Funding Cut for CCT Tunnel Under Wisconsin Ave

[zsionakides]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2020/01/17/funding-build-trail-tunnel-bethesda-purple-line-station-dropped-county-budget-proposal/

I’m having a hard time understanding this decision as there used to be a bike tunnel under Wisconsin to the Georgetown branch prior to the purple line project. It be nice to know where the CCT would be crossing Wisconsin as this may involve a longer segment that’s not separated from local streets.

Topic

[Steve O]

@zsionakides 197065 wrote:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2020/01/17/funding-build-trail-tunnel-bethesda-purple-line-station-dropped-county-budget-proposal/

I’m having a hard time understanding this decision as there used to be a bike tunnel under Wisconsin to the Georgetown branch prior to the purple line project. It be nice to know where the CCT would be crossing Wisconsin as this may involve a longer segment that’s not separated from local streets.

There’s a very long history to this story. Do a search on Greater Greater Washington to learn more. Also the Coalition for the CCT may have more of the backstory.

This has been a pretty big battle for quite some time–going back and forth. The Purple Line is taking up a lot of room in the existing tunnel such that they claimed they could not also fit a bicycle facility through. Eventually an alternate plan was conceived to build a parallel tunnel for bikes and peds. That is what is being killed now. Unless the battle can be turned around again.

(I wrote a few blog posts back a ways, including this one)

[zsionakides]

This seems like a bait and switch then. Promise a replacement tunnel to get cyclists and recreational users on board with the purple line and then cut it later in the process.

[Hancockbs]

Does everyone but me have a subscription to WAPO? Seems like I get a popup blocking the article every time I click one of these links.

[Crickey7]

I get the anger at the supposed bait and switch, though I recall the promises less than absolute. I’m not for making this a hill to die on, though. The price tag is pretty steep for avoiding one intersection, and it’s not like you can cruise through at speed anyway, given that there’s a signalized crossing a block to the West at extremely crowded Woodmont Ave.

[dasgeh]

@Hancockbs 197238 wrote:

Does everyone but me have a subscription to WAPO? Seems like I get a popup blocking the article every time I click one of these links.

I do. I think it’s a small price to pay for having local, national and international reporting.

[dasgeh]

@Crickey7 197240 wrote:

I get the anger at the supposed bait and switch, though I recall the promises less than absolute. I’m not for making this a hill to die on, though. The price tag is pretty steep for avoiding one intersection, and it’s not like you can cruise through at speed anyway, given that there’s a signalized crossing a block to the West at extremely crowded Woodmont Ave.

I’m not an expert at this area, but from my experience, the tunnel is the difference between a trail that could serve all ages, and one that only serves current riders. Seems like a difference worth fighting for.

[Crickey7]

Without the tunnel, the route will go through a park, onto a PBL for a short block to the intersection at a busy street (Wisconsin Ave.), then continue in a PBL for a long block to the Woodmont intersection. The light at Wisconsin would be converted to have a dedicated pedestrian and cyclist crossing period. The crossing of Wisconsin is less than ideal, to be sure, but what price one intersection? I’m happier that other, worse crossings will be grade separated, like Connecticut Ave where speeding cross traffic is a big problem.

[Hancockbs]

@dasgeh 197255 wrote:

I do. I think it’s a small price to pay for having local, national and international reporting.

I have trouble bringing myself to pay for their particular spin on things,

[Steve O]

@Crickey7 197258 wrote:

Without the tunnel, the route will go through a park, onto a PBL for a short block to the intersection at a busy street (Wisconsin Ave.), then continue in a PBL for a long block to the Woodmont intersection. The light at Wisconsin would be converted to have a dedicated pedestrian and cyclist crossing period. The crossing of Wisconsin is less than ideal, to be sure, but what price one intersection? I’m happier that other, worse crossings will be grade separated, like Connecticut Ave where speeding cross traffic is a big problem.

I’m not a fan of the “I’m happier that…” as a reason for not doing something else. We should be advocating for all these improvements.
The tunnel is a piece of infrastructure that will be there for generations. As I described in my blog post, I estimated the cost of the tunnel per daily user is less than the cost of the Purple Line (those were old numbers, so it may have changed, but even if so, the difference is not that big either way). And the Purple Line will accrue significant operating costs that the tunnel will not.

Everything about accommodating bicycles in the tunnel has made it clear that people riding bikes are considered a lesser priority: “Here’s something that should make you people happy. Take it instead of this first class, world-class improvement. We don’t want to spend much money on you, even though we promised.” For me, that is one of the key reasons for continuing the fight.

[Crickey7]

We can advocate, and they can fund if there is money for it. Here, it appears there is not. I see no reason to doubt the claims that there were significant cost overruns in non-optional work. Frankly, I think the tunnel would have been cramped, slow and not a high quality experience.

We’re going to have a lot of battles for infra in the County over the next several decades. MoCo is just starting on the process of building and retrofitting a bike network. I’d rather save good will for bigger fights than this.

[mstone]

@Crickey7 197274 wrote:

We’re going to have a lot of battles for infra in the County over the next several decades. MoCo is just starting on the process of building and retrofitting a bike network. I’d rather save good will for bigger fights than this.

Yes, it’s important to lose every time there isn’t a simple and cheap solution, not just once!

[Steve O]

Public meeting this Wednesday. I received this email notification from the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail

---

Express Your Views on the Trail Tunnel Underneath Wisconsin Avenue at Jan. 29 Public Meeting in Bethesda

This meeting, on Wednesday, January 29, will give Trail users and the community an opportunity to learn about and express their views on the long-proposed Trail tunnel under Wisconsin Avenue. Given that the new County budget proposal does not fund the tunnel, you can give your feedback to the County about this delay in funding. If you want to express your views, you should do so at this meeting or send written comments to the address provided below.

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation will present the Capital Crescent Trail Tunnel project and obtain feedback. For those who cannot attend but want to watch the meeting, there will be a live webcast at this address:

https://montgomerycounty.adobeconnect.com/capitalcrescenttrail

For more information and to forward written comments contact:

Jon Hutchings, Project Manager, Division of Transportation Engineering, 100 Edison Park Drive – 4th Floor, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878.

Telephone: 240-777-7224; E-mail: Jon.Hutchings@montgomerycountymd.gov

The meeting invitation as a PDF file

WHEN
Wednesday, January 29, 7pm – 10pm

WHERE
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

All purpose room/cafeteria
4301 East – West Highway
Bethesda, MD 20814

We hope to see you there!

[Steve O]

Received this email today:

More Opportunities to Express Your Views on Funding for Trail Tunnel Underneath Wisconsin Avenue
– at County Council Budget Meetings on Wed. and Thurs.

Montgomery County Council Budget Meetings on the FY 21 Capital Budget and FY21-26 CIP will be held on Wed., February 5 (1:30-3:30pm and 7:00-9:00pm) and Thursday, Feb. 6 (7:00-9:00pm).

Trail users and the community will have an opportunity to express their views on the long-proposed Trail tunnel under Wisconsin Avenue. Given that the new County budget proposal does not fund the tunnel, you can give your feedback to the County about this delay in funding.

More information on the CCCT Tunnel project can be found here:
https://apps.montgomerycountymd.gov/BASISCAPITAL/Common/Project.aspx?ID=P501316

Residents can sign up to speak at meetings here (click on “Sign Up” for the specific meeting date and time):
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/calendar.html

WHEN:
Wednesday, February 5, 1:30-3:30pm and 7:00-9:00pm

Thursday, February 6, 7:00-9:00pm

WHERE:
Montgomery County Council
Third Floor Hearing Room
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850

For more information about meeting agendas, signing up to speak, etc., please contact Jackie Hawksford at Jackie.Hawksford@montgomerycountymd.gov or 240-777-7803.



We hope to see you there!

[ursus]

@Steve O 197940 wrote:

Received this email today:

More Opportunities to Express Your Views on Funding for Trail Tunnel Underneath Wisconsin Avenue
– at County Council Budget Meetings on Wed. and Thurs.

Montgomery County Council Budget Meetings on the FY 21 Capital Budget and FY21-26 CIP will be held on Wed., February 5 (1:30-3:30pm and 7:00-9:00pm) and Thursday, Feb. 6 (7:00-9:00pm).

Trail users and the community will have an opportunity to express their views on the long-proposed Trail tunnel under Wisconsin Avenue. Given that the new County budget proposal does not fund the tunnel, you can give your feedback to the County about this delay in funding.

More information on the CCCT Tunnel project can be found here:
https://apps.montgomerycountymd.gov/BASISCAPITAL/Common/Project.aspx?ID=P501316

Residents can sign up to speak at meetings here (click on “Sign Up” for the specific meeting date and time):
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/calendar.html

WHEN:
Wednesday, February 5, 1:30-3:30pm and 7:00-9:00pm

Thursday, February 6, 7:00-9:00pm

WHERE:
Montgomery County Council
Third Floor Hearing Room
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850

For more information about meeting agendas, signing up to speak, etc., please contact Jackie Hawksford at Jackie.Hawksford@montgomerycountymd.gov or 240-777-7803.



We hope to see you there!

Interesting that Montgomery County uses a picture of the bridge crossing the C&O Canal which is in DC.

[Author]

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