Thank you! Please ask your US Senators and your US Representative to oppose any attempts in this new Congress and by the White House to waive environmental and other laws - whether for the Purple Line or any other projects and programs. and Washington, DC. [20], With the right-of-way and funding secured, work on the trail began in the early 1990s with four separate sections. In conjunction with the Purple Line project, construction crews are extending the Capital Crescent Trail as a paved 12 foot wide off-road shared use path from Bethesda to Silver Spring. [29][30], An unpaved trail connection to Norton Street, NW and a staircase connection to Potomac Avenue, NW were built after 1997 and before 2003. The southern 7 miles between Georgetown and Bethesda has a 9-foot wide asphalt surface and is in … This popular hiker-biker trail is about 11-miles long and is used by tens of thousands of people each week. [23] In late 1994/early 1995, Arlington County built the section of the trail near Dalecarlia Reservoir from MacArthur to the District line, because they were doing unrelated work on pipelines in the area. [13] In 1991, advocates John Dugger and Henri Bartholomot helped secure federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act funding to develop the Maryland portion of the trail. [34] As part of the deal, they also agreed to move their driveway farther from the trail's Bethesda Avenue entrance, to install decorative screening around the expanded garage to create a more appealing facade facing the trail, and to widen about a quarter-mile section of the trail about two feet to 16 feet.[35]. The Capital Crescent Trail follows an abandoned railroad right of way and extends 11 miles from Georgetown, in the District of Columbia, to Silver Spring in Montgomery County. Approximately 5.5 miles of the trail are in Montgomery County. A year after the right-of-way was purchased, Gov. The branch was partially built in 1892 and completed in 1910. The Residences at Capital Crescent Trail is an apartment located in Montgomery County, the 20816 ZIP Code, and the Montgomery County Public Schools attendance zone. It connects effortlessly to paths in Georgetown and Silver Spring, and the westerly incline ensures that your ride will be beneficial and a touch challenging. What race day traditions do you have? [33] Their professor, Iris Miller, called the plaza, which features benches, stone sitting walls, a curving pathway, a red metal pergola, bike racks, a repair station, a display with trail information, and a plaque to honor Potter, "a tribute to persistence. B&O was purchased by the Chessie System in 1973. Prior to visiting any of our parks or trails visit MontgomeryParks.org/COVID-19 for more information. This website uses cookies to provide you with an improved and personalized experience. Workers building the Purple Line, and with it the Capital Crescent Trail, have stopped construction as the companies they work for quit the project. [23][24][25] Work on the portion in the District, from Dalecarlia Reservoir to Georgetown, except for the Arizona Avenue Trestle, started in 1993, finished in late 1994 and was performed by the National Park Service. In 1983 the railroad notified the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) that the Georgetown Branch that it would be the subject of an abandonment application. [13] The funding also paid for the DC portion and the rehabilitation of the Arizona Avenue Trestle. [22] Work then began on the first section between Bethesda Avenue and Little Falls Parkway. [11], Advocates for turning the railroad into a trail, including the Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Coalition and the newly formed Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail began to lobby local and federal officials to do so, putting together a Concept Plan in 1988. [1] In 2005, it was named one of the "21 great places that show how transportation can enliven a community" by The Project for Public Spaces. Montgomery County purchased the right-of-way on December 16, 1988, four days after the ICC approved the purchase and transfer, under the Trails System Act. [18][19] The DC section then became a component of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The following projects have various impacts on the Capital Crescent Trail. [26][24][23] That same year, Montgomery County, with financial assistance from Maryland and the federal government and planning from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, built the section from Little Falls Parkway to MacArthur Boulevard. The Capital Crescent is a gorgeous paved trail, with peaceful stretches that cause the urban surroundings to evaporate. The Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) is one of the most u sed trails in Montgomery County. Crossing into Washington, DC, it then turns southeast, dropping down from the Palisades neighborhood over the C&O Canal on the Arizona Avenue Railway Bridge, and down to the banks of the Potomac. Capital Crescent Trail The interim trail built in the former Georgetown Branch railroad right-of-way which currently extends between Bethesda and Stewart Avenue in Lyttonsville will be replaced by a 12-foot paved trail with 2-foot buffers that extends all the way into downtown Silver Spring. Capital Crescent Trail. * Dates and time are subject to change. The currently closed section of the trail started at Lyttonsville Junction, about one mile (1.6 km) west of downtown Silver Spring. Although most track removal was completed a few years earlier, the first three miles of the line from Silver Spring to Bethesda remained tracked until 1996, the rails not being removed until the summer of that year and in December of that year, dedication ceremonies formally opened the River Road Bridge, the Dalecarlia Bridge and the full Capital Crescent trail. AMOUNT OF USE The 2006 survey showed that the use of the Capital Crescent Trail is incredibly high with average hourly use of approximately 240 users, which is over twice that of the Sligo Creek Trail, our second most popular trail in the County. [31] A plaza along River Road, named for Neal Potter, was opened on November 3, 2018. [4] In January 1986, WABA completed a feasibility study of the trail, and the next month advocates chose the name "Capital Crescent Trail. The loop of the Capital Crescent Trail and Rock Creek Park totals 22 miles and takes you past the National Zoological Park and the Kennedy Center. Capital Crescent Trail. It then moves through the Dalecarlia area, traveling under the Washington Aqueduct conduit at the Dalecarlia Tunnel, past the Dalecarlia Reservoir and through the grounds of the Dalecarlia Treatment Plant over the Dalecarlia Bridge. This project provides for the funding of the Capital Crescent trail, including the main trail from Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda to Silver Spring as a largely 12-foot-wide hard-surface hiker-biker path, connector paths at several locations, a new bridge over Connecticut Avenue, a new underpass beneath Jones Mill Road, a new tunnel beneath Wisconsin Avenue, supplemental landscaping and … Weekend use was generally the The idea of using the right-of-way as a trail dated back to the early 1970s as it was mentioned as an existing proposal in the 1975 Bethesda Central Business District Sector Plan. Please note, some projects are managed by third-party agencies. [24] In late 1995, the concrete deck of the Arizona Avenue trestle was poured, replacing the wooden deck built 5 years earlier. The trail could be opened before the trains run, but a tunnel through Bethesda will not be completed until 2026.[51][52][53]. [44], Montgomery County began studying transit options for the corridor as early as 1986 and continued to study, litigate and debate it, until work began in 2017. The planned Capital Crescent Surface Trail (CCST) is a separated two-way bike lane along the northern side of Bethesda Avenue between Woodmont Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue, MD 355. [10][5] The abandonment was completed in April 1988 and most of the track removed by the mid 1990s. That section will be constructed as part of the ongoing work on the Purple Line. ", Because of structural problems with a bridge in Montgomery County, the last train on the line ran in June, 1985. The Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) is the most popular shared-use trail in Montgomery County, connecting Washington, D.C. with Silver Spring. This led to several contentious battles between those who supported transit and those who did not, with those who supported a trail left in the middle. It served Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO), the Washington Mill, and federal government buildings; but with the changing use of Georgetown's waterfront, became obsolete. Approximately 5.5 miles of the trail are in Montgomery County. Trail supporters had strongly encouraged the Council to open the tunnel for the trail. [27] In June 1996 the Arizona Avenue Trestle was opened and in November the trail bridge over River Road followed. On weekends, it is a VERY popular spot for local cyclists and rollerbladers. It then runs between the Potomac and the C&O Canal, past Fletcher's Boathouse and the Foundry Branch Tunnel, into Georgetown to its terminus at the west end of Water Street NW. [49], On September 5, 2017, the Georgetown Branch was officially closed so that work could begin on the Purple Line light rail. You can also call (202) 224-3121 (Senate) or (202) 225-3121 (House) and ask for their office or number. Redevelopment of the Apex Building would have allowed for the best possible station and trail. Unless noted otherwise on the map, trails marked “Natural Surface” and “Hard Surface” are “Shared by All” trails which include hikers, bikers, and equestrians. East of Wisconsin Avenue, the two-way separated bike lane will continue along the southern side of Willow Lane to 47th Street. The west end of the facility is located at the west side of the new building at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, near the Civic Green Park at Woodmont Avenue. Anthony Brennan, a suspect in Monday's Capital Crescent Trail attack, has been charged with three counts of second-degree assault. Please follow the respective links for additional information on each project. Search Apartments for Rent near Strayer University. An extension of the trail from Bethesda to Silver Spring, along a route formerly known as the Georgetown Branch Trail is currently being constructed as part of the Purple Line light rail project. For better social distancing, we advise residents to consider alternative trails or plan your activity during off-peak hours, like early or later in the day. The Capital Crescent Trail DC PORTION OF TRAIL LEASED BY PARK SERVICE In late November, the National Park Service gained a lease for park and trail use for the four-mile seg- ment of the Georgetown Branch rail corridor in the District. The Capital Crescent Trail is one of the most travelled multi-use trails in the county, and the Purple Line transit project is a once-in-a-lifetime investment in better trail infrastructure. The Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) is a 7.04-mile (11.33 km) long, shared-use rail trail that runs from Georgetown in Washington, D.C., to Bethesda, Maryland. This will likely delay the opening of the trail by at least a year. [7][8] Problems with the line were exacerbated after the Potomac River flood in November undermined about 75 feet of roadbed near Fletcher's Boathouse. Removal of the tracks was done in the spring, paving in the summer and the section was completed by the end of the year. The trail, one of 500 rail-to-trail projects in the nation, traverses neighborhoods and parkland and includes stretches along the Potomac River. Capital Crescent Trail Info. Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, website about the trail that features detailed maps, Capital Crescent Trail Crossing at Little Falls Parkway, Maryland Transit Administration- Purple Line Project, Capital Crescent Trail- MCDOT CCT Tunnel (CCTT) Project (Downtown Bethesda), Security Public Storage Bike Repair Station. Before any of the formal work began, volunteers built a wooden deck over the Arizona Avenue Railroad Bridge in 1990. The Capital Crescent Trail follows an abandoned railroad right of way and extends 11 miles from Georgetown, in the District of Columbia, to Silver Spring in Montgomery County. That section, paid for by Montgomery County departments of transportation and parks, and businessmen John Ourisman and Tom Miller, was cleared by PEPCO in exchange for easement considerations elsewhere and to reimburse the community after residents complained about power-line work on nearby Arlington Road. The section from Bethesda to Silver Spring, meanwhile, was delayed due to continued debate over the proposed trolley. [46][47] However, in 2011 MTA announced that the cost of building the extended trail would be $103 million, much more than the previously estimated $65 million. [43] The trestle was dedicated for trail use on May 31, 2003. [45] A trolley between Bethesda and Silver Spring went through several iterations including the Georgetown Branch Light Rail Transit, the Inner Purple Line, the Bi-County Transitway and finally the Purple Line - a light rail train from Bethesda to New Carrollton, MD. [10] Despite opposition from neighbors and those who wanted the right-of-way for mass transit, an excursion train or other development, they were able to convince the Montgomery County Government, along with a coalition of developers and government agencies, to purchase the right-of-way from the D.C. line to Silver Spring. You get to cross the Potomac on one of many great bridges, run on the Capital Crescent Trail, take on some tough hills, run on trails and of course the views from Potomac Avenue (especially in the Fall). The tunnel that would carry runners and cyclists on the Capital Crescent Trail beneath Wisconsin Avenue may not be ready, when the Bethesda Purple Line … But the County has since allowed adjacent property owners to fence it off to public use. [36] It later opened as the Georgetown Branch Interim Trail. It goes over the River Road Bridge and past the site of Fort Sumner, a Civil War-era fort. [15] The following year, the County voted to build a trolley and bike trail along the Bethesda-Silver Spring section of the right-of-way. One of the most trafficked trails in the nation, the Capital Crescent is a major commuter route for many traveling between Bethesda, Md. It follows the Little Falls Branch to the Potomac River and the District line. This project provides for the design and construction of the Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) Tunnel. 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