Scaling back of Beltway expansion spares Rock Creek, Bethesda Trolley, Sligo Creek trails

In mid-May Maryland scaled back their proposed expansion of DC-area highways, a decision that will prevent changes (and likely upgrades) to the many bike trails that cross it. Instead of adding lanes to the whole of the MD Beltway and I-270, the reduced proposal is to add lanes from the Virginia side of the American Legion Bridge (ALB) to north of Rockville. The major impacts for cyclists will be limited to any impact to the C&O Canal Towpath, a possible crossing on the new bridge and any improvements to or new connections crossing along the expanded highway (as is happening along I-66).

[For the record, I think any expansion is a bad idea, but if they do they should take the opportunity to make it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to cross the barrier. And advocates should push to make them do so.]

Last year, Montgomery County Planning weighed in on the project, to advise the state of the walking and bicycling recommendations in the Bicycle Master Plan and other area master plans to reconnect the neighborhoods that were severed with the original construction of I-495 and I-270. They brought their attention to individual bikeway recommendations that cross the interstates are shown at mcatlas.org/bikeplan. They also brought their attention to new guidance related to freeway ramps and grade-separated crossings. All of that is still valid, even with the reduced scope.

The 2020 DEIS discusses how the state is working with local planners to preserve current bike/ped facilities and add the facilities required by the county.

A shared-use facility on the bridge is something the state says it's committed to. Regardless of feelings about the HOT lanes, that would be a great addition to the local bike network as it would be the only crossing between Chain Bridge and White's Ferry (which may or may not come back). The bridge runs almost exactly north-south, so it's odd that they described the share-use path as being on the "south side", but I'll assume they mean the downstream side which matches up with where they put it in the 2002 Mount Vernon Trail Extension Study. (The MVT is the light blue line).

It'd be a mistake to build it as shown, but not include a connection under the bridge to Live Oak Drive. 

Comments

[Purple Eagle]

It would be great if they also built the MVT extension. I thought that plan had been shelved, or at least put on hibernation

[washcyle]

The MVT extension is still shelved as far as I know, but in order to make this crossing worth a lick of spit it will need to either go under the bridge after the crossing and connect to Live Oak or follow something similar to the Blue Line to connect to one of the streets near Dead Run.

[Purple Eagle]

Good point. Live Oak is significantly lower than the bridge at its northern end (the trailhead for the Potomac Heritage (hiking) trail is there). I wonder if they might consider extending the trail along the Beltway to where Live Oak crosses the Beltway - the elevation is much closer there. And it would be an easy/flat ride south on Balls Hill Rd to Georgetown Pike, plus there is a trailhead for Scotts Run Nature Preserve.