TheWashCycle

CWL #2 - WB&A to Anacostia Connector Trail

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

#2 Connecting the WB&A trail to the Anacostia Trail system

Cost: Unknown
Status: Mentioned in Metropolitan Washington Greenways Report 2000
Probability: Low
Comments: The WB&A trail is one of my local favorites (the bridge over the ConRail line is amazing), but right now it doesn't connect to anything. In the far distant future there are plans to complete it and connect it to the B&A trail, but right now the two pieces of the WB&A aren't even connected (though they should be by the end of 2006). Using neighborhood streets or the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, the WB&A could be connected to the Anacostia Tributary Trail System at the Northeast Branch Trail. Right now the American Discovery Trail has a route to get from one to the other, but it isn't very appealing or well marked. A sign alerting riders of a connector route, a map at each trail showing how to get to the other, and simple trail-blazes is a minimum. Building an off road trail (and the land is there to do so) would be preferable. Alternatively, connecting the trail to New Carrolton Metro could give the trail a better role for commuters.

Christmas Wish List #1 - Mt. Vernon Trail Extension

With Christmas just around the corner, I've decided to put together my wish list for DC area projects. Because of the inane song, I've come up with 12 items and I'll be putting them up one at a time. The order is not random, I've got favorites and we'll go from least to most so this should really be exciting (if you find this exciting you really need to leave the house more). Some of these projects have been considered, some are planned, some are funded and some are just crazy. So crazy they just might work. Feel free to add your wishlist in the comments.

#1 Extending the Mt. Vernon Trail North to the American Legion Bridge

Cost: Unknown
Status: Feasibility Study Complete
Probability: High
Comments: This has been mentioned before. It's a pretty good project from a recreational standpoint, and it would really open up the northern portion of the GW parkway to cyclists, but I'm not sure how much commuter use it will get. In order to reach full potential it will need to connect to a bicycle crossing of the American Legion Bridge.

Cross County Trail to Open Dec. 17

The Cross County Trail, a 38 mile trail across Fairfax county, opens Dec 17. The trail runs from the Occoquan River in southern Fairfax to the Potomac River in Great Falls in the northern end of the county. The trail has a variety of surfaces - asphalt, smoke ash and natural surface - and it follows numerous stream beds, with some fair weather crossings. For much of the route the trail avoids housing developments and only has about 1/2 mile on roads. The trail connects dozens of disparate pieces of public land to create a continuous line. It can be broken up into two pieces, the Difficult Run section and the Accontink Creek section, both of which move downhill from I-66.

Additionally,

Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D) proposed an effort to encourage the use of bicycles in traffic-clogged Fairfax. The board agreed Monday to ask the county departments of Transportation and Planning and Zoning to consider such proposals as creating a countywide map of bicycle facilities and identifying roads that could accommodate bike lanes without considerable construction. With the planned completion of the Cross County Trail, Connolly said, "the time has come to actually look at our bicycle policy."

Nice to see Fairfax county catching up with the rest of the region - most jurisdictions have had bike maps and plans for years now. More here.

11th Street Bridges Redesign

The Middle Anacostia River Crossing Study determined that in order to improve connectivity across the Anacostia, the 11th Street Bridges would have to be completed.

Southbound motorists on the Anacostia Freeway cannot access the bridges; nor can motorists on the bridges go north onto the Freeway. The ramps to make these connections do not exist. This results in commuter traffic to and from the north driving through neighborhood streets to get to their destinations.

Besides helping motorists, one of the objectives is to improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities on the bridges.

Narrow shoulders and sidewalks currently limit the potential for bikes and pedestrians to cross the Anacostia River and access the recreational facilities along both its banks. The project will provide safe and efficient connections to these planned facilities.

The bridges serve as major connections on the ART as it's designed now, and might serve to connect to a trail along a restored Virginia Avenue or the Shepherd Industrial Spur right-of-way.

DDOT is having two meetings next week to discuss the Environmental Impact Statement for this project.

 

W&OD and Dominion Virginia Power

From the Friends of the W&OD site

Dominion Virginia Power plans to construct a new 230 kilovolt electric transmission line in Loudoun County,running from the east side of Leesburg to the east side of Purcellville. On October 21, 2005, the State Corporation Commission Hearing Examiner ordered that the W&OD must be considered as a route for new transmission lines and required Dominion to send notices to all property owners along the W&OD Trail. (click here to view the text of this order [PDF file]). Trail users need to be fully aware that a new, extremely intrusive power line may well be constructed on the W&OD Railroad Regional Park along one of its few remaining well-wooded segments.
Click here for more information (PDF file) about the proposed electric line and the manner in which it would impact the park.

There's a pretty organized effort to stop this, and you can donate or sign a petition if you're so inclined. Or you can make the State Corporation Commission (whatever that is) aware of your feelings here (click on "Submit Comments"under Case Number PUE-2005-00018).

Or you can also speak at public hearings in Loudoun County on February 8, 2006, beginning at 1:30 p.m.and reconvening at 7:00 p.m. or on February 9, 2006, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at

The Board of Supervisors Meeting Room
Loudoun County Government Center
1 Harrison Street, S.E.
Leesburg,Virginia

and in Richmond on March 27, 2006,at 9:00 a.m., in

The State Corporation Commission's Courtroom
Second Floor
Tyler Building
1300 East Main Street
Richmond,Virginia.

 

Anacostia Trail Environmental Assessment Released

There are two major new trails being planned for the district. The first is the Metropolitan Branch Trail which is in various states of design, construction and re-design. The other is the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.

The ART came out of the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative, an ambitious plan for the District's other river. It involves a sprawling trail, running sometimes on both sides of the river, from Fort McNair to Bladensburg. It would connect to the Rock Creek Trail, Watt's Branch and the Anacostia Tributary Trail System.

It has the potential to be the city's signature trail system, since it's being planned with the development of the area instead of being squeezed in later. There are some problems with the Arboretum and Langston Golf Course - neither of which wants to make room for a bike trail, but right now the trail is brimming with potential.

The environmental assessment was submitted for a 30 day public review that ended January 20, 2005. Then there was a public meeting period. Now the NPS has selected its preferred alternatives for the three design sections of the trail. In each case they chose option A, because those alternatives "minimized impacts across the range of all environmental impacts analyzed."

On section 1 this pushes the trail up from the river's edge and along Anacostia Drive. 

On section 2 this keeps the trail on Water Street in one small stretch and down to the river at another.

On section 3 is where this makes a big difference. Instead of going along Benning and Kenilworth Roads, the trail were turn on the riverside of the PEPCO plant and the NPS maintenance Yard and then go around the trash transfer station. Despite the trash transfer part, I actually prefer this one. Eventually, when the old Kenilworth land fill site is cleaned up, the trail should cut across there.

The Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was issued and so the study period for this batch seems to be complete. 

Bicycling Fatalities

It seems there have been more bicycling fatalities in the area lately, the most recent being a hit and run in Silver Spring - authorities are still looking for the driver. An incident in Colorado involved a teen-aged driver text messaging while driving. New York City has seen a spike in accidents and mixed response from the city (transportation officials who encourage cycling and a police force that discourages it). There are enough injuries for a local law firm to specialize in them. So, stay on the lookout since few drivers are looking out for you.

Riding Patuxent

The Examiner had a nice little article about biking in Patuxent Research Refuge. I've never biked there, but I have ridden the WB&A trail which is in the same area, and it's very pleasant. The wildlife refuge is where President Bush was famously biking on the day Capitol and White House were evacuated due to an errant Cessna flying into the restricted airspace. He was biking the Central Tract, but we're not allowed to (it must be nice to have your own place to ride). Still the North Tract (not to be confused with the one in Arlington) sounds like a place worth checking out.

Get out and ride

There are probably dozens of planned training rides every weekend, but I only know of two places to find a good listing. Capitol Hill Bikes has regular rides and for those who feel the need to ride a century every weekend there's the DC Randonneurs, who post their regular rides here. If you know of others, add them to the comments.

Beach Drive to remain open for cars

It's been widely reported, and if you read this blog you probably already know it, but the National Park service has decided not to close Beach Drive during regular hours as proposed.

The original proposal was to close three sections of Beach Drive, but Eric Gilliland of WABA said:

After the release of the draft General Management Plan a few years ago, many neighborhood groups and local politicians came out against the trial closure.  Even Mayor Anthony Williams, who is a big supporter of bicycling and an original supporter of the test, backed away.

So the proposal was scaled back to the one section, which still leaves Ross Drive open to commuters. But even that was rejected.

The Park Service plan has a mixed bag of initiatives.  They plan to lower speed limits - which is of little value since they don't enforce the ones they have.

winding roads means it could be difficult to monitor speeds. Park Police Captain Jeanne O'Toole says the Park Service is also considering laser and radar to help enforce lower speeds.

They plan to install either speed tables or speed bumps. This is a terrible idea. It will reduce the facility of the road for cyclists and roller bladers when the road is closed, and when the road is open, cyclists will avoid it anyway. By adding speed bumps, they're trying to take a poorly designed road and make it better by making it worse.  There are better ways to calm traffic than speed bumps, such as roundabouts and visual cues. Though roundabouts do have issues for cyclists.

As previously mentioned here, there are plans to rebuild the trail from Georgetown north to
the Zoo entrance to make it less...awful, and money has been secured to study installing a parallel bike trail along some segments of Beach Drive but, again quoting Eric Gilliland

it is my understanding that this has already been examined and deemed unfeasible due to the narrow right of way and the impact of construction on the gorge. 

In general I think this is bad news. It's a shame the Park Service has decided to run a transportation facility instead of a park.