CWL #6 - BW Parkway Trail

This is the sixth project on my 12-item Christmas wish list for DC biking projects.

#6 A bike trail running the length of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway

Cost:Unknown, but expensive
Status: Not even a twinkle in anyone's eye
Probability: extremely low

As pointed out earlier, there are three major parkways in the DC area. Both the Suitland and George Washington parkway have bike trails associated with them, and both of them have made it onto the wishlist already. The BW parkway is oddly left out of bicycle plans.

Running about 30 miles from the Anacostia to just south of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, the BW could be improved to include a bicycle connection between the two major cities it's named for, (with an offshoot to the BWI trail to boot). The BW could be made more into a linear park and less into a highway. Admittedly, it is less suited to being a bikeway than the GW because the river along the GW limits grade crossings, but it's hard to find a better candidate for the next great bike trail in the area.

Comments

[Mike Plakus]

Here, here! Actually, I'm not sure why the BW Parkway is limited access to begin with. It has huge shoulders on the outside lanes that could easily be used by cyclists if they were allowed. Admittedly, the noise level is not very appealing but given the lack of directly parrallel roads to the BWP it might suit some who value speed over comfort.