State of the Trail Report
Agencies
Assessment by County
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General
The quality of life in the District of Columbia is affected greatly by the presence of trails, due in no small part to strong advocates — from the efforts of retired Supreme Court Justice, William O. Douglass to save the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal from being paved over to the efforts of Willard Andre Hutt, a 17 year-old Eagle Scout who conceived and developed the Black History National Recreation Trail. As the Washington area population grows from almost 4 million people to an expected 5.6 million in 2020, development of trails becomes increasingly important to residents and visitors alike. Recent projects by the DC Heritage Tourism Coalition and various partners demonstrate the potential for a network of heritage trails in Washington.
Existing Trail Segments
Much of the Potomac River waterfront in the District of Columbia has existing public access facilities including trails and walkways along the river and adjacent waterways. The C&O Canal National Historical Park and the Capital Crescent Trail extend from the Montgomery County line to Rock Creek Park and Key Bridge, respectively. (The Rock Creek Parkway also includes a trail which extends south past the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, to the Lincoln Memorial and under Arlington Memorial Bridge. This trail joins FDR Memorial Park and Potomac Park walkways, which extend to Hains Point at the confluence of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers.) A number of public and private landings support heavy use of the Potomac River boaters, making a significant contribution to the Potomac Water Trail. Numerous connecting trails also exist.
Numerous connecting trails also exist within the District. Major land trails include Battery Kimble Trail (8), Glover Archibald Trail (9), Rock Creek Park Trail (7), the National Mall (10), and Potomac Park walkways (4). The Potomac River Water Trail (5) and the Anacostia Blueway (12) are actively used by boaters who enter the river at numerous public and private landings.
Planned Trail Segments
In 2001, the District of Columbia Office of Planning conducted a study of the opportunities and issues associated with the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. This study revealed that the PHNST has the potential to be both a set of primary routes--for different kinds of travel between points along the C&O Canal Towpath and the Prince George's County line at Oxon Hill Farm Park--as well as a diverse network of designated heritage trails.
Planning for trails that pass through active military installations has been difficult, especially in light of increased security due to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The three primary military installations in D.C. are Bolling AFB, NRL and Fort Meyer, all of which flank the mouth of the Anacostia River and extend south along the eastern side of the Potomac. If a trail could be established within Bolling AFB, it would ultimately have to cross Oxon Creek into Oxon Hill Farm Park on the existing Interstate 295 Bridge. In contrast, development of a trail below the elevated Whitehurst Freeway to the Georgetown area could readily be developed along Water Street which has relatively little through traffic and is currently the site of a number of pedestrian-oriented redevelopment projects (e.g., Georgetown Waterfront, Southeast Waterfront, Anacostia River Waterfront).
Contacts
District of Columbia
Office of Planning
801 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 4000
Washington, DC 20002
Contact Person: Uwe Brandes
(202) 442-7600
Email: uwe.brandes@dc.gov
District of Columbia
Department of Recreation and Parks
3149 16th Street, NW
Washington D.C. 20010
Theodore Pochter
(202) 673-7660
District of Columbia
Department of Transportation
2000 14th Street, NW, 7th Floor
Washington D.C. 20009-4473
Contact Person: Jim Sebastian
Phone: (202) 962-3760
Email: jim.sebastian@dc.gov
DC Heritage Tourism Coalition
1250 H St. NW, Suite 850
Washington DC 20005
(202) 661-7581; Fax: 202-661-7599
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
777 North Capitol St., NE, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 962-3760; FAX (202) 962-3201
National Capital Planning Commission
401 9th Street, NW
North Lobby, Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20576
(202) 482-7200
Email: info@ncpc.gov
National Park Service
National Capital Parks-East
1900 Anacostia Drive, SE
Washington, DC 20020
National Park Service
National Capital Parks-West
Bob Ford,
Chief Resource Management Div.
(202) 426-6834
Washington Area Bicyclist Association
733-15th Street, NW Suite 1030
Washington, DC 20005
Ellen Jones, Allan Muchnik
(202) 628-2500
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