TheWashCycle

Paint Branch Parkway Crossing

From the BikeWashington yahoo group I got this.

The plan is to create an island.  Unfortunately this island will only be 4ft. wide.  A biker will have to hold his/her bike sideways while standing on it.  It's something but obviously not enough. They will NOT put a light there, they will NOT run the path to the fire station area (where a light exists already).

Here's the background on it.

Trolley Trail Crossing of Paint Branch Parkway

On July 10th there was a community meeting regarding the place where the College Park Trolley Trail crosses Paint Branch Parkway. Prince George's County Council Member Eric Olson secured $200,000 to improve this intersection in this year's county budget. From his statement...

The County's Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW&T) is now working on drafting plans for the crossing.

I wanted community members to have the opportunity to hear from DPW&T engineers directly, but I also want to keep this project on a quick schedule, so this can be built sooner rather than later. Ideally, we would have brought DPW&T out to make presentations to each civic association and the Mayor and Council, but I think it makes the most sense to conduct one larger meeting, consider any relevant adjustments, and then get it out to bid and built.

Note: in the short term, I have requested that the vegetation that obscures the view of traffic on the north side of Paint Branch Parkway be cut back.

This is an awkward intersection. Ideally a bridge would carry the trail over the sound barrier and the road, but there simply isn't the money for it.

I couldn't go to the meeting and failed to give readers a head's up so I have no idea what ideas are being considered. Pedestrian activated lights? Moving the crossing somewhere else? Speed bumps? Islands in the street (that is what they are)? It'll be interesting to see what they come up with.

College Park Trolley Trail Expansion (North)

Expansion of the College Park Trail south to Hyattsville is already being investigated, and now the county is looking at expanding the trail about 0.6 miles north from Paducah Road to Route 1. The trolley used to run out to Laurel and much of the right of way still exists - perhaps someday the trail could run that far.

The county’s proposed improvements could include speed humps along Rhode Island Avenue and upgrades to the existing hiker-bicyclist trail. The trail could be extended along Rhode Island Avenue from Paducah Road north to Route 1, according to an April 5 letter Upton wrote to the council.

The trail in this portion isn't really a trail but a set of bike lanes. The picture is of part of the proposed southern expansion, put together by Rethink College Park.

College Park Trolley Trail Expansion (South) Part 2

I went to the Trolley Line Hiker-Biker Trail Event on Saturday. It was really a great experience. Maybe the best community development meeting I've been to.

First of all, I can confirm that the trail from Calvert to Albion road (Phase III of the College Park Trolley Trail) has been completed. It's much nicer now, with a little park space at one end(pictured), curb cuts, landscaping and it's about 10 feet wide. My only suggestion is for a sign on the northern end that will direct one how to get to the metro (down Calvert) or to continue on the trail (it kind of ends on Calvert and you need to ride on Rhode Island Avenue and pick up the trail across Paint Branch Parkway). I've updated my bike trail map - to reflect this (I left a gap in the map, because there is nothing connecting the pieces - no trail, no lanes, no sharrows, no signs, no markings - and something is needed even though the street there is perfectly safe to bike. Something directional is needed).

The meeting was packed. Not just standing room, but so much that people couldn't get in. I'm sure we were violating the fire code. The buy in was great. The Mayor, city council and state representative were all there, as well as the mayor of Hyattsville. They showed a film (which you can get here) of the streetcar rolling along the line and that was a big hit. Outside they had a beautiful old automobile from the 40's (No, the irony of using a car to promote a hike-bike trail made from a trolley line was not lost on me, but it was a nice touch). Then we hiked the right of way.

A Q&A would have been nice, but they wanted to get everyone out to accommodate more people who wanted to watch the video (and at this point I don't think they have many A's for people's Q's). They also should have made a sign up list so that they have a pool of supporters to call on easily. But now I'm just quibbling.

Found out that EYA is developing a piece of land in Hyattsville (not this, but across the street from it) in about a year and as part of that they plan to build a trail on the trolley right-of-way that crosses the property. According to the October 2006 Town Cryer:

EYA plans to develop the trolley right of way into a hiker–biker trail connecting Riverdale Park, downtown Hyattsville, a public park, and two planned tot lots. Riverdale Park is looking into extending the trail to College Park. Maybe we can also arrange for bike lanes that connect Town Center and the trolley bike path to the Anacostia Branch trails. Bike enthusiasts (in Hyattsville) contact Ward 1 council member Rob Oppenheim (301-779- 1745, or wc.rob.xxyy (at) xoxy.net) and you can help make this happen.

The town of Hyattsville Riverdale Park has authorized "Investigating establishing a hiker / biker trail along the old trolley lines including authorization to investigate legal issues such as title and any other practical issues." So that portion seems to be coming along, leaving Riverdale as the gap.

Moving north from the EYA project, the next issue is the power substation south of Madison. No one was sure if the trail could fit between the substation and the railroad tracks, or if permission could be gained to do so, so that might create a detour.

Then of course, there's CSX. The trail at this point runs about 15 feet from the centerline of the track and no fence separates it (there are social trails crossing the tracks in several places). You know CSX is going to throw a hissy fit about this, so that will have to worked out. The trail will pass within feet of the Riverdale MARC station, so hopefully some covered bike parking can be put in.

I asked about the name of the trail. The "College Park Trolley Trail" doesn't fit for a trail that goes from Hyattsville, through Riverdale and University Park and may continue north of College Park. I threw the name "Prince George's Trolley Trail" out there. We'll see if it (or something else) sticks. Right now it looks like Trolley Trail seems to be the generic name. [On the DC bike map they call it the "Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail." I just got my new one, BTW, and it's much better. The color scheme really makes the bike facilities stand out more).

From Queensbury Road to Albion the right-of-way is bikeable now (if the mud isn't too bad). Though they need to add a curb cut on the southern end of this section.

Just before Albion, the right-of-way crosses over a Metro tunnel. There has been some concern (from whom, I don't know) that the trail might be too heavy for the tunnel. That seems ridiculous.

Right at the end of Sheridan Street is the old trolley turn-around (a loop where the trolley would literally turn around). That would make a great pocket park/rest area/dog park whatever.  There's also a place to connect the trail into Tuckerman street.

It's a good project, turning an abandoned piece of property into a recreational and transportation tool, and they've done a good job of discussing the historical and cultural significance of the project as well (It gives a real sense of place to the communities). They're still negotiating with the owner's of the right-of-way, at least one of whom was there and seemed willing to sell or donate the land.

College Park Trolley Trail Expansion (South)

The town of Riverdale is looking to expand the College Park Trolley Trail. This was placed in the comments of a post from 2005 and I felt it was important enough to "promote"

Riverdale Park and Hyattsville hope to turn more of this abandoned trolley line into a hiker-biker trail extending the College Park Trolley Trail.

We are showing a movie clip from the 1950s of a trolley car rolling along this line through My Rainier, Hyattsville, Riverdale and College Park. The movie clip is a delightful quick peak into our past (just 12 minutes long).

After the movie there will be a short 10-minute Q&A, then we'll take a walk (weather permitting) and identify some landmarks from the film and see where this hiker-biker trail might run. Come dressed for the outdoor hike. The whole event will take less than an hour.

When: Saturday, Feb 3, 2007, 3 p.m.
Where: S&J Restaurant in Riverdale Park Town Center,  6108 Rhode Island Ave and Queensbury Rd.

It should be fun and educational (no charge). Dress is very casual - weekend hike-in-the-woods casual.

We hope to see you there. Please pass this along to anyone that might be interested.

- Mayor Vernon Archer and Council Member Rob Oppenheim, Riverdale Park

P.S. In the movie, we board the streetcar (line #82) at 4th St NW NE and Rhode Island Ave. Here the trolley runs up the middle of Route One. We see a few sites, such as the railroad underpass, the loop in Mt.Rainier (terminal cafe), and a bit of downtown Hyattsville.

And from Hyattsville the trolley car follows alongside the railroad tracks into Riverdale Park, where we get a glimpse of the Riverdale Park town center from the late 1950s - including the S&J restaurant where we will be viewing the movie. We then see the trolley continuing north thru Riverdale and College Park.

Someone pointed out in the comments of the same post that it appears that some expansion of the trail south has already occurred. I'll have to check it out.

I was running in College Park south of the metro station recently, and it looked to me like part of the "southern extention" is complete. I had been on it a couple of years back and the existing path was narrow (maybe 3' wide) and cracked. It has been repaved to standard bike path width with nice curb cuts in the residential section south of Calvert Rd. No work has been done, as far as I can tell, between Calvert Rd and Paint Branch Parkway.

PG County leads area in accidents

The Gazette had a great article about cyclists and pedestrian safety in Prince George's County.

More pedestrians and bikers (285 bicycle and pedestrian deaths between 1994 and 2003) are killed Prince George’s County than in any other jurisdiction in the region, according to a report by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Flaws in road design contribute to many of these deadly collisions, experts say.

‘‘You’re 10 to 15 times more likely to be injured riding a bicycle than in a car ... there’s a great lack of understanding or lack of awareness,” said Bill Kelly, co-founder of the College Park Area Bicycle Coalition.

Drivers are only faulted in about 20 percent of these fatal accidents, according to the State Highway Administration.

They mention a few improvements that are being planned

A plan is also on the books to expand the College Park Trail, which runs along Rhode Island Avenue, and provide an alternative to Route 1.

Residents in the southern part of the county scored a victory when the developers of National Harbor agreed to add bike lanes to Oxon Hill Road, where one person was killed in late 2005. The new Woodrow Wilson bridge will also include bike lanes, which will feed into trails leading up to it.

In the case of many new roads, Shaffer said, bike lanes are being built in. Other older roads are being re-striped to make the vehicle lanes smaller, and the bike lanes bigger.

It's also the first time I've heard that the PG County BTAG isn't defunct (it's just they don't update their website)

Quick fixes like these have been part of the focus of a county panel called the Bicycle and Trail Advisory Group. It also has sought long-term solutions since it was formed in 1998.

Two years ago, the group sent a list of county roads to the Department of Public Works and Transportation that needed minor but critical upgrades. The group requested continuous shoulders, re-striping and resurfacing. Spokeswoman Susan Hubbard said the department has tried to include these recommendations when they resurface or repair old roads.

Another list of needed state road improvements was transmitted to the State Highway Administration in July.

The trails advisory group is scheduled to meet with state highway officials in October to review the recommendations made in the July letter.

The weirdest thing in the article is the claim that one accident occurred because the driver had the radio and air conditioning on and thus didn't realize the cyclist was there. Unless the driver was Matthew Murdock, this really isn't an excuse.

It would be nice if the county would appoint a bicycle coordinator (they may have one, but I can't find any evidence of it).

Maryland Bike Projects

There are a couple of recent articles in the Gazette about bicycle projects in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties.

In MoCo, there are plans to upgrade bike/ped facilities along Seven Locks Road and Montrose Road and MacArthur Boulevard. The Seven Locks Road project

is just in the early study stage now. [It] is looking at adding pedestrian and cyclist facilities along a 3.25-mile stretch of Seven Locks Road between Montrose Road and Bradley Boulevard.

A possible design for the project could include an 8-foot wide shared-use path, an on-road bike lane, 12-foot travel lanes and a 5-foot wide sidewalk.

I've never biked the road, (though I have been on Bradley - which is great since it used to a streetcar line), so I don't know what's needed, but I disagree with this guy in principle

‘‘I don’t think there’s a sidewalk necessary at all,” he said. ‘‘The shoulders are wide enough. I feel comfortable walking there. There is a much greater need for traffic improvements than pedestrian and bike improvements.”

I think shoulders are just fine for bikes, if well-maintained, but pedestrians need sidewalks.

MacArthur Avenue is one of the regions most biked roads, and one I've written about before (here in a post on the bikeway project when it was stalled and here about the preliminary design phase) . The concept plan presented for community input

calls for widening MacArthur Boulevard to 26 feet [from 22] — two 10-foot lanes and two 3-foot paved shoulders — to accommodate both cars and cyclists.

‘‘This project will provide consistent on-road bicycle facility throughout the limits, and a continuous off-road bicycle⁄pedestrian facility throughout the limits as well,” Department of Public Works and Transportation spokesman Tom Pogue wrote in an e-mail to The Gazette. ‘‘This accommodates the needs of experienced, on-road cyclists as well as recreational, off-road cyclists and pedestrians for the entire length of the project.”

The final design for this won't even begin until 2010 though.

In PG County there are plans for 93 miles of trails. This article bothers me because it starts out talking about a decline in bike/ped commuting. But later we learn that these trips only declined as a percentage of total trips. We're never told the actual number of bike/ped commuters. This is a job for statastic.

The article, despite the title, is really about the trouble that PG county is having attracting cyclists. I kind of feel like the county isn't trying. If you look at their Bicycle and Trail Advisory Group site, it hasn't been updated since 2004. I don't think the county has a bicycle coordinator. They have some of the most active volunteer groups, in College Park and Oxon Hill, but the county government lacks the commitment of Alexandria, DC and MoCo.

Anyway...the article only mentions three projects and that was just in passing.

the highlights include the College Park Trail and the path along the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

Prince George’s County has dozens of projects on the books that could improve connectivity, and 18 of those are considered major. They include the Suitland Parkway Trail, which connects the county to the Anacostia Waterfront, and the College Park Trail, which connects north and south College Park and provides an alternative to crowded and dangerous Route 1.

Technically it's the "College Park Trolley Trail" and the Wilson bridge will not have a "path" but a bike/ped lane. 

Bike Lane Lines

This photo shows the soon to be painted bike lanes along 4th St. SE (on Capitol Hill). Besides being clearly in the door zone, these future bike lanes are interesting for something else. Right down the middle is a line cut into the asphalt. What is this line, you ask? It's where the contractor painted the lane line in the wrong place - for a normal one way street, not a street with a bike lane. Actually it isn't paint at all - it's thermoplastic pavement marking, and it can't be removed with paint thinner. It has to be ground out, leaving the nice trench you see here. The same thing was done on Rhode Island Avenue in College Park to make room for the College Park Trolley Line trail, but that wasn't due to an error. So why not make the contractor fix the surface - or pay a fine? Got me.

College Park Trolley Trail Expansion

Though it doesn't appear to be mentioned in any of the papers, today when I drove by the CPTT on my way to REI, I noticed that Phase II is done. This section isn't technically a trail, since it's all bike lane, but it's well marked with both paint and signs. While it's narrow in some spots, it's still nicer than just a shoulder. The new section runs along Rhode Island Avenue from Greenbelt Road to Paducah Road, which is just outside the beltway. It also includes some cutaways in the curbs so you don't have to slow down. Phase III, which pushes the trail south to Albion road has already been approved. As mentioned before the rail bed this trail is built on is part of the old Washington to Laurel trolley. It's feasible this trail could someday run from Hyattsville all the way to Beltsville, but phase III is the only expansion approved right now.

Riverdale-Hyattsville Trail Proposed

A University of Maryland professor of Architecture, Planning, and Historical Preservation briefed the Hyattsville city council on a proposal that would include a trail running from Riverdale to the Northwest Branch Trail in Hyattsville. The trail would be placed on narrow band of land between Route 1 and the train tracks. It's highly unlikely this will ever be acted on and it seemed like more of a thought exercise, but it's not a bad idea. Though at first glance it seems redundant, since it runs parallel to the Northeast Branch Trail, the proposed trail would run through a more urban, developed area and would serve a greater role as a commuter route.

The idea of developing land along a railroad into a linear park is the same idea behind the Metropolitan Branch Trail and linear parks have been very successful elsewhere.

Addition: The narrow band of land mentioned above is actually the remaining rail bed for the DC to Laurel trolley line. The same rail bed makes up part of the Paint Branch Trail and the College Park Trolley Trail.