Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail

News about the Trail

Massive snowstorm buries trail.

Feb. 7, 2010

The massive snow storm of Feb. 5-6 has transformed the trail - leaving it with spectacular beauty, and also with 20+ inches of snow and many downed trees that may take many weeks to clear. Follow progress on clearing the trail at Trail Condition Reports.

snow scene on the trail
On the Trail on Feb. 6, looking across the
Potomac River toward the Key Bridge Marriott.
Photo Courtesy David Alexander


Trail users seek snow removal.

Jan. 13, 2010

If you have been following our Trail Condition Reports webpage, you know that while large parts of the trail are relatively clear in D.C., patches of ice persist near the Dalecarlia Tunnel. The Trail remains hazardous to use long after ice and snow has been cleared from streets and sidewalks.

The Bethesda Gazette picked up this story in Some cyclists seek snow, ice removal on trail. The contrasting views of CCCT Chair Peter Gray and Mont. Co. Parks Division Chief Brian Woodward, are reported:

Gray said the group has advocated for years for the Department of Parks to plow the trail after heavy snowfall. He said he understands funding constraints, but "the fact that thousands of people want to use the trail every day means that it might be something they would put a priority on, but they haven't," he said.

Brian Woodward, Southern Region Division Chief for the Montgomery County Department of Parks, said removing ice and snow on all 75 miles of paved county trails is "not practical." Re-freezing overnight would make the task a daily chore, and the department can't focus solely on the Capital Crescent Trail because "we can't treat one section of trail differently than we treat another."

The Trail Use Survey shows that the CCT is more than twice as heavily used as any other trail in Montgomery County. The three mile section of the CCT between Bethesda and D.C. is very heavily used by cycling commuters year round. Yet the Mont. Co. Parks is taking the position that it will not treat the CCT any differently than the least used trail. That would be analogous to the Department of Transportation saying it can't treat the beltway differently than the least used country road.


Georgetown Branch Trail gets new signs.

Trail signs at Jones Mill Road crossingThe Montgomery County DOT has recently installed new trail wayfinding signs on the Georgetown Branch Trail (a.k.a. Interim CCT) in the Rock Creek Park Area. The signs, like the one shown here at Jones Mill Road, give trail users directions on how to continue on the Trail between Bethesda and Silver Spring and also how to connect to the Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail.

These signs replace the old and confusing trail directional signs that had been in this area since before the trestle over Rock Creek opened for trail use in 2003. Those old signs gave directions to follow the old and circuitous trestle bypass route via. the Rock Creek Trail. They had remained in place for the over six years since the Rock Creek trestle opened, and their continued presence only served to confuse trail users.

close view of trail signThe connecting routes to the the Rock Creek Trail from the Georgetown Branch Trail at both the east and the west ends of the trestle can still be confusing if you are not familiar with the area. But the new signs at least give trail users a fair chance at finding the way.



Governor O'Malley chooses Purple Line light rail on the Georgetown Branch.

On August 4, 2009 Governor O'Malley announced that the state was selecting light rail to be the Purple Line Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) that would move forward for design and construction. If built, this Purple Line alternative will use the Georgetown Branch Corridor between Bethesda and Chevy Chase. Under this alternative the trail would be rebuilt alongside the double track transit way.

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) has a map and its description of this alternative on its website, www.purplelinemd.com.

partial MTA map of the Purple Line LPA
Partial MTA map of the Purple Line LPA alignment
(source: MTA website)

Governor O'Malley pledged to preserve the Capital Crescent Trail at the announcement. County Executive Ike Leggett was on hand to speak in support the governor's decision, and his comments were especially strong that he would protect and preserve the Trail alongside the light rail.

The governor will now submit the Purple Line to the Federal Transportation Administration for consideration for partial funding. The earliest that construction can begin is 2013, provided funding is available and necessary approvals are obtained.

Trail supporters continue to have very strong and diverse views about the compatibility of the Purple Line with the Trail. The Board anticipates many and very significant issues affecting the Trail will arise as the State drafts more explicit engineering plans and design. Some are currently known, no doubt others not yet identified will also arise. The CCCT is pledged to advocate for a first class trail for all concerned regardless of what does or does not happen regarding the transit. We will continue to follow this issue to make sure this happens.



The River Road Trail Plaza advances as the CCCT application receives preliminary acceptance.

revised June 12, 2009

CCCT Chair Peter Gray at the Annual Meeting.
CCCT Chair Peter Gray
makes the announcement.

CCCT Chair Peter Gray used the June 8 2009 Annual Meeting to announce that the Montgomery County Department of Parks and Planning has reviewed the CCCT application to build a trail rest area and plaza at River Road under the Public / Private Partnership program and has determined that the proposal has merit and appears to be acceptable in scope and scale. The plan will undergo further review including meetings between Planning staff and the Coalition. The plan calls for building on County land and will thus require acceptance by the County Executive and Council as well.

Under the plan, the CCCT would take the lead in managing construction, and would contribute up to $75,000. The Parks Department will contribute plantings and construction services. The Citizens Coordinating Committee of Friendship Heights (CCCFH), the Washington Episcopal School, and individuals will also be contributing to this community effort.

The plan for the plaza, developed by the CCCT, includes seating walls, a pergola, pathways, bike racks, sculptures, a mapcase, and a water fountain on the north side of the River Road trail bridge.


A perspective of the planned trail plaza.

The proposed plaza is described in the CCCT application as follows:

"The CCCT proposes a Public Private Partnership with the M-NCCPC for the purpose of construction of a Plaza area at the intersection of the Trail and River Road on the northwest and northeast sides of the intersection where there currently exists a bench and a parking area adjacent to the trail at the beginning of the bridge over River Road. The Coalition proposes a PPP along the lines described in paragraph 1.3.3 of the Policy for Public Private Partnerships. The "North Plaza" will include two curved concrete seating walls covered with stone veneer, one on each side of the asphalt Trail at the base of the bridge ramp over River Road. A steel Pergola, composed of five vertical posts and attached horizontal beam, secured behind the western seating wall, will symbolize a Gateway to River Road. This Gateway feature will also help demarcate the Plaza area. Also on the western side packed earth with sand and gravel and a curved pathway marked with stone pavers will be bordered by grass. The pathway will include LED lighting built-into the path itself. This pathway will be built over the area formerly used for parking and that space will require remediation prior to building the pathway. The eastern side of the Trail will feature grass and a stone paver walkway. Along the pathways on both sides, will be an alee of trees, including existing trees plus Crepe Myrtles to match the ones at the north end of the paved Trail in Bethesda. Boulder bollards and other seating, bike racks, two earth-mound Turtle sculptures, up to four Cherry Trees, a Kiosk/Mapcase, and a water fountain are also part of the overall plan for this Plaza."

"The North Plaza will be part of an ongoing effort by the County and the Citizens Coordinating Committee for Friendship Heights ("CCCFH") to redevelop the River Road corridor and will help tie the Trail to that effort and the Westbard commercial corridor. The Plaza will be open for use by all users of the Trail in order to provide a place adjacent to the Trail and that commercial corridor where users can rest, get water to drink and review a map of the Trail."

"The total cost of the project, excluding funds for use of design professionals to execute a final design or plan, equal $145,970 approximately."

The CCCT has already supported the development of the Conceptual Site Plan needed for the project.

The plan view trail plaza.
The Conceptual Site Plan. More drawings are shown
in the Site Plan (this is a 4 MB pdf).

The CCCT will bear the largest portion on the project cost, but other area stakeholders are also committed as described in the CCCT partnership application:

"The Coalition's treasury currently has over $170,000, and has committed to contribute up to $75,000 to help realize the plan. In addition, the Commission has mandated that the Washington Episcopal School make a significant contribution towards execution on the plan, and the Coalition has the support of the CCCFH, an umbrella organization covering over 14 civic associations surrounding the proposed location. .... The Coalition and CCCFH are prepared to solicit in kind contributions from their respective memberships and the businesses in the Westbard corridor for benches and other amenities; indeed the Coalition already has begun to solicit individual contributions for seating areas in the Plan. In addition, there is a fund of about $2500 in memory of George Edwards being held by the Montgomery Parks Department for improvements to this site."

The CCCT has been planning and advocating for this major trail amenity for 10 years. We will soon see planning give way to construction. We hope to have construction well underway in 2009. Stay tuned for more information about opportunities to contribute.



More news is available in our Crescent Newsletter, available online at our Newsletter webpage.

Some past website stories are at:
2009 Archived News
2008 Archived News
2007 Archived News
2006 Archived News
Trestle Archived News

Safety is NO ACCIDENT - Courtesy is Contagious