Arlington has issued the Final Draft of the Arlington Public Spaces Master Plan update. (See more here and here) It updates the 2005 plan is one of 11 critical components of Arlington County's Comprehensive Plan. One of the six Strategic Directions of the plan is about trails, which is why it matters to cyclists. Within trails there are 5 actions and each actions has multiple sub-actions.
Actions include: expanding the network, making sure trails work for a range of users, connecting to hiking trails, consistent signage and wayfinding and better coordination and management of trails. Some of the sub-actions include steps like:
- completing inner and outer loops in and around Arlington [And don't I feel like a horse's you-know-what because my suggestion for an inner loop is in there albeit a little different (and has been for some time). Oh well.]
- connecting Long Bridge Park to the District and the MVT
- Filling gaps in sidewalks and trails to create connections to parks
- Ensuring trails meet the minimum width based on use
- Developing more Learn to Ride areas
- Expand trail use monitoring
- Name all trail segments using descriptive names
- Consider joining the Capital Trails Coalition or some similar organization
And there are more.
The Arlington Bicycle Advisory Council has some specific comments that are well-thought out, so I'm just going to repeat them here:
- All recommendations concerning trails should be consolidated in the “Trails” section (moving recommendations out of the “Context” section)
- The definitions of Primary, Secondary and Connecting Trails in the Context section are vague and unnecessary. The Primary trails listed leave off trails that are widely considered primary (such as the Route 50 Trail). It is not clear that the classification is helpful in this document.
- The PSMP should explicitly consider Land Acquisition for future trails, including trails that are necessary for completing a safe and comfortable bicycle network.
- In addition to improving multi-modal access to parks, the PSMP should recommend providing adequate, accessible bike parking at all Parks facilities.
- Trails should be designed to handle the expected volume of users, and future design should consider separating faster users, such as cyclists, from others. Recommendations for trail design should either refer to the Bicycle Element, or should refer to nationally recognized guidelines, such as the NACTO Guidelines. In no case should the PSMP recommend for minimum trail width less than 8 feet.
- Trail amenities should include bathrooms, water stations, and bicycle fix-it stations, in addition to seating and signage.
- The proposed Outer Loop needs to more clearly be marked as “in design” or proposed—more thought needs to be given to whether the Zachary Taylor Trail is appropriate to include in this loop, given environmental concerns.
- The Operations and Maintenance section should specifically highlight the importance of maintaining Arlington’s paved multi-use trails, as they are a part of the transportation network. It should encourage the use a pavement condition index and consideration of crash locations for prioritizing trail maintenance. It should reiterate the importance of debris removal and snow clearing on Arlington’s trails and the need to expand snow clearing to critical side-paths.
- Operations and Maintenance should acknowledge the need to provide appropriate, safe accommodations and detours when work is being done on trails. Arlington should commit to providing detours that are easy to follow and that provide a route that is as safe as the portion of trail being closed.
- Throughout the document, there are references that conflate people using trails for transportation as “commuters.” Many people use the trails for transportation throughout the day, and some Arlingtonians only use for transportation for errands and other non-commute trips. Moreover, conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians on the trails often happen on weekends, when trail volume is highest. For example, recommendation 2.2.4 in the final draft should be revised to remove the reference to peak commuting times.
In typical Washcycle fashion, feedback ended yesterday. I'm curious about why the Bluemont Junction Trail was left off the map. Too confusing?
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