It's been nearly 18 months since DDOT presented the preliminary design plans for the Metropolitan Branch Trail, and 9 since they issued an RFP for the design-build construction contract for the Fort Totten section (from John McCormack to Gallatin), but despite the anticipated Notice of Intent to Award date (5/15/17) having come and gone, we don't seem to be any closer to the start of work. Perhaps more concerning is that work north of Fort Totten, from Gallatin to Aspen, is being held up by the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee of ANC 4B. As WABA wrote
Despite years of planning that have created a terrific trail plan, some ANC members are asking for major changes that will both delay and jeopardize the success of the trail.
The committee’s decision, and the full ANC resolution later this month, is an important one. If they green light the route that DDOT has spent years developing, planners can finish design work and start construction. If the ANC asks for big changes, we’re back to the drawing board, setting us back years, and likely resulting in less direct, less continuous trail.
So, this whole project is dependent on one committee of one ANC [If you're one of those people who doesn't bother to figure out who their ANC reps are or who the candidates for that seat are or what they stand for then let this be a reminder of why that is foolish].
It's unclear what is causing the delay in the RFP, but in the past it has been because the bids came in too high.
[The release of the Design contract for the trail north to Aspen Street is also behind schedule, likely due to the ANC approval]
It doesn't appear that ANC 4B puts the minutes for it's committee meetings online (or even for their general meetings for more than a year) but some people did go to the meeting and report on it. Some of the concerns were just garden variety NIMBYism
A woman representing the South Manor Park Neighborhood Association argued that 1st Street is too narrow to “bring all these bikes there” and that parking is also very difficult. She also alleged that the adjacent DC Bilingual Public Charter School creates additional problems as it generates lots of car traffic and walking kids such that placing the trail here would increase conflicts and could be dangerous.
And others were more about where traffic made the most sense.
The other segment of contention was regarding DDOT’s proposal to build the trail as a shared use path along Blair Road between McDonald Place and Rittenhouse Street, essentially replacing the sidewalk on the eastern side of Blair Road.
ANC subcommittee head Faith Wheeler said Aspen Street is already busy and about to get busier with all of the construction that is underway on the former Walter Reed site.
She and some residents implored DDOT to consider putting the trail on Van Buren Street, but DDOT noted that Sandy Spring Road is too narrow there for the trail to fit.
Van Buren and Aspen both have underpasses for moving the trail from one side of the tracks to the other, which has to happen in this area. In both cases the east side trail will be Sandy Spring, but DDOT is arguing that for the two blocks between Van Buren and Aspen, Blair is better and I tend to agree.
Frankly, the first concern should be politely dismissed out of hand and the 2nd should be given "great weight" but DDOT's technical assessment of traffic and road width should trump that weight. I can't believe that 18 months after releasing these designs the ANC wants to further delay the trail over such a trivial change based on such flimsy concerns. Where was all this in 2015?
But there is some good news.
One is that it seems the ANC and bike advocates both support a trail spur along North Dakota and 3rd that it would take the trail by the Takoma Community Center. DDOT appears to have been less enthused, but if such a facility could be added on later, that would be a great idea.
The other bit comes from Richard Layman who notes that we could get two routes through this area.
DDOT is offering the on-street alignment now, because during the design period heretofore, NPS was against providing an alignment on NPS property. However, NPS is now willing to discuss such an alignment. DDOT proposes to go forward with the current on street design, while pursuing a longer term off street alignment, pending discussions and a subsequent planning/design process with NPS.
He's talking about the original alignment from the 2005 Concept Plan,
Maybe NPS will turn out to be more welcoming to a lot of DDOT's early ideas like a bridge over Riggs and a PG County Connector Trail along the Circle Fort path.
Anyway, ANC 4B doesn't have this on their agenda for the September 25th meeting, so I don't know when it might be resolved.
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