The Neal Potter Plaza is at the north (uphill) end of the bridge where the Capital Crescent Trail crosses River Road. It was dedicated on Saturday, November 3, 2018.
The major features are seating areas, a metal pergola, a 3-sided display, plantings, a path up from River Road, bricks and pavers honoring many donors to the Plaza, and a Neal Potter commemorative plaque on a boulder. A bike rack and bike repair station are coming soon. There is a Capital Bikeshare station very near the Plaza, closer to River Road. The 3-sided display includes:
- A map of the Capital Crescent Trail.
- A description and brief history of the Capital Crescent Trail.
- Biographical briefs about Neal Potter (former Montgomery County Executive and a long-time County Council member), David Burwell (co-founder of the Rails to Trails Conservancy), and Lee Wick Dennison (the largest donor to the Plaza.)
With the help of The Montgomery County Parks Dept and The Montgomery Parks Foundation, the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail raised the funds necessary to cover the contract awarded to construct the Plaza. Excavation and soil remediation was a large and expensive part of this work, which was necessary due to the many years that construction equipment and vehicles were stored on this site. The Plaza is a great improvement over that gravel parking area.
Donations are still needed
Some amenities from the original design were set aside awaiting further funding. We hope those things can be added to the Plaza with your help. All contributions are tax-deductible, and you can donate online. You can also donate by mail to:
The Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail
PO Box 30703
Bethesda, MD 20824
Donors to the Plaza
- American Plant River Road
- Capital Properties
- Evers & Co. A Long & Foster Company
- Giant Food, Westbard Avenue
- Griffin Cycle of Bethesda
- Ledo Pizza River Road
- Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
- McDonalds at River Road
- The Neighborhoods of EYA
- Regency Centers
- Security Public Storage
- Talbert’s Ice and Beverage Service
- Citizens Coordinating Committee on Friendship Heights
- Little Falls Watershed Alliance
- Kenwood Citizens Association
- Kenwood Garden Club
- Kenwood House, Dorset Avenue
- Springfield Citizens Association
- Washington Episcopal School
- Westmoreland Hills Garden Club
This links to a Bethesda Magazine article about the Plaza dedication.
This links to the Plaza design and construction page that used to be here.
The short section of fence on the left was added in late summer of 2021 at the request of the Coalition, as a safety measure to prevent people from taking the visible dirt short-cut and thus possibly appearing without warning in front of a bicyclist moving quickly down off the bridge. The fence along the bridge substantially reduces visibility when looking through it at a sharp angle, and it produces a form of "tunnel vision" where those on the bridge are guided to look at the path in front of them, not off to the sides.