Washington Boulevard Trail under attack.

[dasgeh]

@rcannon100 95381 wrote:

I think (really I am guess) that is clear. A resident of an outer suburb stating that it supports Arlington smart growth and that you use Arlington cycling infrastructure instead of adding load to 66 or 395 or the GW – is a huge and loud statement. Most suburbanites are calling for widening 66. If you support Arlington’s smart growth, I think that is a big and unheard voice.

In other words, email the Arlington County Board to say thanks, email the FFX County Board to say “please do more of this” and make other public statements along those lines.

[baiskeli]

@mstone 95328 wrote:

Loss of mature trees is a real issue, and not something that’s quickly or easily fixed. That said, the real fix is to take the space out of the car lanes, but we can’t have that.

Spot on.

[baiskeli]

@dasgeh 95334 wrote:

Maybe, except: (1) most of the trees in question are invasive and not the kind of mature trees that really need preserving in this area; and (2) the bike trail is about much, much more than environmentalism.

Both valid points. I don’t know the details of what trees are threatened; I was just speaking in general terms.

ACE seems to be awful close to saying “these trees are more important than cyclists’ lives” which is ridiculous.

As mentioned before, I don’t think ACE as an organization has taken a position on this. As the husband of the executive director of ACE, I can tell you that whatever advice the executive director might be hearing from anyone who might be around when she talks about controversial issues like this one at the dinner table is to stay neutral.

[baiskeli]

@KLizotte 26502 wrote:

Got this surprise response today from the comments I left on the feedback page referenced above in Tim’s msg:

Thank you for your support of the Washington Blvd. Trail project. We are currently working through some design modifications with the hope of reducing the expected tree impacts from construction. It is our plan to replant all the areas where trees are expected to be removed. As you identified the new trail will provide a very valuable connection between areas in the south of the County such as Pentagon City and Columbia Pike and the center and northern parts of Arlington. You may have noticed construction currently taking place on S. Joyce Street under I-395, that will also provide new trail connections that should benefit you in your biking to Clarendon.

Again thanks for providing your thoughts and words of support.

Ritch Viola
Planning Section Supervisor
DES Transportation Planning

Ritch Viola is former bike coordinator for the County and an avid cyclist, by the way.

[Steve O]

@baiskeli 95327 wrote:

This is one of those times when two environmental concerns come into conflict. It happens sometimes. I’m sure the other side is saying something like “The notion that we should cut down trees to build a bike trail to help the environment is…well….”

I blogged on this exact conflict a couple of years ago:
http://www.steveoffutt.com/2012/07/tree-hugger-meets-bike-hugger.html

[baiskeli]

@Steve O 95406 wrote:

I blogged on this exact conflict a couple of years ago:
http://www.steveoffutt.com/2012/07/tree-hugger-meets-bike-hugger.html

I saw that post, and it was excellent.

When it comes to taking out trees, people need to remember that not all trees are equal. Some are invasive species that should be removed and replaced with better ones. And mature trees are great, but some are so mature that they’re going to die soon, and the focus should be on planting replacements, not just saving a few big ones that aren’t going to last much longer anyway.

I love your suggestion about elms.

[chris_s]

Updates:
1) Last night the Penrose Neighborhood Association voted to request that staff redesign the trail to put as much of the trail as possible on the shoulder of Washington Blvd and in the area VDOT has already clearcut for their construction staging area. I let staff know this and they’ve already responded that this has essentially already been done. “I wish we could move the trail onto the Washington Blvd. shoulder but VDOT has already said NO to that idea. However, we are planning to build the trail as close to the shoulder as possible, especially through the north section where the slope is the steepest and the most trees will be affected.” Something the association would have known had it taken the time to invite staff out to be able to answer questions before voting.

2) The anti-trail folks have gotten the trail onto the Parks Commission agenda for this Tuesday October 28th. The Parks Commission has previously endorsed the plan because (drum roll please) it greatly improves access to Towers Park. It would be wise to have some pro-bike voices in the room to counteract the chorus of negatives that the anti-trail folks will have, 1-sided arguments are rarely won by the side that doesn’t show, no matter how right they may be. Can anyone make it? Tuesday 10/28 7pm, Azalea Conference Room, 1st floor of the County Building. Staff will be their to answer technical questions, but it’ll be key to have people there to speak to the desire to have the trail, how it functions to improve access to the park, how it ties into the rest of the trail network (it connects to the Arlington Blvd Trail which is newly improved), etc.

[elbows]

Could you please point me to a current proposed map?

I have a board meeting that night but may try to make 10/28. (Should be a fun night.) Can you remind me of the rough schedule?

[Anonymous]

@chris_s 97587 wrote:

Updates:
1) Last night the Penrose Neighborhood Association voted to request that staff redesign the trail to put as much of the trail as possible on the shoulder of Washington Blvd and in the area VDOT has already clearcut for their construction staging area. I let staff know this and they’ve already responded that this has essentially already been done. “I wish we could move the trail onto the Washington Blvd. shoulder but VDOT has already said NO to that idea. However, we are planning to build the trail as close to the shoulder as possible, especially through the north section where the slope is the steepest and the most trees will be affected.” Something the association would have known had it taken the time to invite staff out to be able to answer questions before voting.

Sic the neighborhood association on VDOT?:cool:

[chris_s]

Don’t forget, the Parks Commission will be reviewing the Washington Blvd Trail (again) tomorrow evening, Tuesday the 28th. The trail is on the agenda for 7:10pm-7:45pm. Here is the full copy of the agenda. Here is a map of the general trail alignment, I don’t have current detailed engineering plans, only the prior plans from before it was re-routed to avoid more trees.

[PotomacCyclist]

Is the trail still going to Rolfe St.? The ramps between Washington Blvd. and Columbia Pike will be altered significantly as part of the ongoing replacement bridge over Columbia Pike. The ramp to the east of Rolfe St. on that map (in dark gray) will be realigned to connect to Queen St. instead of Quinn St. There will be more open space between the buildings along Columbia Pike and the Washington Blvd. off-ramp when that project is completed late next year.

[chris_s]

@PotomacCyclist 97954 wrote:

Is the trail still going to Rolfe St.? The ramps between Washington Blvd. and Columbia Pike will be altered significantly as part of the ongoing replacement bridge over Columbia Pike. The ramp to the east of Rolfe St. on that map (in dark gray) will be realigned to connect to Queen St. instead of Quinn St. There will be more open space between the buildings along Columbia Pike and the Washington Blvd. off-ramp when that project is completed late next year.

Yes, the trail is still going to Rolfe. My understanding is that the bridge project is creating an insurmountable choke point farther back from the ramps that would prevent running the trail along Washington Blvd the whole way (I believe because of the noise barriers).

[chris_s]

Trail Update: Thanks to the intervention of State Delegate Alfonso Lopez, VDOT has capitulated and will allow the trail to be located in place of the shoulder along Washington Blvd between 2nd and 6th Street. Instead of the shoulder, there will be a curb, 5′ of landscaping and then the trail, much like many of the recently completed areas of the Arlington Blvd Trail. This change in design will save 50+ trees and will eliminate a lot of expensive grading and retaining walls saving the county money. A win for those of us who value tree canopy, but it will result in yet another delay of the project.

[rcannon100]

Will someone please buy Chris a beer?

[mstone]

@chris_s 117356 wrote:

VDOT has capitulated

Now if they’d just learn what’s worth fighting for.

[Author]

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