Safety on the Trail

A "Letter" to Capital Crescent Trail Users

As a result of your hard work and generous contributions our trail is a beautiful and heavily used success. Bikers, bladers, joggers, runners and walkers, commuters and recreation users of ALL SPEEDS and AGES enjoy its 'car-free, park-like setting'. Unfortunately 'car-free' does not mean 'danger-free' and success has brought congestion and increased danger to the trail. Serious accidents involving hospital convalescence and police investigation have occurred.

Our trail has over 1 million users per year, is quite congested at times, and has users moving as slowly as 1-2 miles an hour up to 20 - 25 milers an hour. We are experiencing an increasing number of serious accidents on the Trail and we urge ALL users to exercise greater caution, courtesy and alertness.

Please follow the safety tips below:

All Users:

STAY ALERT, turn off your iPOD
Stay to the right
Do not block the trail when stopping
Do not block the trail by going 3 or 4 abreast
Look behind you from time to time
Pass only after looking behind you
Pass only after a loud warning
Pass only on the left
Pass only if you have a 2 foot clearance
When dark, wear reflective clothes
When dark, carry a light
Yield to others when entering the trail
Yield to others at crosswalks
STOP at stop signs, they indicate dangerous cross car traffic

Parents:

PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN, keep them to the right!
Do not let your children ramble freely across the trail
Stay immediately behind or to the left of your children

Bikers and Bladers:

In addition to the above:

Keep safe, reasonable speed
Adjust speed to trail congestion and surface conditions
Be predictable
Wear a Helmet
Warn with a loud bell, whistle or voice at least 2 seconds BEFORE overtaking someone

Hikers and Walkers:

TURN OFF your iPOD
Do not read while on the trail
If warned before being passed, call out "Thanks for the warning"
If NOT warned before being passed, politely call out "Please warn before passing"

Pet Owners:

Keep your pet on a very short leash (required by law!)
Keep your pet to the right
Treat your pet as you would a child

Be safe after dark and use a strong light -
Cyclists: Please, do not use a flashing strobe light as a headlight.

Trail users are reporting that the flashing white strobe lights some cyclists are using as headlights can be disorienting and are very irritating. Cyclists, please use a headlight with a steady beam aimed low. We are all safer if no one is confused or blinded by your light.

Emergency Telephone Numbers:

From any location on the CCT:	911 (identify location & nearest mile marker)
In D.C.: US Park Police	202-619-7300
From Bethesda to D.C.: Montgomery County Park Police	301-949-3010
From Bethesda to Silver Spring: Montgomery County Police	301-279-8000

To Report Unsafe Trail Conditions:

At any location on the CCT: Leave a message on the Coalition hotline, or contact the Coalition by email	202-234-4874 contact@cctrail.org
In D.C.: call the National Park Service, or send an email	301-745-5804 (Sharpsburg, MD) john_adams@nps.gov
From Bethesda to D.C.: Montgomery County Parks Maintenance	301-670-8080 Jeff.Devlin@mncppc-mc.org
From Bethesda to Silver Spring: Montgomery County Services	311 (specify that the Georgetown Branch Trail is maintained by MCDOT, and NOT by Parks.)

If you have witnessed an accident on the Trail, please send a brief description to us at contact@cctrail.org. We will share your story on this website. We will edit the story (first names only, etc.) to protect your privacy.

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