Save The Trail Petition

Testimony before the

COG Transportation Planning Board

May 20, 2009

Christopher Maines, Silver Spring, MD

I frequently use the Capital Crescent Trail as both a walker and a cyclist. It's a very pleasant walk of about an hour to downtown Bethesda from my house in Forest Glen Park and a regular weekend activity. 

I also cycle on the trail as my primary exercise route and for quick shopping trips to Bethesda, which is actually faster than driving.

When I realized how much the Purple Line Rail threatens its existence, I started noticing the number of people who use it as I do. Many walkers and cyclists are carrying not just water bottles and trail snacks, but backpacks, briefcases, and grocery bags. I'm still amazed at the number of people I see on it regardless of the time of day.

I'm a casual user of the Rock Creek Trail between Lake Needwood and the DC line, and I've never seen the density of people anywhere along it, including the section near my house, that I do on the Capital Crescent Trail.

The trail draws people from all over the community. I've lived in Montgomery County for eighteen years and have many friends and colleagues from all over the MD/DC/VA region. Since I started using the trail regularly in July, I've seen many of them more regularly there than I have anywhere else. I run into someone I know every other week at least.

The sense of community and the obvious health benefits from being a frequent trail user will disappear completely if the Purple Line route uses the trail. Since so many trees will be cut down and the trail will be so close to the light rail, people will no longer want to take an afternoon stroll on a shadeless, barren path next to a noisy transit way. It might still be useable as a commuter cycling route, but only if it remains as wide as it is now and without stairs or rail crossings.

As much of the current trail is along very narrow and very high earth berms, I cannot imagine that both a trail and a light rail can use the existing trail bed alone. Consequently, I fear the trail will either become extremely narrow or sacrificed altogether in places where it would be prohibitively expensive or impossible to construct wider berms.