The County Executive has submitted his proposed FY11-16 Capital Improvements Budget to the County Council for consideration. The proposed budget would delay progress in building the 0.7 mile Montgomery County section of the Metropolitan Branch Trail for at least two more years.
The proposed budget for transportation projects is available at the County OMB website at FY11-16 CIP – Transportation. Links to the pdf’s showing all Pedestrian/Bikeway Facilities project schedules and budgets are listed, including for the Met Branch Trail at pdf 501110.
Under this proposed project schedule for the Met Branch Trial, work would not resume until FY13. Only funding for design work and land acquisition is programmed for funding – no construction funding is included. Only the part of the Master Plan alignment from the transit center to Georgia Avenue would be implemented – the new trail bridge over Georgia Avenue and the trail tunnel under Burlington Avenue (East-West Highway) are not included. The Trail would use the narrow sidewalk on the existing bridge over Georgia Avenue, and follow a route along Philadelphia Avenue and Fenton Street to cross East-West Highway at-grade. No completion date is given for this part of the alignment. Funding for construction will be sought later. Completion of the remainder of the Master Plan alignment is left for future study.
(Source: Proposed FY11-16 CIP, Met Branch pdf 501110)
This sidewalk is less than 6 feet wide, and will not be modified.
I have outlined the tortured history of progress on the Met Branch Trail at the hands of Montgomery County DOT at my Metropolitan Branch Trail page. DOT began concept work in 2004, and had a concept with trail alignment approved by the Planning Board and County Council T&E Committee in 2006. But in 2008 design work stopped at the recommendation of MC DOT. Now we have this – a recommendation to do nothing for at least two more years, and then to only do design and land acquisition for the smaller northern part of this 0.7 mile long Met Branch section. Doing nothing for two more years is little better than a “no build” recommendation, since the Capital Improvements Budget is resubmitted for approval every two years. Anything in this proposed budget that does not program work in FY11 and FY12 is little more than a promise to think about it again during the next budget cycle.
The Montgomery County Council will now take up the proposed Capital Improvements Budget for approval, and has the power to change the budget. The final Council vote will come in late May or early June, but the best opportunity to make changes will come during committee deliberations during the next few months. These are extremely difficult budget years but nevertheless if trail advocates make a coordinated effort to fight for the Trail, the County Council might make a stronger commitment in the budget than has been proposed by MC DOT. I will have much more here on advocacy, as Council Committee schedules become known and trail advocates like WABA start to weigh in.
Contrast with today’s washington post article, “7% hike sought for Montgomery, Md., capital budget”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/15/AR2010011503910.html
“With interest rates low and construction companies hungry for work, Montgomery officials said, the county should take advantage of the community’s general affluence to press ahead with its capital priorities, especially those affecting education.”
I can guarantee you that this will be a top priority for WABA, but we need help from cyclists and other trail users to make it clear to the County Council that the Metropolitan Branch is not just “nice to have” — it’s a key piece of transportation infrastructure in a part of Silver Spring that lacks a safe and convenient connection in and out of DC.