To follow up on last week's posts on the Metropolitan Branch Trail's L Street ramp, below are some images from the conceptual rendering of the ramp for which there are two different schemes. These are not final engineering designs or even proposals, just ideas. I'm not sure why the "trail easement" is shown to be just the trail, as I understand the whole plot to be a trail easement, but perhaps there is some other distinction at play. It's all WMATA owned easement.
Longitundinal section for Scheme 1
You can see that while the trail is only on the western side of the easement, there are terraced green areas, a walking path and a grand staircase on the east.
The main difference between the schemes is the space between the trail and the parking lots. In 1, it's a retaining wall, leaving more room for green space on the east, and in 2 it's a grade modified green slope.
Both designs, I'll note allow for a connection to a future extension of Pierce Street NE (visible in the top left of the 2nd image) and a gate for use by WMATA to access the tracks. They could include an acoustic barrier like along the Wilson Bridge to make it a quiter setting as well.
View of Scheme 1 from L Street
View of Scheme 2 from L street
View of Scheme 1 toward L Street
There is some "park" space here in the form of benches and trees, but I'm not sure where a playable art installation would fit if it were to be included here.
View of Scheme 2 toward L
And finally, here's some views of the trail landing at the top of the ramp.
The white figures look like ghost bikes, as if the new MBT will be a slaughterhouse for cyclists.
Posted by: SJE | July 21, 2014 at 10:59 AM
No, you're thinking of the future Washington and Antietam Trail.
Posted by: washcycle | July 21, 2014 at 11:16 AM
I pushed by bike up the stairs twice this weekend and noticed the same thing each time. This stretch of the MBT is a homeless hangout.
Posted by: unclejed | July 21, 2014 at 01:18 PM