Westbard Sector Plan promotes protected bike lanes, better connections to the CCT and more green space along the trail

Montgomery County recently held a hearing on the Planning Department's Westbard Sector Plan update.

The new Westbard Sector Plan re-assesses and updates the goals and achievements of the 1982 Plan to provide guidance for the next 20 years. It addresses new challenges in the Westbard area, including changes in traffic, housing demand and office and retail trends.

Westbard straddles the Capital Crescent trail between River Road and Massachusetts Avenue, and so using the trail plays a large part in shaping the transportation plan.

A tremendous asset in the community is the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) on the old B&O Railroad right-ofway. This pedestrian and bicycle trail is a major regional connection that also provides limited local service in the Westbard area. Increasing local connectivity to and from the CCT will allow it to be more integrated into the community.

The plan would replace many surface parking lots with buildings, tree-lined streets, parks and new bicycle paths. At the hearing several people complained about the plans lack of support for driving.

“No matter how many bicyclists you provide for, we will still be driving,” said Patricia Johnson, a resident of the nearby Kenwood neighborhood.

 

“Senior citizens are counting on that full-service gas station,” said nearby resident Robert Dyer. “The message to them is ‘Drop dead.’”

But for cyclists the plan has many elements worthy of support. The plan recommends creating a more bike and pedestrian oriented area by "Adding a network of green open spaces connected by trails and bikeways that provides places for outdoor recreation, gathering and relaxation" and building a complete streets network. 

 

To achieve that goal they recommend many new bike facilities.

• An 11-foot-wide, two-way separated bike lane (cycle track) on the north side of River Road with a buffer. The separated bike lanes and sidewalk will transition to a shared-use path outside of the Sector Plan boundary. The separated bike lanes and sidewalk will also connect to the proposed trail that runs between the Capital Crescent Trail and River Road.
• 5-foot-wide, one-way separated bike lanes (cycle track) on each side of an extended Westbard Avenue (LB-1 on the map below) with a buffer from traffic. The one-way cycle tracks on Westbard Avenue would transition to an off -road shared use path on both sides of the road south of Westbard Circle to Massachusetts Avenue.
• Bikeways on a new "Connector Road" (LB-2 on the map below) between Massachusetts Ave and River Road. The roadway is envisioned to be a low speed road that would allow for bicyclists to safely share the travel lane with vehicles. This road would also lead to a proposed new connection to the Capital Crescent Trail.
• Space reserved for bicycle facilities, such as a bike share station and long-term bicycle parking, within any Transit hub included in the redevelopment area on Westbard Avenue. 
• Creation of a connector from the new "Connector Road" to the Capital Crescent Trail with a bicycle ramp. A connection from the new connector road to the CCT would allow pedestrians and bicyclists to gain access to the CCT instead of using ramps on River Road or a staircase on Massachusetts Avenue.
• All bikeway improvements be completed to the nearest intersection with appropriate transitions across major roadways.
• Added short term and long-term bicycle parking amenities that are safe, secure and convenient. Racks would be protected from the elements and be highly visible.
• Bike share stations expanded in and around the Westbard Plan area.
• An enhanced at-grade crossing of River Road at the CCT to facilitate an easier and faster crossing of River Road for pedestrians and bicyclists. The enhancement could be tied into a possible signal that could be located at the Landy Lane/River Road intersection
• A new hard surface trail from the Capital Crescent Trail to the Whole Foods site and a new entrance to the Capital Crescent Trail between Whole Foods and Washington Episcopal School and a community open space at the intersection of the proposed hard surface trail and River Road
• When Washington Episcopal School redevelops, renovate the associated portion of Willett Branch to restore the flood plain and provide a trail connection to the Little Falls Stream Valley and Capital Crescent Trail.

In addition, the plan recommends making the CCT more of a park, with more adjacent parkland. It calls for the creation of a Countywide Urban Recreational Park adjacent to the Capital Crescent Trail at Willet Branch that could include a skate park, a pump track and a dog park; the completion of plantings to complete Westbard’s Greenway network along the Capital Crescent Trail and Little Falls Parkway; the creation of an environmentally sensitive Willett Branch crossings at the Capital Crescent Trail that would consist of a wider span for a naturalized channel and a pedestrian trail along the stream; and that the county reclaim and replant encroachments on the Capital Crescent Special Park to create a more naturalized condition.

Connector Road along the CCT

River Road with Protected bikeway

Westbard Avenue with raised, protected bike lanes on each side

 

Comments

[Jeffb]

I'm intrigued with the indication of some bike treatment for River Rd to Willard Ave and continuing up Willard. This is just out of the project area proper.

This connects the CCT with Friienship Heights and any improvement would be most welcome.

Secondly the idea of River Road as a tree line walkable complete street with PBL is so far from what it is today I just can't imagine it.

The thru commuters are going to HOWL!

[Jeffb]

P.S., can someone translate what "Dual Bikeway" means?

[SJE]

How can this be anti-car? They are adding a road.

[Jeffb]

@SJE
Right now River Rd is practically an interstate during rush hour with many cars greatly exceeding speed limits.

I imagine that in the future this will be less tolerated - I certainly hope so!

[Crickey7]

I ride that stretch of River Road every day. The proposed dual bikeway west of Ridgefield is currently a very wide shoulder. This will be more inviting, but in reality it's plenty safe today. The stretch between Ridgefield and the CCT that will be a separated bike lane is pretty intimidating to the casual cyclist. This will help get people onto the roads. The dual bikeway shown between Little Falls and Willard is intriguing, but I find it difficult to believe given the closeness of structures to the roadway and the narrow sidewalk now. This stretch is truly frightening to most cyclists, though I find it's not the worst road I go on, by far. My final thought is that this will bring more bike traffic to the Whole Foods. They better replace their goddamn recycled plastic, haphazardly bolted together bike rack that will not actually accommodate a U-lock. The manager now hides when he sees me come in, because he knows I've come to complain about it.

[jeffb]

I retired from riding that stretch of River Rd from Little Falls Pkwy to Willard the very day when:

I was riding in the left lane of River approaching Willard as I intended to turn there. I was going flat out down the slight decline so as to not inconvenience traffic. Probably close to 30 MPH.

In the right lane a car passed - probably going 40 MPH (i.e. speeding). Simultaneously another car (BMW driver) passed *between us* straddling both lanes going much, much faster. The wind shock nearly threw me into the approaching traffic that's how fast and close he was.

I swore that I'd never ride that road again so long as there was an infinitesimal chance I be sharing it with that homicidal maniac.

[Crickey7]

There's lots of great riding around this area. But the County is seriously lagging in creating the kind of infrastructure that entices more people to get out there and ride, not just on the CCT, but to the CCT, and other places around town. This is a small and overdue step in that direction.

[Smedley Burkhart]

I commute against traffic between Baltimore Ave and the Parkway every day. One has to claim a lane, but it's relatively benign and I haven't had a driver get pissy for a while. I'd hate to do it with traffic, though, and I bet a protected facility would get a lot of people out. I notice quite a few on that miserable little sidewalk, including a some WES students.

[Brett Young]

One part of this project is to restore Willett Branch.
Maybe part of this restoration will include a path from CCT to Whole foods...as you alluded to in your post
http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2015/Walk-The-Willett-Branch-This-Weekend/

[washcycle]

Daylighting Willet Branch and making it into a real greenspace seems like a no-brainer to me.

[Robert Dyer]

Unfortunately, they only give us 3 minutes to speak at the hearing.

I actually do support the bicycle facilities proposed in the plan. That part was very well thought-out, in my opinion. The daylighting of Willett Branch is a great idea, but there are so many property owners involved that it is unlikely to happen for decades, if at all.

To get more public support, they really need to add a solid public facility like a rec center with a pool (Bethesda Pool maxed out capacity over Memorial Day Weekend). And a real park, not a postage stamp of grass. If the County is serious about the environment and protecting the Little Falls watershed, it will pony up the cash to buy some of the industrial land along the stream, and convert it to parkland and a refuge for wildlife among all the concrete.

[Brett Young]

Here is a link to a PDF of Willet Branch
http://www.lfwa.org/sites/default/files/attachments/the_willett_branch_presentation_0.pdf