Silver Spring Trails

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.