Trail 90% clear, all bridges slushy
From Mat at 8:30 pm Monday Jan 23

As of 8:30pm, the trail is 90% clear and just wet. There is a hundred feet or so of snow/slush just north of the tunnel, that's it. All the bridges have wet slush. Nothing that requires snow tires. Passable for all, just be careful. Temps at 40 degrees tonight and 55 tomorrow, this will be long gone and dry soon!

50% ice in MoCo, clear except bridges in DC
From Matt at 9:30 am Monday Jan.23

As of 8am this morning, Montgomery is about 50% packed ice and snow as pictured. South of the tunnel it is 100% clear except the bridges. All bridges have an inch of snow. I'm sure by the evening commute, it will all be gone since it supposed to be 50 degrees and raining all day.

Snow/sleet mix covers Interim CCT
From webmaster on Jan. 22

No surprise here - the Interim CCT has an unbroken coating of about 1 inch of snow/sleet mix. Traction is fairly good for peds., probably not good enough for cycling except with knobby tires.

The paved CCT might have some short sections that are almost clear but still be icy wherever there is strong tree cover, if the state of the Rock Creek Trail is any indicator.

Interim CCT at the Grubb Road access.

New impalement device and ice on bridges
From Matt on Jan. 11

Two updates. First, the NPS has installed a new delineator post at the Water Street trail head. It is very narrow and short. Perfect for keeping cars out and easy to drop down for service vehicles. Also perfect for impaling joggers and cloths lining cyclists that don't notice it. I'm always dragging the big orange barrel back out since it is a little more conspicuous than the small yellow stick.

Second, reminder that the entire trail could be bone dry while the bridge over the water company and Canal Rd can be frosted or black ice from condensation. Also, in the snow Monday night, the whole trail was just wet while the bridges were accumulating quite a bit of snow and ice. The north ramp to the water company bridge is white trex material, which happens to be the same color as frost.

Watch for mats of leaves on Trail
From Andrew on Nov. 28

There are significant accumulations of leaves in many locations on the trail between Canal Rd. and Bethesda. The leaves have formed mats in many areas, which could be hazardous to ride on. Because of the accumulations, people have made travel lanes 1-2 feet inward from the trail edge, causing the trail to narrow so that in some of these places there isn't enough width for two people or bicycles to pass each other safely going in opposite directions. This problem becomes more dangerous at night, when visibility is reduced. Cyclists: keep your speed down, make sure you can see where you're going, and be ready for sudden shifts of the travel lane towards the center of the trail.

I've submitted a service request today to 311.dc.gov, informing them of this problem and asking them to clear the leaf accumulations from the trail.

From Matt on Nov. 12

This afternoon, I found the sign in middle of the southbound lane of Little Falls Parkway that tells drivers to stop for peds had been run over and mangled. I put it back up and straightened it out. However it is a reminder that if someone will run over the giant neon stop signs, they won't hesitate to run you over too.

Obama near Water Street on Nov. 2, a.m.

According to my office building management:

Tomorrow morning around 11:30, President Obama will be delivering his American Jobs Act Speech in the Georgetown Waterfront Park near the base of the Key Bridge.  There have not yet been any publicized road closures but we wanted to make sure to inform you so that you could plan accordingly.  We believe that only Water Street (K Street west of Wisconsin Avenue) will be closed from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm.

Not sure if this will effect bike commuters, but I thought I should send out this notice ASAP.

  Simon

Drain repairs south of River Road - from Matt, Oct 9

Signs are up for storm drain repairs to the CCT just south of River Rd beginning Monday 10/10/11 and continuing for up to a month.

Speed sign at Bethesda trailhead - from Matt, 6:30pm. Sept 16

I'm not sure how common this is, but a police officer on a motorcycle was patrolling the trail just before the trail turns to gravel in Bethesda under the tunnel there. Also, the speed limit sign at the entrance to the trail right next to the Honda dealership now has an electronic sign mounted on the pole showing your speed as you ride by, much like cars have on the roadways. Interesting stuff.

More police under Whitehurst - from SW, 5 pm. Sept. 13

5 pm police under Whitehurst- bike, car and motorcycle police. No one pulled over that I could see

Strong police presence on trail, Sept. 13 a.m.

While riding up the trail at about 10 a.m. I was passed by

• A MoCo Park Police officer on a motorcycle
• A pair of officers on bikes
• Yet another officer on a bike

- Webmaster

Police stopping cyclists under Whitehurst Freeway

Sept 12, 2011 8:50 AM.

More cops under whitehurst. I didn't see any bikes pulled over, but the amiable cop that dangerously stepped between 2 parked cars and directly into my path as I slowed for a stop warned me to stop.  He ignored the screeching tires of the illegally u-turning SUV that nearly hit me.

- SW

Police ticketing cyclists just off the Georgetown Trailhead -
from Lawrence

At about 6:30 PM on Thursday Sept 8th, two police officers were under the Whitehurst Freeway, about 200 yards from the CCT trailhead in Georgetown ticketing bicyclists that were going through the stop sign near the trailhead. Fine was $25 and in 5 minutes I saw at least 6 cyclists stopped and ticketed for a rolling stop at the final stop sign before the trailhead.

Tree partially blocking trail, 7:30 am. Sept 12

A tree was partially blocking the trail this morning just south/east of the bridge near the Dalecarlia Water treatment facility. It had been cut so the trail was passable but is too close to the trail to allow two cyclists to pass safely.

Reported by Allyson

Marathon on Interim CCT Sunday, Sept. 11

The final 2 miles of the Parks Half Marathon will be on the Interim CCT between Jones Mill Road and Woodmont Avenue this Sunday, Sept. 11. Runners will be on this part of the course between 7:45 a.m. and 10 a.m. Connecticut Avenue will be closed to motor vehicle traffic during this period.

Runners are being asked to run no more than two abreast on the trail, and the trail will remain open to other users.

Several trees across trail (from Simon, noon Sept. 9)

My first day this week on the trail, so excuse me if this is old news

1. Silver Spring end of the Georgetown branch. Part of trail blocked by tree, and accellerating erosion is gouging the trail.
2. Tree down by Dalecarlia Reservior, after the tunnel. Blocks the path. There is already a muddy route around it.
3. Tree down a few miles from the G'town end. Need to portage over it.
4. Odd patches of mud and debris.

Have fun, everyone. I won't even wish you to stay dry, coz its not going to happen.

Mudslide and Road Rules (from David, Sept. 8)

In heavy rains this morning there was an oozing flow of mud across the trail at approx. mile marker six. Though there are many of these along the trail, this one flowed completely across the trail and was rather slippery, being over 1 inch deep in places. I'm not sure if NPC or MNCPPC has a policy of periodically shoveling off these mini-mudslides, but this one will be around for a long time.

Also, diving into the trail safety debate, I'd like to commend the previous posters. The Capital Crescent Trail risks becoming a victim of its own success. As the number of users increases annually the requirement to use it responsibly becomes more acute. As a longtime bicycle commuter I can report that the majority of people apply common sense and share the trail safely. Still, in light of the occasional unfortunate accident I thought I'd offer a few rules of the road, which may repeat what others have written, but they show that safety is not a subjective assessment:

For Cyclists:

Always warn to pass. Regardless of whether you warn vocally (“Passing on your left!” works) or use a bell, warn at least three seconds before you will come alongside the person being passed. A warning made while alongside is too late and could startle the other person. Use common hand signals to warn cyclists who may be behind you.

Think a couple of moves ahead. If you gauge that the person you are about to pass is also about to pass a slower rider or pedestrian, don’t pass either one unless you are sure that you have ample room and that both people have heard your warning.

Avoid squeeze plays. The trail is not wide enough in most places to safely accommodate passing where there is also oncoming traffic. We know that cyclists hate to touch their brakes, but better to wait a few seconds for a clear lane than to spend a month healing from a crash.

Go at a reasonable speed for the conditions and avoid forming pace lines of more than a couple of riders.

For Runners and Walkers:

No surprise U-turns. Always look over your shoulder well before changing course or even stopping.

Wear light-colored or reflective clothing at night. Black is fashionable, but it is also invisible in low-light situations. Remember, the trail is unlit and even slow-moving cyclists may not see you until it is too late.

Also remember that when pushing a stroller you are likely to lead with it when you turn. Thus, it is essential to look over your shoulder and turn only when it is safe to do so.

Dogs are generally good about staying to the side of the trail, but when they see another dog, they can dart across, so please be alert for this. Also, leashes are a must, not just for the safety of trail users, but for the dog as well.

For All Trail Users:

Keep to the right except when passing.

When stopping, move off of the trail.

Wearing headphones makes it all but impossible to hear the warnings of others. For safety, go easy on the volume or leave one ear uncovered.

Be as narrow as possible. Walking or riding three or four abreast is not advisable. Also. some uses and equipment are wider than others, such as in-line skating, double-wide strollers and certain bicycle handlebars. Extra width requires extra clearance when passing.

Be predictable and respect others.

For the National Parks Service and Montgomery County (the Trail’s Owners):

Improve the centerline markings on the trail. The painted lines are all but gone. Better markings will help trail users keep to defined lanes. Also, adding lines along the outer edges of the pavement would improve the trail’s safety for nighttime users.

When repaving the trail, widen it. Even an additional foot or two on either side would help make the trail more comfortable for more users, yet without damaging any trailside trees or shrubs. The Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail has recommended making the trail 16 feet wide between downtown Bethesda and Massachusetts Avenue, which is the most crowed section of the trail.

Grind down root bumps, as is periodically done along the Mt. Vernon Trail.

Remember that the trail is a public right of way and that you have a responsibility to maintain it in safe condition no less than a public road.

David

A commuting cyclist's perspective on safety (Mike, Sept. 2)

As a commuting cyclist and a former runner, I agree with the points made in the previous posts but think that we all need to make a much stronger commitment to etiquette and consideration for others on the trail. This cannot be a cyclists vs runners vs walkers thing. I see behavior contributing to unsafe conditions in every category nearly every day when we fail to think about what we each owe the other person to mutually create a safe trail. What works on your neighbor sidewalk or street is not sufficient in a crowded corridor like the Crescent, especially north of Dalecarlia. For better or worse, in addition to the points already made about keeping speed down, warning and respecting other’s space, here’s my plea to all cyclists, runners and walkers:

1. Ride, run or walk as far to the right as possible. Passing on the right is dangerous but if you are in the middle or left of the trail, a person overtaking doesn’t have much choice.
2. Just because there is a line down the middle of the trail does not mean that you should use all of it. Riding, running or walking abreast when things are crowded simply means that much less room for people overtaking. When the trail is crowded groups of cyclists and pedestrians all using “their half” can make passing with adequate space virtually impossible. Yes, it will be harder to talk with your friends but perhaps they won’t have to come and talk with you (or me) in the hospital!
3. Pay attention! Look before you turn or move left to pass someone. Listening to your music player or talking on your cell phone means that you won’t hear people overtaking even when they warn you. If you make a sudden move I may not be able to avoid you, no matter how slowly I am going.
4. When it is dark, wear light colored clothing or items with reflective material or carry a light. Fewer than half the people on the trail in the morning dark follow this rule. I don’t want to use my brightest lights in the areas where they make it hard for others to see but even when well below the speed limit, it can be very hard to see a darkly clothed person or group early enough and clearly enough to adjust my speed and line and maintain a safe spacing.
5. When you stop, get completely off the trail.
6. Keep control of your dogs and small children. They don’t know about the rules, often move erratically and will get the worst of any collision. No matter how slowly I go, a dog or a small child can move too fast for me to react.

I will do my part but that won’t be enough to keep us both safe unless you do yours too!

Mike

Another appeal, from a runner (Deborah, on Sept. 1)

(I decided to write this before I saw Steven's appeal. Clearly something is going on that is causing some general concern).

I'm a runner and I train on the CCT. Most of the cyclists are considerate, and I want to thank those of you who warn me before you pass. But I have found it harrowing too often during my runs lately, so I'm asking those of you who don't already get it:

1. Always warn us before you pass. I do not run with headphones but I can't always hear you coming.

2. Give me room when you pass. I run on the right, and will move even farther to the right when I hear you coming, but I can't tell you the number of times I have been essentially pushed off the trail by cyclists who cut it awfully close. This isn't fair.

3. NEVER pass on the right. I shouldn't have to say this, but I have actually had cyclists try to pass me on the right. When I hear you coming, that is the direction I will move. I have had some very close calls with cyclists, including one cyclist who was angry with me, because she had this sense of entitlement to go anywhere she chose, at whatever speed she chose.

You are wearing a helmet; I am not. Last year a runner was killed on a paved path in Dallas after colliding with a cyclist. This is a mixed use trail and you do not have a right to run the runners and walkers off of it.

I also ask the "good" cyclists -- the vast majority of you -- who do warn and do follow the correct traffic patterns, to help create and enforce a culture of safety on the CCT. If you see someone who is out of line, it would help a lot if you remind them of the rules of the road.

Thanks and happy trails.

-- Deborah

An appeal from Steven (a.k.a. reformed speedster) to share the trail safely.

Dear trail users:

I have been using the trail for my morning commute for at least three years now. I love it! It's scenic, quiet, and I feel relatively safe. Plus it is a break from the rat race taking place on the roads.

Of late, however, I have been increasingly alarmed by the riding habits of a few of my fellow riders. I have a fast road bike, and can hold my own when it comes to speed, but don't typically feel the need to prove anything on a mixed use commuter trail. Maybe I should say I am a reformed speed demon. Sure I have opened it up going down the D.C. portion of trail, but only if conditions permit (no one around). And I am pretty sure that I could zig zag in and out of traffic without incident to me, but I have seen too many accidents or close calls of late, and who's to say we are not giving walkers a near coronary. Granted, I have been told to slow down myself (just b/c I am on the drops, even when I am at or near the speed limit), but it's probably by someone who has been buzzed by one too many fast riders). Just ask that runner, walker, or blader you passed at 22 mph what it felt like when you whizzed by and cut back in front with little or no warning and with inches between you b/c you needed to get out of the way of the three cyclists coming in the other direction. I know b/c I have run on the trail and no what it feels like. The trail can be very congested on the Montgomery County portion, so let's keep our speed reasonable to the conditions. I don't think non-cyclists should feel fear sharing the trail with us. We can take our thrill of riding fast out River Road toward Poolesville on the weekends.

The Temporary Cycling Preacher (aka Reformed Speedster)

Sangamore Tree cleared.

Emily confirms in an Aug. 30 pm. report the tree at Sangamore was cleared:
"Sangamore tree cleared last night. Thanks for the quick clean up!"

Trail clear from Bethesda to Georgetown.

Joel reports at 9 pm. on Aug. 29:

Both trees that were blocking the path south of fletcher's are now gone (thank you NPS!) and the trail is clear. A lot of the small debris seems to have vanished as well. There is a large tree around Sangamore that has fallen but is being held up by the electrical wires that abut the trail. I saw a few tree company trucks headed south from River Rd this evening, so maybe they are out to tackle that job.

Conn. Ave. to Bethesda all clear.

From Mike, late pm. Aug 29:

The downed tree between Conn. Ave and Bethesda is gone. That segment is all clear.

An early Monday morning report - several trees down, but passable.

From Mike, 7:12 a.m. Aug 29:

Between Conn. Ave and Bethesda, there is one downed tree near the west end of the golf course that can easily be bypassed in the swale. North of Dalecarliea there is the leaning tree. The police tape is there but hanging low and people are riding or stepping over it. There is no blockage. There are two trees down east of Fletchers boathouse. The western most one is near the gravel path connecting the towpath and the Crescent Trail at the east end of the Fletcher’s parking area. It is most easily bypassed from the towpath but transition right back to the Crescent Trail as there is another about a half mile east toward Georgetown that is MUCH easier to climb over from the Crescent Trail. Otherwise just lots of little debris and many places where people have dragged branches off the trail. Thanks to all of those.

Another report trail is passable, with one bike "lift"
south of Fletchers Cove. Aug. 28 report.

Trail passable post-Irene. Aug. 28 report.

From David of Bethesda:

A lot of small debris on the trail and some large branches partly blocking it in a few places, so be careful. A large tree is leaning over the trail, but not blocking it, south of Massachusetts Avenue. A police car is stationed there, and yellow tape is draped across the trail even though the officer is letting people through. A large limb is blocking the trail and towpath right near Fletcher's Boathouse, but you can get around it on either end. A little way past that, a large tree is blocking the trail and towpath. You can climb over the trunk on the trail but it looks a bit difficult. I turned around at that point, but someone told me the trail is passable the rest of the way to Georgetown. On the way back, I passed a woman who was removing debris from the trail between the tunnel and Mass Ave, and I thanked her.

Trail re-striping in August.

CCCT Chair Ron Tripp has received word that Montgomery County will be re-striping the trail (within the County) during the first couple of weeks of August. There will be signs and cones to alert users of work areas.

All clear, from Matt, July 10 - 9pm

The trail is clear of trees and other debris from end to end.

3 minute video which includes the CC trail, on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-7sy9-HYfg

Another tree down just inside DC at Dalecalia,
from David, July 6 - 7 pm

Seems like another weak tree came down sometime today. Doesn't block the trail but, since it's on a blind curve, it may be a hazard for those traveling southbound.

CCT still blocked near boat house, from Simon, July 6 - 8:30am

Riding through at about 830am on July 6. CCT still blocked near the boat house, but work crews are on it. There are several other downed trees, closer to G'town, but only one makes you go off the trail. It looks like a microburst went through.

NPS did an amazing job, from Jeff, July 5 - 6:30 pm.

The Park Service did an amazing job getting the really serious obstacles off the path today. Seems like they focused on the big stuff, which was really tough to get a bike over, and left the smaller obstacles, that can be navigated around, to clear another day. Now, there's only one place you actually have to pick up a bicycle along the whole path, and even there the Park Service seems to have cut away all the branches, so it's just traversing a single trunk. The great thing is they seem to recognize people depend on the CCT for transportation to get to work, and they're keeping it clear.

Jeff

Main blockage has been cleared, from JeffB, July 5 - 5pm.

As of July 5th 5PM:

The main blockage has been cleared. This means that by transitioning to the C&O towpath for that portion by Fletcher's Boathouse one can avoid the remaining downed trees except for one. And that one can be easily stepped over.

JeffB

Trees are still down, from JeffB, July 4 - 3pm.

Just to update Jeff's July 3rd report:

As of July 4th 1PM it appears none of the down trees around Fletcher's Boat House has been cleared. Assuming NPS crews are probably pretty busy with other duties today I suspect these trees will still be blocking the path for tomorrow mornings commute. About half of them you can skedaddle around. The others require lifting your bike over the trunk and/or climbing the bank to the C&O. Still doable.

Otherwise I found the trail clear all the way to Jones Bridge road.

JeffB

From Jeff, 9 pm July 3.

As of 9 pm on July 3, following the storm that swept through, there were about 10 trees down on the path from a little west of Fletchers Boathouse almost to Georgetown.

The trail was passable - I got home to Bethesda from the mall - but it was pretty tough going and took about an extra half hour. In full dark, would have been a serious problem.

There were also trees down on the towpath, so the towpath wouldn't have been a better option. but getting through on the CCT sometimes meant heading up to the towpath to get around the obstacles and then getting back to the CCT. If people are planning on bicycling back from the fireworks in the dark tonight, something to think about.

Interestingly, in the Montgomery County section, where crews have been working for the last few weeks pruning the trees by the path, the trail was completely clear. They did a really nice job.

safe riding, jeff

Photos from Matt, with this comment, Mon. June 20 a.m.

To piggy-back on Mike's post above, I decided to stop on my way home to take some pictures of the new trail traffic pattern, since it is a pretty significant change. Anyone approaching at high speeds that's unaware of the new trail design will be pretty surprised, and there's a good chance that seeing some pictures beforehand will help us avoid collisions in these new sharp turns. I assume they're trying to slow cyclists and pedestrians on the trail as they approach Little Falls Parkway. This is the only rationale I can think of for the new design. Use as many or as few of the attached pics as you'd like. They detail the approaches from both sides of the trail, and the new signage that was installed for cars approaching the trail crossing.

Thanks! Hope this helps!

Be careful at the new Little Falls Parkway crossing -
from Mike on 19 June.

The new crossing at Little Falls Parkway forces a sharp left and then a sharp right before crossing the road from either direction. This is exceedingly poor traffic engineering on multiple counts as the 1) path has not been widened in the turn areas; 2) the angle of approach to the roadway forces your line of site away from the nearest traffic; and 3) pedestrians and cyclists tend to crowd the middle or cut the corner in an area that is already very congested when trail use is high. The sharp turn also means that it is harder to judge where others are in the path. On Friday, I was going fairly slowly on my bike, well to the right of my lane and almost collided with a runner who was cutting the corner coming the other way. Not sure what misguided traffic engineer thought this "improvement" up. This will be dangerous forever but especially so until people get used to the traffic pattern. Any way we can get this dangerous "improvement" reversed?

Heavy construction at Little Falls Parkway June 13-?

The CCT crossing at Little Falls Parkway is under reconstruction. The trail crossing is being realigned in an effort to get trail traffic to better comply with the stop signs. Safety of this crossing has been a persistent problem.

The trail will remain open thoughout the reconstruction, but flagmen are directing trail traffic and may need to stop trail traffic for short intervals to give contruction vehicles access to the work.

Call Park Police at 301-949-3010 if you see "Electric Bikeman"

CCCT Received this report from S. Eliot on May 19:

"An electric bike was being used again on the CCT at about 615pm, heading out of Bethesda. He exited the trail to take the towpath just before Canal Road. He was not going too fast, tho, and was very considerate. Are electric-assisted bikes per se banned on the CCT?"

CCCT Chair Ron Tripp responded that no, motorized vehicles are NOT permitted on hiker-biker trails. Park Police Chief Darian Manley was notified that "electric bikeman" had been seen again.

Chief Manley responded with this request:

Ron,

Thanks for the heads up. I will let officers know he is active again.

If you could remind your list serve members that is imperative they contact us directly (301-949-3010  24/7) as soon as they see something out of the ordinary. This increases our opportunities to catch the violators more quickly, since we may have an officer close by or one that may have just left the trail.

 Thanks again, Darien

Darien L. Manley, Chief
Maryland-National Capital Park Police