After being accused of being the reason for the rerouting of the Met Branch Trail, Judy Christensen, Executive Director of Montgomery Preservation, Inc. which manages the historic B&O train station says that it is not them.
MPI welcomed the Metropolitan Trail as a way to showcase the historic B&O Station to trail users. Last spring DOT presented MPI with a trail alignment through our property that far better accommodates our programs, and MPI thought we were all going forth with this design. MPI asked several times to meet and address implementation issues such as the loss of parking, liability and compensation but DOT did not meet with us again.
So then who, Silver Spring Trails asks, is the true culprit?
Actually, it sounds from the missive that DOT presented a better plan and MPI still complained and wanted more. Make it 75% MPI, 25% DOT fault.
Posted by: Crickey7 | February 01, 2012 at 09:19 AM
I'm trying to get more information from MCDOT on their position about what is the sticking point in their negotiations with MPI, and why they took the trail bridge out of the CIP funding document.
But I am also getting some second hand information that the decision to cut the CIP budget to 0 came from the Office of the County Executive, and was not based on the difficulties with getting an agreement with MPI.
So this may turn out to be something like 25% MPI, 25% DOT, 50% County Exec. fault. If that is so, then at least the County Exec's part of this bad situation can be corrected by the Council during the budget deliberations.
We need to keep digging.
Posted by: Wayne Phyillaier | February 01, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Something about this B&O situation sure smells funny. Nobody wants to step up and take responsibility.
Posted by: aaa | February 01, 2012 at 04:21 PM