All Aboard the Met Branch Trail

This week a ceremony featuring Mayor Adrian Fenty (seen here waving at a passing Metro train) and DDOT Director Gabe Klein was held to celebrate the beginning of construction on the next section of the Metropolitan Branch Trail.

The new construction section marks a milestone in creating a continuous trail from Catholic University to downtown DC.

The DDOT press release has some details on the trail

MBT Overview

MBT is named after the “Metropolitan Branch,” the first rail line built through the corridor by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The corridor is now home to Amtrak and Metro as well as freight lines. It is anchored by two significant railroad landmarks, Union Station and the old B & O Railroad station in Silver Spring.

Since the trail planning began in the 1990s, three segments are currently in place from New York Avenue to Union Station, 1st Street NE and John McCormack Road.

When completed, the new 1.5 mile addition to the trail will lead pedestrian and bikers over Florida Avenue, under New York Avenue and over Rhode Island Avenue, avoiding 18 lanes of heavily traveled roadway. Construction on this section, from New York Avenue to Franklin Street NE, is expected to be completed this summer.

Ultimately, the trail will connect to metro stations at New York Avenue and Union Station; as well as the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station, upon completion of a bicycle/pedestrian bridge which is planned for the site.

Director Klein pointed out that Abraham Lincoln had advocated for the railroad's completion (which finally happened in 1873) - it only feels like he advocated for the bike trail.

Dr. Gridlock mentioned the ceremony as well (though commenters cared not for his comparing it to the ICC).

Meanwhile, down at the end of the trail, the Bike Station at Union Station is nearing completion. John Lisle, a spokesman for the District Department of Transportation, says D.C. is hoping to open the hub in August.

Which couldn't come a minute too soon it seems.

When I returned [to Union Station] on Friday evening to pick [my bike] up, I found the seat had disappeared and both tires had been slashed. The worst part: I wasn't alone. During a spree of crime against cyclists, vandals punctured the tires of at least ten bikes and stole numerous seats and wheels.

So no one is watching your bike, but they have got Loudoun stop signs covered.

The new section of the Met Branch should be finished by the end of summer and maybe even by Labor Day. Over the winter they'll begin formal design of the Fort Totten section and in March of 2010 DDOT plans to break ground on the bridge from the trail to the Rhode Island Avenue Metro.

Comments

[k_fw]

great news! Though I am confused by this "finished by the end of summer and maybe even by Labor Day".

Is that the same thing?

Too bad the bridge won't get started until 2010. Not sure what all those people who currently cross the railroad tracks to get to RI Station will do. Of course I am assuming better fencing will be in place than the chain link that gets cut repeatedly.

[Washcycle]

Summer ends on September 22nd.

[angdis-bb]

I like the architect's renderings for the proposed union station bike thing....

that's what it would look like if all bike riders were 6+ ft and all of them rode identical uber-cool black track bikes!

[Jay]

By contract, the Trail must be completed by July 22, 2009. Cannot wait to hear DDOT's excuses come that date, since we know they will not fine, for such a small project, a contractor they use regularly.

[k_fw]

thanks for the summer explanation! Can't wait to hit the trail...