Christmas Wish List (CWL) 2005-09 Review

The past five years have featured a regular December feature I call the Christmas Wish List. Before getting into this year's list let's look at the progress from the previous five years.

The Four Mile Run Shirlington Underpass and the Wilson Bridge crossing are now Hall of Fame members. For anything else skipped there is no status update.

Updates from one, two, three, and four years ago.

2005

#2 WB&A to Anacostia Connector Trail - After being idle for several years, PG County awarded a contract to study this connection.

#5 North Bethesda to the CCT - The trail south of Cedar Lane may be widened and improved as part of the BRAC process.

#8 Reopening DC - The only improvement on this I can think of are plans to reconnect F and G Streets over the Center Leg Freeway in NW DC, and plans to open up Walter Reed (somewhat).

#9 New York Avenue Station MBT - Success. This section of the trail was finally connected to the street grid this past May.

#10 Connecting the 14th Street Bridge - Work continues on the Humpback Bridge rebuild. It was originally to be completed in February 2010, but now won't be finished until Spring 2011. Once it's completed two underpasses will allow cyclists to get to the other side in the area of the Boundary Channel. On the Virginia side Arlington is studying how to connect to the underpass. Work also began on Phase I of Long Bridge Park, but it will be a long time before a bridge connects it to the Mount Vernon Trail. Phase I is to be completed in Summer 2011. "Environmental remediation work within the park is expected to be concluded by the end of November 2010. The sub-grades for Field "A" and for the parking lot are nearly complete and the parking lot is expected to be paved by the end of October. Sanitary and water system work continues on Old Jefferson Davis Highway and is causing the road to be reduced to one travel lane at times. This work is expected to continue throughout the fall. Construction of footings and wall foundations for the esplanade, various site walls, the plinths and buildings is in progress. The galvanized steel wall adjacent to the esplanade is being erected. Footings for sports field lights are being installed."

2006

#5 Transit Access - WMATA has done an extension study on bike access, but they also increased locker fees by 186% and cut bike funding by 53%. Amtrak is considering roll on/roll off service to Pittsburgh.

#7 Walter Reed bike routes - discussed above

#10 WB&A Extension to DC and BWI - the south extension was mentioned above and the bridge crossing the Patuxtent is still stalled.

#11 Dupont Circle bike station - Looking increasingly unlikely.

2007

#3 11th Street Bridges - Work has been going on since last year. The new local bridge won't open until 2013. The rebuilt bridge over 295 opened this year.

#4 14th Street Bridges - The EIS process goes on, and this year they had a bicycle workshop.

#12 Chain Bridge - The bridge was repaved this year, but I don't know if that meant any improvement for cyclists.

2008

#3 Shepherd Branch - The spur that went to St. Elizabeths has been turned into a construction access road, but when the project is done, the plan is to make it into an access road with a parallel bike trail.

#6 Chesapeake Beach Railway Trail - Work is currently underway in Calvert County on a section of this trail. "The Chesapeake Beach Rail Trail is well under way with several piles driven and framing complete on the most western channel crossing. Paving on the land section started in September." Funding is from state TE money.

#11 Three Notch Trail - Ground was broken last summer on Phase V. It should be completed summer of 2011. Here's a slideshow of the trail. The status of the other phases at groundbreaking were:

*      Phase III: This two mile section, from the Wildewood development south to the Wal-Mart shopping Center, is being constructed primarily by private developers; South Plaza, Wildewood, and Wal-Mart have completed sections along their development frontage.  

*      Phase IV - Phase IV-A from Wal-Mart to Chancellor’s Run Road in California is nearly complete. Phase IV-B from Chancellor’s Run Road to Pegg Road will be coordinated with the future construction of FDR Boulevard, a community roadway project.

*     Phase VI - from MD Route 5 to MD Route 236 in Mechanicsville is planned for design in FY11 and construction in FY14.

*     Other Phases: Phases VII, VIII and IX, from Wildewood north to Baggett Park, are planned for FY15 and beyond as future funding permits.

2009

#8 Watching for and Yielding to Cyclists - Success! Maryland passed a three foot passing law, [and Virginia tried to].

#9 Complete - Success! DDOT adopted a Complete Streets policy.

#10 Distracted - Maryland passed a law banning handheld phones, but it isn't likely to do much. A cell phone ban made it through the Virginia Senate, but never made it into law.

http://www.thewashcycle.com/2010/02/brac-and-bicycle-transportation-part-5-bethesda-trolley-trail-.html

Comments

[Jim Titus]

I hope that Eric Olson or other members of the Prince Georges County Council will steer MNCPPC toward getting the WB&A to Anacostia trail built expeditiously, following a direct route from Glenn Dale-New Carollton-Cheverly-Bladensburg. One stretch every three years is not soon enough.

In 2011 MNCPPC should submit a funding package for a first phase which should get the entire interim route built, using at-grade crossings of state highways, and existing crossings of expressways, with the state facilitating this as a transportation enhancement. The local share for the whole trail can be met with a modest appropriation this year, diverting if necessary money long ago set aside for a Patuxent crossing which is not as urgently needed as this connector.

The second phases and third phases can work on making it a nicer trail with grade separated crossings and additional off-road segments.