It's been 7 years since Phase I of the Washington Boulevard Trail started, and while it has seemed like construction on Phase II has been just around the corner for almost as long, this time it appears to be really true.
Phase I was to build a shared use path on the west side of Washington Boulevard from Arlington Boulevard to the edge of Towers Park, but it didn't extend that far and currently dead-ends just north of 2nd Street S. Phase II will continue that from the dead-end all the way to Columbia Pike, via S. Rolfe Street.
Phase II ran into some trouble when residents in Penrose became concerned by the number of trees to be cut down. Much of this is covered in Chris Slatt's GGW article on the project from last May.
Back then the project was to be put out to bid in the summer with work to wrap up next spring or summer. Now the timeline has construction bid and award to happen this year, with work to start next. Once completed it will eventually connect to the bikeways along Columbia Pike and the trail across the Army-Navy Country Club.
Speaking of Washington Boulevard, the county wants to add bike lanes along a one-mile section of the road in 2017 as well. This is much farther to the west, between Lee Highway and McKinley Road.
The plan does require removal of on-street parking spaces from approximately 17 of the 82 single-family homes along the corridor. (All of the affected homes have driveways and other on-street parking options nearby.) Staff will conduct outreach to the civic associations and affected residents this fall and winter.
Your description of Phase I and II is inaccurate: Phase I was only from Rte 50/Arlington Blvd to north of 2nd St S (S Walter Reed Dr/S Uhle St), less than two blocks in length.
Phase II will extend the existing trail only to and through Towers Park. From Towers Park, trail users will continue on S Rolfe St to reach Columbia Pike.
Meanwhile, the County has done nothing to advance the Hoffman-Boston Connector (the trail across Army-Navy Country Club), which had been identified more than 25 years ago as a top priority trail connection for Arlington.
The segment of Washington Blvd now proposed for bike lanes is quite different from Rte 27 and is far way near the western end of the County near the East Falls Church Metro. I hope the removal of on-street parking spaces will be accepted by the community.
Posted by: Allen Muchnick | October 12, 2016 at 03:13 PM
Isn't the HB connector now in the long range plan? Has it not been delayed because of the decision to do not just a MUT, but lane that can be used by emergency vehicles?
Posted by: ACyclistInThePortCIty | October 14, 2016 at 08:43 AM
@acyclistintheportcity, i suspect the access road approach would actually speed things up, as it may relieve them of having to meet ADA grade requirements
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