ICC Update

8/22/08

The Montgomery County Planning Board is weighing proposals for the final routing of the ICC hiker-biker trail, and we have good news and bad news about the campaign to make sure the route lives up to what was promised.

First the bad news: The Planning Board staff drafted a proposal put forward last month that called for permanently erasing the sections of the ICC trail that were slated to run through Upper Paint Branch, Northwest Branch, and Rock Creek Parks.  The staff said the path would put too much asphalt in sensitive park land, even though the state is building a six-lane highway along the same route!

Now for the good news: After WABA and Montgomery Bicycle Advocates (MoBike) organized opposition to the staff's plan at a public hearing last month, the members of the Planning Board ordered the staff to study ways to put at least a part of the trail through the parks instead of routing it along busy surface streets as the staff had wanted to do.  The Board told the staff to look specifically at ways to run the bike path through Upper Paint Branch Park.

You can help by sending an e-mail to (1) thank the members of the Planning Board for pushing its staff to study ways to route the paved bike path through Upper Paint Branch Park and (2) urge them to reject any proposal that calls for permanently canceling plans to build segments of the trail in Northwest Branch and Rock Creek parks.

You should point out that a hard surface trail suitable for cycling can be built without significant environmental damage by using boardwalk or other materials and construction that allow for natural drainage.  Most importantly, even if the Planning Board decides to use detour options as an interim solution, it should preserve the option of building the trail across the parks in the future as funding and new technology become available to minimize the bike path's environmental effects.  Otherwise, we will never get the complete, connected trail we were promised.

This is a fight we can win, because the members of the Planning Board have made it clear that they want to help cyclists get a path that will not force them onto high-traffic roads with dozens of driveways and intersections to cross.  We need to make sure they understand that cyclists want a path that respects the environment without destroying the promise of an 18-mile trail that would make cross-county bike trips safe for bikers of all kinds.

Montgomery Planning Board>>

Staff Recommendation to Planning Board>>

Planning Department's Trail Study Page>>  

Study results>>

 

 

Prince George’s County FY2009 Parks and Recreation Budget

Below is a list of project that need to be prioritized in the FY 2009 budget.  WABA urges you to contact the Prince George's County Council to epxress your support for these key projects.

Prince George’s County Connector Trail

The Prince George’s County Connector Trail, which extends from the District line to the West Hyattsville Metro is a critical component in the regional trail network.  The Connector trail will link up to the future Metropolitan Branch Trail in Washington DC and provide non-motorized access from the Anacostia Tributaries trail network to the District of Columbia.  Initially, the land necessary for trail construction was to be obtained through an easement with the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority.  However, it is now our understanding that Shoppers Food Warehouse seeks to acquire the land expand its operations.  If this easement does go through Shoppers Food Warehouse should be required to construct the Connector Trail as well as a new soccer field as proposed by the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Anacostia River Trail

As with the PG Connector, the Anacostia River Trail extension from its current terminus south to the Bladensburg Marina is a small investment that will reap enormous gains.  By extending the Anacostia River Trail south, it will connect directly to the future Anacostia Riverwalk and Trail planned for the District of Columbia.  Design work on the trail extension is on hold as the Maryland State Highway Administration decides on remediation measures in the area.  We encourage Park and Planning to watch this project closely so that any remediation includes the Anacostia River Trail.

Henson Creek Trail Extension

$450,000 in funding for the design and construction of the Henson Creek Trail has already been allocated and trail design is set to begin soon.  This design work must be completed quickly so that an application for federal matching funds can be submitted by March 1, 2007.  It appears that good progress is being made, with a design consultant selected.  We encourage MNCPPC-PG to set fund asides for addition construction of this important trail project and to ensure that design of the trail moves forward quickly so that federal funding sources can be captured.

National Harbor and Woodrow Wilson Bridge
The bicycle and pedestrian crossing on the new bridge has excellent access on the Virginia side, but virtually none on the Maryland side.  Further to the south, a memorandum of understanding is nearly complete between the Parks and Recreation Department and the National Park Service to allow construction of a boardwalk to link the existing segments of the Piscataway Creek Trail.  WABA urges the Council to support this agreement, which will allow environmental studies to begin for this important project, using previously appropriated funds.

Lighting on the Northwest Branch Trail

In addition to its recreation value, the Northwest Branch Trail is a vital non-motorized transportation resource for citizens of Prince George’s County.  A proposal by the City of Mount Rainer to designate the trail as a transportation corridor will allow the county to install lighting that would greatly extend the usable hours of the facility as well as contribute to safety of trail users.  WABA is willing to work with Mt Rainer as well as the City if Hyattsville to ensure that adequate policing of the trail would be provided prior to the change in designation.

Improve NW Branch Trail Crossing of Queens Chapel Road
The Northwest Branch Trail crosses Queens Chapel Road near the West Hyattsville Metro station.  This is a very busy crossing for both cyclists and pedestrians coming from the Metro station to the apartment complex across Queens Chapel.  Crossing Queens Chapel is made more difficult by car traffic exiting the Metro station parking lot via Jamestown Rd and turning across the trail crosswalk.  WABA recommends that a bike/pedestrian activated signalized crossing be added to this intersection.  If the pedestrian crossing light was synchronized to existing traffic lights at the intersections of Queens Chapel with Ager Road and Chillum Road, the impact on traffic flow would be minimal.  It should be noted that Queens Chapel is a state highway (Rt. 500) and there would need to be cooperation between the State and Park & Planning for the changes to be made.

 

Build the Piscataway Creek Trail
To date over $500,000 in funding has been allocated for the design and construction of the Piscataway Creek Trail in the County.  We strongly feel that the County should focus its efforts on the southern segments of the trail south of Fort Washington Park.  With a $40,000 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Foundation, community volunteers have already begun installing permeable trail surfaces on the Piscataway Creek trail to demonstrate environmentally friendly trail designs.  But more funding will be needed to build a low-impact bridge and boardwalk across a creek and wetland area and to link the trail to other nearby park areas.  The hard work carried out by the volunteers is a good sign of the strong community support for this trail.  Because the initial segment of the Piscataway Creek Trail is entirely on National Park Service property, a memorandum of agreement has been drafted that would guarantee perpetual public access to any trail facilities built on National Park property using local funds.  This is a good agreement for the citizens of Prince George’s County, and we urge the Park and Planning to finalize the agreement and begin design and construction of the trail.

Improved Trail and Bikeway Maintenance and Signage

Park and Planning is responsible for an extensive network of trails that offer recreation and non-motorized transportation opportunities to thousands of County residents and visitors each year.  However, maintenance and repair of these facilities has lagged due to inadequate funding and a lack of priority.  We strongly encourage Park and Planning to increase the funding available for trail maintenance and to also ensure that the County’s trails are adequately signed and all gaps are eliminated.

Increase Planning Staff
Finally, due to the sheer number of bike and pedestrian projects either planned or underway, Park and Planning staff is over taxed resulting in project delays.  It is our understanding that funding for additional positions within the department have been approved and we encourage Park and Planning to increase the number of positions dedicated to bike and pedestrian planning at the agency.  Additional staff can review master plans and site plans to ensure that bicycle and pedestrian-friendly developments become the norm in the county.  Additional staff will also be freed to purse the many sources of federal funds available for bicycle and pedestrian projects.

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