might have something to do with the 1-year timeframe to replace that L Street staircase. Anyone else think that's preposterous?

[IMGoph]

I guess this would preclude any plan for running the Met Branch down to K Street instead? I'll have to let the local ANC know about this.

[washcycle]

I don't know if it precludes it. It could be in addition to. But I don't know of any serious talk about going to K. Has First Potomac Realty made any commitments to that?

[IMGoph]

All I know is last time I talked to the ANC commissioner for NoMa, he said they were talking about how to potentially get the MBT to connect into the air-rights building over the tracks, and to possibly come down to K Street. Not sure of any commitments.