Matthew Henson Trail Section complete

Steve writes about the Matthew Henson Trail:

I walked from the Layhill Rd starting point to the Georgia Ave/Hewitt Ave intersection. All of the construction is complete along this section and I even spotted a cyclist trying it out this morning. The boardwalk is bare and doesn't seem to have any reasonable traction for inclement weather, but that doesn't mean they won't get around to adding something (let's hope).

And notes that nothing is open west of Georgia Avenue.

Comments

[Jack]

I wonder if Steve saw any criminals. The neighbors said it would bring crime to their neighborhood. Maybe Steve is a criminal :-) Environmentalists said it would destroy the tree canopy, cause harmful runoff and let in invasive species. Of course they think cyclists are an invasive species! The environmentalists showed up in cars to protest building this bike route.

[SteveH]

I did see a lot of people smiling and laughing as they walked along the trail. Quite suspicious if you ask me...

[Andy]

Does anyone know if the MH trail goes beyond Georgia yet?

[SteveH]

I believe they are waiting until Nov/Dec to open up the sections beyond Georgia Ave. That was part of the environmental impact assessment.

[washcycle]

I was out there earlier this month and I didn't see any signs of the trail west of Georgia. Did I miss it?

[Mike]

I live on the trail between Georgia and Conneticut Aves. I love it! And my English Bulldog does too! It's beautiful to walk and nicely made with wooden and iron bridges. I have one comment about the UGLY, HUGE, and IN YOUR FACE trail signs that look like they belong on a major highway instead of a beautiful woodland trail. With all the money spent and planning of this project, couldn't someone have had the sense to use signs that are compatable and in harmony with the trail? Unfortunatly, the trail is already being trashed, graffiti'd, and seems to be the home of unsavory individuals near Gerogia Ave. Stay clear of that area! Perhaps some police monitoring there would be helpful.

[think a little]

Just biked the trail today, and have a couple of notes:

1. Trail still not "complete" you have to portage your bike across the stream just west of Georgia. They haven't opened the bridge there yet. Also, the trail dead ends on Turkey Branch before you get to Viers Mill. There is no marked crossing at Viers Mill you either have to bike up on the monster hills to the light or cross at your own risk.

2. I don't understand why they couldn't have done sharrows on Turkey Branch and used the funds from the trail there to run the end point to NH Ave, making this a good connection to Sandy Spring and points NE. There is almost no traffic on Turkey Branch and there is already a sidewalk on the other side of the street for peds.

3. There are some small drainage areas that need to be fixed.

All that said, its a really nice smooth trail and a nice low-impact path through the woods for recreational use.