Paving of the Metropolitan Branch Trail is nearly complete between Franklin Street and the New York Avenue Metro Station. This a.m. I was able to ride this new section. Having grade-separated crossings of New York Avenue and Florida Avenue makes the trip from Silver Spring feel both faster and safer.
By coincidence, my bike odometer calls it as exactly 10.0 miles from my house to Union Station.
Now if we could just get the MoCo part done (and the section from Fort Totten north to the Maryland line).
What route did you use to get from Piney Branch Road (where the Takoma Park segment of the trail ends) to Fort Totten?
I followed the signed interim route. The worst part of this route is crossing from west to east on Gallitin – It is signed for trail users to ride against the flow of traffic on the one way section between New Hampshire Ave. and Fort Totten Drive, but DDOT still hasn’t put up any signs or bike lane markings to alert motorists that cyclists can ride the “wrong way”. I haven’t had an incident there yet, but do feel a bit nervous riding against the traffic.
I agree about the Gallatin St crossing. I was almost hit two weeks ago by a motorist that squeezed through on the left of a queue of cars. Lane markings are definitely needed.