Getting around Greenbelt (the good, the needs improvement, and the ugly).

[sfree]

Thanks for the virtual ride. It would help those unfamiliar with the route to possibly sketch it in google maps.

You seem like an excellent person to ask about commuting in Greenbelt. Starting in August, I’ll be living in Alexandria and working at Goddard. I’m hoping to take the Metro to Greenbelt Station and keep a bike there to get to work, but the few times I’ve been there, Greenbelt Rd seemed very unfriendly to bikes. Could you suggest a route that is safer?

Thanks again,

sf

[Greenbelt]

Yes, absolutely. Here are a few thoughts. I don’t actually work at Goddard, so I’m not sure of the entrance system. First, I’m pretty sure there are some available lockers at Greenbelt (expensive, though — $200 a year). Try to request one on the Greenbelt side (not the College Park side), if possible. The lady who runs that program for Metro was very nice. Second, I recommend avoiding Greenbelt Road. As you know, it is extremely bike hostile — more like Greenbelt speedway. There are lots of good posts on access to Goddard by bike at Thewashcycle.com (blogger works or worked at Goddard I think).

Here are several options:

1. Ivy Lane and connector trail to Crescent Road, Spellman Overpass, and a short stretch of Greenbelt Road to the front entrance. From the Greenbelt metro exit road, go left on Cherrywood Lane, and right on Ivy lane. Just before the bank, there’s an access road, which then extends into a narrow paved trail down to Crescent Road by the entrance to the state highway department office. Cross 201 at the light, and follow Crescent Road to Garden Way and straight on to the Spellman overpass trail. Then, take a left on Hanover and a right on Mandan Road to get to Greenbelt road fairly near Goddard. The middle video above show the Ivy Lane to Spellman overpass section of this route starting at about minute 9:00.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=greenbelt+metro+drive&daddr=39.00411,-76.87489+to:39.0010496,-76.8735994+to:38.995577,-76.8652119+to:Unknown+road&geocode=FeRHUwIdgYJq-ynNKk6X7cO3iTEf_NjKTdV2Mw%3BFc4nUwIddvtq-ynbK3hZzMO3iTFth7WZCLN9RQ%3BFdkbUwIdgQBr-ykRvVhhzcO3iTE-_vsHEFs-jQ%3BFXkGUwIdRSFr-yk7hxaOLsK3iTHtMXuNdD2_8A%3BFZ7zUgIdSFFr-w&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=13&via=1,2,3&dirflg=b&sll=39.00958,-76.879578&sspn=0.071896,0.181103&ie=UTF8&z=13&lci=bike

2. Long way around through the farms. Coming out of the metro, take a left on Cherrywood, then a left on 201 (it’s a high-speed road but has some shoulder and lots of cyclists use it). Then a right on Beaver Dam road and a right on Soil Conservation service Road.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=greenbelt+metro+drive&daddr=39.02186,-76.8594+to:Unknown+road&geocode=FeRHUwIdgYJq-ynNKk6X7cO3iTEf_NjKTdV2Mw%3BFSRtUwId-Ddr-ynfZP6-UMK3iTE-UTgOgSMaTg%3BFbIWUwId1GVr-w&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=14&via=1&dirflg=b&sll=39.008513,-76.868849&sspn=0.035949,0.090551&ie=UTF8&z=14&lci=bike

3. Unofficial Northway single track. Take the 201 crossing at Crescent as under the first option, but take a left on Northway, and continue on to the dirt road. At the end, there is a single-track (wide tires only or walk) path that gets to the off ramp for the Goddard employees entrance. The dirt part of this route is shown on the middle video starting about about minute 31:00.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=greenbelt+metro+drive&daddr=Northway+Rd&geocode=FeRHUwIdgYJq-ynNKk6X7cO3iTEf_NjKTdV2Mw%3BFcwzUwIduhtr-w&hl=en&mra=dme&mrsp=1&sz=14&dirflg=b&sll=39.015116,-76.901121&sspn=0.035945,0.090551&ie=UTF8&z=14&lci=bike

[sfree]

Thanks so much! Option 3 looks like it puts me right into the employee’s entrance. Perfect.

[Author]

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