Looking for Support to convert Glen Echo Trolley Trail in Palisades to a bike trail

[kny]

@MattAune 76720 wrote:

But will you still be interested if the trail doesn’t have anything over 15% GRADE?

35th St and/or Exorcist stairs already more than meets that need….

[jojopuppyfish]

So KNY is talking about the article in yesterday’s Georgetown Current (Also in the NW Current)
Here is the link to the article….
http://www.currentnewspapers.com/admin/uploadfiles/NW%2002-05-2014.pdf

KNY, I will send you a PM.

Any feedback would be appreciated,
Brett

[jojopuppyfish]

You are invited to “tour” the old Glen Echo Trolley Right-of-Way!

Saturday, April 5
9:30am Meet at the Palisades Rec Center
10:00am Hike starts at Foxhall and MacArthur

Sunday, May 4
12:30pm Meet at the Palisades Rec Center
1:00pm Hike starts at Foxhall and MacArthur

*Thanks to the Lab School for busing us over to the start!*
You can also meet us where the hike will start, at Foxhall Rd. just below the intersection of MacArthur Blvd and Foxhall Rd.

As we all know, the Glen Echo Trolley no longer runs from Georgetown to Glen Echo, but the old trail still exists, and it’s beautiful! There is community interest in possibly upgrading the trail from Georgetown to Galena Pl so that more people can enjoy this urban oasis. Come experience it for yourself!

Please email the PCA Office at palisadesdc@hotmail.com and let us know which hike you plan to attend. Registration is not mandatory, but it is encouraged.

The hike is a little less than 2 miles (bring footwear that can get muddy).

Tell a neighbor…bring a friend!

[jojopuppyfish]

Just a reminder that we are doing this walk tomorrow. Each of you will be very surprised how beautiful this stretch of the city is. WHo is coming?

[jojopuppyfish]

Just a reminder for the May 4th walk which is happening this Sunday.
Meet at Palisades Rec Center at 12:30 and we will shuttle everyone over to foxhall rd & Macarthur for a 1pm start
5200 Sherier Pl NW, Washington, DC 20016

[jojopuppyfish]

So we had a walk yesterday and there were 30-50 people.
I think the breakdown in the community is that you have alot of vocal and committed people that do not want this space used as a bike lane.
Then you also have many people who have no problem with it that aren’t as vocal and wont sit down to write an email in favor of it.
Finally you have the rest of the 2000 people in Palisades who aren’t passionate either way.
I’ve never been an activist before and for ever 20 great conversations I have with the community, all it takes is 1 a-hole for me to want to throw in the towel.
It isn’t going to be easy to get this passed.
Any suggestions are welcome.

BTW as for the Bridge we are awaiting the assessment report from WMATA who definately want to get this bridge off their hands. Possible suitors are Georgetown U or DDOT.
We’ll see who ends up acquiring the bridge.

[FoxhallRidge]

@jojopuppyfish 84310 wrote:

So we had a walk yesterday and there were 30-50 people.
I think the breakdown in the community is that you have alot of vocal and committed people that do not want this space used as a bike lane.
Then you also have many people who have no problem with it that aren’t as vocal and wont sit down to write an email in favor of it.
Finally you have the rest of the 2000 people in Palisades who aren’t passionate either way.
I’ve never been an activist before and for ever 20 great conversations I have with the community, all it takes is 1 a-hole for me to want to throw in the towel.
It isn’t going to be easy to get this passed.
Any suggestions are welcome.

BTW as for the Bridge we are awaiting the assessment report from WMATA who definately want to get this bridge off their hands. Possible suitors are Georgetown U or DDOT.
We’ll see who ends up acquiring the bridge.

Stick with it, Brett. I am a huge supporter of this idea. People are too short sighted. I have walked along that path and it is beautiful (incredible views), but completely unused. It is a shame really. I can picture it being one of the treasures of the NW DC area in 20 years. I moved to the area (the new Foxhall Ridge development) last year and I immediately could not understand why that path was not a paved trail. I mean, it is PERFECT. Not to mention that there is no reasonable connection to the University, given the grade changes and the scary sidewalk on Canal. Using that bridge to connect the University to Foxhall and the Palisades is so obvious it is silly that the plan is not already in motion.

I bike to work everyday from Foxhall Ridge to Dupont. Because of Canal road and the grade changes, I typically drop down to the river trail and then go through the Georgetown waterfront before picking up Rock Creek to Dupont. But I often ride home through the Georgetown residential streets and tried as best I could to figure out a way to stay up on the hill all the way to the University, but there is no way to get down to Canal unless you literally bike to the other side of the University and then ride down the entrance, which is way out of the way. So that means you have to head down to M street before the University and then bike along scary Canal. Connecting the University to Palisades using that abandoned bridge would be ideal because it would avoid going down and then back up on the steep hills (and it would avoid Canal).

Anyway, just wanted to tell you to keep fighting the good fight. I have been following the developments and your work in support of the trail, including finding this forum just now.

P.S. — What would the plan be for crossing Foxhall after the bridge? That is already a strange intersection where MacArthur starts. I wonder if there would be a way to have a little pedestrian/bike bridge over Foxhall on the hill portion once coming off the big bridge. The fact that Foxhall is a steep hill right would seemingly make it easier to have a little bridge in the air over it.

[jojopuppyfish]

If you go over the bridge going West and hit MacArthur, we would force bikes to go cross at the traffic light via crosswalk. We don’t want people crossing Foxhall…too dangerous.
Going East over Foundry Branch Bridge, you get to campus and there might have to be a second bridge that would go across Georgetown lawn and then terminate at Prospect St (which is already being used by students for bicycling.)

BTW Sent you PM.
And anyone who wants to be included on what is going on, feel free to PM me with your name, email address, and phone

[jojopuppyfish]

gswim18
You have a pm

BTW why doesn’t my notifications email me?

[jojopuppyfish]

Article I wrote in today’s Greater Greater Washington
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/23105/a-former-trolley-line-could-become-a-walking-and-biking-trail-from-the-palisades-to-georgetown/

[jojopuppyfish]

For those that are interested, Pepco has mowed some of the old trolley path in Maryland.
From the Sycamore store, across the street north towards Glen echo park is free to be explored if anyone is interested.
This only happens every 4 years so its a good time to check out how wide a path could be.
BTW WMATA owns the trolley path from Brookmont to Glen Echo Park

[jojopuppyfish]

Here are some photos I took of the restoration of the Glen Echo trolley Bridge.
Maryland is currently widening the MacArthur Blvd bike trail. As part of this upgrade they are using the former trolley trail bridge at Glen Echo Park.
You can click on this link to view all of the photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jojopuppyfish/sets/72157645849570941/

Here are a sample of them
DSC_0701
DSC_0685
DSC_0705

[jojopuppyfish]

From the PCA Trail Committee

Over the last several months, the PCA Trails Committee has worked to create a survey that will gather the opinions of the Palisades Community, Foxhall Village and the immediate DC vicinity with regards to the future of the area that is commonly referred to as “the Glen Echo Trolley trail”. This area runs from Georgetown University to Galena Pl (One block NW of Arizona Ave).

This survey was put together by 10 individuals who live in the Palisades Community. Each of the committee members brought a unique perspective to the trail. We feel that the members of this committee brought a variety of opinions that are reflective of the community at large. We hope you agree.

This survey has 15 questions about the Right of Way, including potential bridges, trail surface options and general maintenance concerns. There is space in the survey to comment and propose doing nothing to the trail. We hope that each citizen will carefully review each of the questions and participate in the survey.

For those who would like to tour the East end of the trail, join us for a guided walk of the Foundry Branch Bridge & Georgetown Entrance Bridge November 2nd and 8th. Visit http://www.palisadesdc.org for details.

The survey will begin on Oct 15 and conclude Jan 15th 2015. The survey is online at http://dctrailsurvey.org/

For those who are unable to complete the survey online, please contact the PCA website and arrangements can be made for an alternative method of submission.

After the survey closes we will have a general meeting with the community to discuss the results and talk about the next steps.

[jojopuppyfish]

New Article in NW Current about the trolley trail
http://www.currentnewspapers.com/admin/uploadfiles/NW%2012-03-2014.pdf

If you haven’t take the survey, please do.
http://dctrailsurvey.org/

[jojopuppyfish]

Here are some photos of the completed Glen Echo Trolley Bridge at Glen Echo Park. This will be part of the MacArthur Blvd trail. Should be opening in a few weeks
DSC_0930 by Brett Young, on Flickr

DSC_0932 by Brett Young, on Flickr

DSC_0979 by Brett Young, on Flickr

DSC_0983 by Brett Young, on Flickr

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