Rails-to-Trails Magazine has a few items of local interest in it's Winter 2010 edition. These articles aren't available online. It's a good little magazine that comes free with RTC membership and since RTC does a lot of good advocacy work, I'd recommend it.
The first article is about the newly opened Blue Ridge Railway Trail. 4.5 miles of the trail opened in two phases over the last six years an the last stretch is to open spring 2010. The trail is located north of Lynchburg along US 29. The little blip about the trail in the magazine is that there are four breweries, about 15 miles apart, linked by the Brew Ridge Trail which is only 10 miles from the Blue Ridge Railway Trail.
Another article is about a cyclist in Massachusetts who convinced Arlington, MA to begin plowing the 3.5 miles of the Minuteman Bikeway that passes through town. Quick, how much do you think plowing 3.5 miles of the trail cost? Answer later. They had a meeting at which people worried it would cost too much, damage the trail, damage the land along the trail or create black ice. They addressed all of those concerns (though the article doesn't say how) and now the trail is open all winter long.
The DPW estimated it would cost $25,000 to plow the trail. The actual cost was $2,700 or 0.23% of the town's total plowing budget. 3.5 miles is about the length of the paved portion of the CCT in Maryland, btw, and it snows a couple more days in MA than it does in Bethesda.
What a great idea! How and who to pitch it to? Is it MoCo and DC, or NCPCC (or whatever it is called)? Are there legal ramifications if they start, and then stop, or don't do it all?
My experience is that the worst parts of the trail are between river road and the tunnel near the reservoir, especially because of ice build up.
Posted by: SJE | December 01, 2009 at 11:17 AM
This idea was considered some years ago, and the MoCo Department of Parks even budgeted some money to do it for one season as a trial. As luck would have it, that was the only year since the trail opened during which there was no accumulating snow for the whole season. I guess that would make the program a success!
But the Dept. of Parks has never programed any Operating Budget maintenance funds for this since that one year. The main objection is cost, and there is some concern that if they start plowing this one trail then they will be pressured to plow all trails.
The next budget is just now coming up for consideration. It is probably already too late to contact the Parks Dept. since they have already prepared their budget proposal to submit to the County Executive. But the County Executive Ike Leggett can still make changes until mid-January. After that the County Council will take it up and can make changes until they take their final budget approval vote, in late May or early June.
Posted by: Wayne Phyillaier | December 01, 2009 at 11:51 AM
I wonder if there are issues with plowing equipment overstressing wooden bridges on the trails. I would love to see the Mount Vernon Trail plowed as I end up having to drive to work long after it snows. The snow lingers on bridges and in shaded areas often in the form of icy footprints that are a real pain to ride on.
Posted by: John | December 01, 2009 at 12:28 PM
At $2700 you'd think you could find 54 regular riders willing to pitch in $50 a piece. Or you could set up one of those donation auctions where no one pays until the full amount is pledged.
Posted by: Washcycle | December 01, 2009 at 02:56 PM
I pledge $50 via donation auction, with any excess to go to the fund for next year.
Posted by: SJE | December 01, 2009 at 03:05 PM