At D.C.'s Recreational Trails Committee meeting, many projects were discussed.
Met Branch - As mentioned earlier, the RFP went out recently. Those bids are due by the end of June. Once the contract is awarded it will take 2 months to get the Notice to Proceed issued. The contract will be a 12 month contract (the amount of time they have to build it before incurring fines) but they'll be some accommodation in the contract for bad weather. So, in reality, they'll have longer than 12 months. What this means is the trail will open around September 2008 at the earliest. The present DDOT contract manager for this project is leaving DDOT and a replacement will have to be found and hired, so that may slow things down further.
There are plans to have the outdoor bike map sign installed at 8th and Monroe NE by the time the Close the Gaps ride comes through this week. It's unlikely they'll be cultural or historical markers on the trail since the Cultural office seemed uninterested in doing the work. Art, however, is a possibility as Rails to Trails is working with local schools on mural design and placement.
Choosing a designer for the bridge to the Rhode Island Avenue Metro is underway. The design will take 9 months and construction could begin next summer.
WMATA is ready to build the temporary staircase from the southern end of their section of the trail down to L Street. Work should begin this month (6 months late). It will be a wooden staircase with a bike trough. Once developers start to develop the parking lot there, DDOT will work with them to insure a bikeable connection to L street is included.
Rock Creek Park - This project is about 6 months behind due to problems with Rock Creek Park's management. They have a meeting this week where DDOT will show its ideas for the environmental documents (how wide the trail should be and where it should be located) and they're taking a "take it or leave it" policy (DDOT is paying for this project, not NPS). If Rock Creek should pass, the plan is to go higher up the NPS chain of command.
CCT - DDOT has a Memorandum of Agreement with the Park Service to repair the damaged part of the trail. Due to the DDOT personnel change mentioned above, DDOT is hoping NPS will take over design of this project. DDOT will still pay for the repairs. Repairs going on now are temporary and being paid for by Arlington County (because they depend on the reservoir for part of their water supply).
Work on the Anacostia Riverwalk and Marvin Gaye Trails is on-going.
MORE has completed a feasibility study on Mountain Bike trails within the Fort Circle Parks.
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