Arlington Inner Loop

With the opening of the newest section of the Washington Boulevard, there's now an opportunity for Arlington to create a second loop trail, this one entirely within the other. 

The current Arlington Loop uses the Mt. Vernon, Custis and Four Mile Run trails to create a 16.2 mile loop around the county. The Arlington Inner Loop, or the AIL Trail if you like, would be a 6 mile loop around Arlington Cemetery and Fort Myer that uses the two segments of the Washington Boulevard Trail (WBT), the Arlington Boulevard Trail (ABT) and the Route 110 North Trail (110).  

It's not trail the whole way, but the parts that aren't trail are mostly short. From the Pentagon Memorial, one would have to use sidewalk or road along Columbia Pike, Southgate Road and Orme to get to the wide sidepath along Columbia Pike, but that section will be changed when Arlington Cemetery is expanded. Trail users would also have to use one block of S. Rolfe to get from the Pike to the newest section of the WBT.  Then there's a long on-road section from Rolfe or Rhodes (depending on which side of Arlington Boulevard one decides to use) to the trail near the Marine Corps Memorial. On the inside portion of Arlington Boulevard, there's room for a two-way protected bike lane. It would require narrowing the travel lanes, but traffic is light and the speed limit is 25 mph, which I think is routinely ignored, so it should be a benefit, 

It would also need directional signage, ideally using unique branding, but the trails need signage anyway. For example, a trail user heading clockwise on the WBT will find a sign that says the bike route ends when they get to Arlington Boulevard; but a simple left turn after the underpass will get them to the ABT. There is no signage to tell them that. Similar directional signage would be useful at Pershing Drive, N Rolfe Street, N. Rhodes, N. Meade, etc...

While they're at it, the section of the WBT from Memorial Cirlcle to the Pentagon (I think they should count both the section from S. Rolfe to Arlington Boulevard and from Memorial Circle to Columbia Pike as one WBT) needs to be widened and upgraded, which is in the 2014 Master Transportation Plan. That section was built ~20 years ago and it just isn't up to snuff. 

Anyway, the new section of the WBT is great . It really makes for a quick connection and it even has an extra connection at 6th Street. Also, it was my first time on the Marine Corps Memorial Access Road since it was repaved and it is nice.

 

Comments

[Dewey]

Not with the stressful street crossings at Rt 50 & Pershing Dr, at Columbia Pike & S Washington Blvd, and the three non-signal crossings across multiple lanes of Washington Blvd near Memorial Circle.

[Pepper Burly]

Great progress. Hopefully Arlington begins to show the same urgency to protect pedestrians and bicyclists that DC has begun to show in the past month.