Silver Spring Trails

MTA held a Silver Spring Station area meeting this evening at the Silver Spring Civic Center, and showed several concept drawings of the most recent design plans for the Purple Line and CCT at the Silver Spring transit station. A snapshot of one of the drawings has just been posted by Chris Gillis, of Councilmember George Leventhal’s staff, as a PLN twitter pic. As Chris indicated in the twitter comment, there is a lot going on there, but it looks like it will all work.

(5/31/2012 update: The MTA has posted its drawings and presentation at www.purplelinemd.com.)

The major change from past MTA renderings is that the Purple Line and the Trail are both higher than previously shown. MTA has raised the proposed Purple Line platform and tracks to be at a fourth level. The CCT would be on an areal structure passing through the station at the third level, while the MARC and Metro Red Line platforms would remain on the second level as they are now. Having the Purple Line at a higher elevation makes it possible to use vertical separation to manage potential conflicts between the trail users and the pedestrian traffic to the MARC and Purple Line platforms. The new arrangement puts the trail on a different level than the train platforms.

The trail would will hold straight and to a 12+ foot width through the station, but there would be a sharp turn at the south end of the station where the CCT would meet the MetBranch Trail. MTA and M-NCPPC planners are aware this is a problem and are trying to work out a more gradual curve alignment, but space is very constrained in that area as the MetBranch Trail and the new “Ripifant” Street Road must both pass under the Purple Line tracks there where the tracks turn to the east.

I will post more on this design in a few days, after the MTA has posted better images of their concept drawings on their website.

The Washingtong Post has an article on community development around future Purple Line stations, at Lack of money doesn’t stop Purple Line station development plans. The article only discusses the impact of the Purple Line on the trail very briefly, with this quote from Purple Line opponents:

“It would change the trail from what it is today — a nature trail through a quiet community — into a strip of asphalt through an urbanized area,” said Bill Schulz, a board member of Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail.

The Post article does not quote any trail users who support the Purple Line. But the Post print version of the article has a good photo that would have helped Purple Line supporters make their point if they had been asked, available online at: a stretch along Connecticut Ave.

The photo shows trail users at Chevy Chase Lake looking toward the pedestrian barrier at Connecticut Avenue, and watching the many automobiles stream by. This is the “nature trail” to be saved at Chevy Chase Lake? And when did asphalt become a bad thing to have for the Capital Crescent Trail?? Many trail users would agree that a trail bridge and asphalt paving would be welcome here.

The Washington Post has a feature article Phoenix offers lessons for Purple Line that is well worth reading. A photo album and video are with the article that provide a good look at what a modern light rail looks like.

Check out the video to see how well the Phoenix light rail accommodates bicyclists – you can see cyclists boarding about 45 seconds into the video. Smooth!

Those who follow this blog know I have some interest in rail-with-trail. I had to check out the Hiawatha while in Minneapolis.

I’m revealing no secrets to report on the compatibility of the Hiawatha light-rail and trail. The blog rails-With-trails has photos and video at railswithtrails/hiawathatrail.

The Hiawatha Trail is safe, attractive and well used even though it has only a simple fence for separation from the light-rail. Consider what is planned for the Capital Crescent Trail alongside the Purple Line, a rendering is at www.purplelinemd.com.

The CCT will have more horizontal and vertical separation, more landscaping in the buffer, possibly green treatment for the tracks, more attractive fencing. The Hiawatha clearly demonstrates that claims the Purple Line will destroy the trail are hyperbolic.

Waiting for the light, then crossing six highway lanes while watching out for motorists making turns is enough nuisance and hazard for one place on the Interim CCT. But now crossing Connecticut Avenue safely has become more difficult for cyclists.

A new curb cut has been installed at the Interim CCT crossing of Connecticut Ave. The new configuration may be an improvement for pedestrians and especially for those in wheelchairs, since it better separates the sidewalk from the driveway to the Parkway Custom Drycleaning parking lot. But cyclists will find it hard to use the new curb cut because of the hard turn one must make to avoid hitting the new curb that is right behind the curb cut. The alternative, using the ramp into the Parkway Custom Drycleaning driveway a few feet to the south, will put cyclists into direct conflict with any motorists trying to use the driveway.

We need a trail bridge over Connecticut Avenue! Until then, use extra caution in this area.

I hate that I’ll be missing this – I’ll be out of town. But this really looks like a worthwhile conference!

MONTGOMERY BICYCLING FOR ALL OF US! CONFERENCE

A kick-off for “Bike to Work Week”

DATE: Saturday May 14
PLACE: 1st Floor Auditorium, Executive Office Bldg. 101 Monroe Street, Rockville

TIME:
8:45 a.m. coffee & registration
9:00 to 1:00 p.m. conference
1:00 to 2:00 lunch break
2:00 p.m. bike tour of Rockville*

Join members of the County’s Department of Transportation, M-NCPPC Parks and Transportation Offices, elected and appointed officials, bicyclists and bicycle advocates to brainstorm on how to get more people to bicycle to transit, work, shopping, errands, entertainment, recreation, and to and from school and after-school activities.

Organized by the Montgomery County Civic Federation with details on website: www.montgomerycivic.org.

Co-sponsored by Montgomery County Department of Transportation and the Maryland-National Capital//Park & Planning Commission.

Please RSVP to dte.bike@montgomerycountymd.gov if you are bringing a bike to the meeting.

*BYOB – Bring Your Own Bike. Experience Rockville’s bicycle-friendly features. Tour leader from Rockville’s Citizen Bicycle Advisory Committee

From purplelinenow.com:

The Washington Sustainable Growth Alliance held an awards ceremony on April 27 on the lawn at George Washington’s Mount Vernon to announce their 2011 Regional Conservation Priorities awards. The completion of the Capital Crescent and MetBranch Trails was named as one of six conservation priorities selected from over 50 candidate projects by a jury. Representatives present from Purple Line NOW!, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, and Rails-to-Trails were recognized for promoting this project. The selection criteria and the priority projects are described in the award publication, A Call to Action (a pdf).

The award publication, A Call to Action, describes what is needed to complete these two trails, and gives the reasons for the selection as a Regional Conservation Priority:

WHY A PRIORITY?

• Linking the Capital Crescent and the Metropolitan Branch
  Branch Trails in Silver Spring will close the final gap in a trail system that circumnavigates the District of Columbia, connecting many urban centers, major destinations, parks, as well as public transit stations in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
• The completed trails will provide convenient, safe and accessible pedestrian and cycling options to many neighborhoods along their routes, including some areas that until now have been underserved.
• Scarce funding for major capital improvements is a constant challenge for state and local governments today. For this initiative to progress in a timely manner, they must maintain trail and associated projects at the highest possible level of priority.

The Washington Sustainable Growth Alliance is comprised of these organizations:

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• Coalition for Smarter Growth
• Enterprise Community Partners
• Greater Washington Board of Trade
• Metropolitan Washington Builders’ Council
• ULI Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing
• ULI Washington

(Disclosure: I helped Purple Line NOW! nominate this project for consideration for this award.)

WABA was out on the CCT this Saturday, April 23, giving out free bells, handing out safety information, and answering questions about why WABA supports completing the CCT alongside the Purple Line – see The Purple Line is good for the Trail.

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association has posted a major position statement on its blog, at The Purple Line is good for the Trail. The statement affirms WABA’s long held position:

After more than a decade of debate, you might think that questions about the future Purple Line would be put to rest. But as work has continued, budgets have tightened, and cost estimates have been released, some trail opponents are bringing up the same misleading arguments about lack of public input, expense, and harm to the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT).

Throughout this planning process, trail opponents have cloaked their opposition with positive spin, naming the anti-Purple Line advocacy organization “Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail” and circulating a “Save the Trail” petition. This has created a great deal of confusion, and we want to clarify—now that some time has passed—where WABA—as credible, regional cycling advocates who love the trail and have advocated for it from its inception—stand on this project.

So let’s set the record straight: The Purple Line is not going to destroy the trail. While the trail will change, in most ways it will be for the better. The fact is that the Purple Line is the best way— in fact, the only realistic way—to get improvements to the existing segments of the CCT and to extend the trail into downtown Silver Spring.

The position statement goes on to address the issue being raised by so called “Friends of the Trail” that the cost of rebuilding and completing the CCT is too high.

WABA volunteers will be at each end of the CCT this Saturday to promote trail safety. They will be giving out copies of their Spring quarterly newsletter Ride-On, which includes this article. If you are on the CCT this Saturday and see the WABA volunteers, please stop and thank them for their efforts to support the CCT and to set the record straight.