Brier's Mill Run is a 3.5 mile long tributary of the Northeast Branch of the Anacostia in Prince George's county. It used to be known as Brier Ditch, but stakeholders renamed it in order to increase awareness of it. The new name is not official, but reflects the community's vision of it. Significant portions of the stream were channelized in the 1950's as part of the Anacostia River Flood Control and Navigation project. It runs from Magnolia Spring on the campus of Capital Christian Academy in Lanham west through New Carrollton to meet the NE Branch, with Still Creek, in Riverdale Park. A pair of tributaries meet up with the main branch at a confluence in New Carrollton. Another tributary meets up with it just east of Auburn Ave in Lanham.
Unlike Still Creek to the north, BMR runs through neighborhoods and near a school. There's already a small, narrow piece of trail along it in New Carrollton's West Field. And there are plans to build more. The East Riverdale-Beacon Heights Sector Plan calls for a trail from Auburn Avenue to the NE Branch Trail, including a new bridge over the NE Branch. It also calls for the stream to be removed from the channel it's in as much as possible. The 1995 New Carrollton plan calls for the trail to extend all the way to Carrollton Parkway, which is where the existing segments are. If extended along Carrollton Parkway, there might be room for a trail crossing of the Beltway here, which would be the only bike/ped crossing in a 1.4 mile stretch, and far better than the closest two. From there a trail through the woods along the stream and then off to the east could end at the Seabrook Park and the Good Luck Community Center.
The two tributaries to the east of West Field are of the type that flow down the middle of a divided road. They don't leave much room for a trail, but could be better designed for biking if parking were removed or traffic were calmed.
The canal leading south from West Field leads along county property to the New Carrollton Library and makes for a natural connector trail.
The tributary south from Auburn, after a difficult crossing of Riverdale Road, flows to and along Veterans Highway, across the street from the future Purple Line and a trail built along it could be extended to the PL's Annapolis Road station or connected to the bike lanes being added to Veterans as part of that project. Though the bike lanes are just bikeable shoulders.
A trail here would be even better if the Purple Line trail network envisioned in 2011 was built. That proposal included a trail along Riverdale Road from the BW Parkway to Auburn road and a trail along Veterans Parkway between it and the tracks.
A Briers Mill Run trail system could become a critical bike/ped backbone for this area of New Carrollton and East Riverdale and serve as a connection to the Purple Line.
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