The Bicycle and Trails Advisory Group (BTAG) is an official body that falls under the Maryland-National Capital Parks & Planning Commission's Planning Department, and is directed by Fred Shaffer. Here are the official minutes from the quarterly meeting held July 17th at Hyattsville City Hall. There is a section of the minutes on the Trolley Line Hiker Biker Trail, including the Riverdale Park portion.



Prince George’s County Bicycle and Trails Advisory Group (BTAG)/Hyattsville Bike and Pedestrian Safety Committee Joint Meeting/BTAG Quarterly Meeting

Tuesday, July 17, 2007, 7:00 – 9:00 PM

Introductions:

The joint meeting of BTAG and Hyattsville Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee was held at 7:00 PM at Hyattsville City Hall on Tuesday, July 17th. The meeting began with brief introductions. The following individuals were signed in on the attendance sheet:

Fred Shaffer, M-NCPPC Planning Department, (301) 952-3661, fred.shaffer@ppd.mncppc.org
Anne Villacres, Hyattsville/TFK PG, Annelbv@yahoo.com
Bill Gardiner, Mayor, City of Hyattsville, bgardiner@hyattsville.org
Vic Weissberg, Prince George’s County DPW&T, (301) 883-5600, vweissberg@co.pg.md.us
Erv Beckert, Prince George’s County DPW&T, (301) 883-5714, etbeckert@co.pg.md.us
Roderick Owens, Waterside HOA, (301) 749-8858, rcowens@comcast.net
Michael Jackson, Maryland DOT, (410) 865-1237, mjackson3@mdot.state.md.us
Karen Jennings-Crooms, (301) 887-0777, karencrooms@atha.com
Bill Kelly, College Park Area Bicycle Coalition, (410) 480-1909, www.cpabc.org, ws.kelly@att.net
Chris Pooley, (301) 699-0395, chris.pooley@verizon.net
Martha Tomecek, (301) 614-0691, marthatomecek@yahoo.com
Michel Cavigelli, (301) 614-0691, michel.cavigelli@ars.usda.gov
Mary Angevine, Trail Riders of Today, (301) 937-0014
Morris Warren, (301) 459-7090, morriswarren@erols.com
Jane Hudnall, Oxon Hill Bicycle Trail Club, (301) 567-0089, jane.hudnall@comcast.net
Jim Hudnall, Oxon Hill Bicycle Trail Club, (301) 567-0089, jim@ohbike.org
Frank Stevens, City of Bowie, (301) 809-3053, fstevens@cityofbowie.org
Hugh McElrath, Hyattsville, (301) 864-3431, mcelrah@verizon.net
Rob Oppenheim, Riverdale Park, (301) 779-1745, Oppenheim@email.com
Dwight Holmes, Riverdale Park, (301) 233-9806, Dwight-holmes@gmail.com
David Steiner, Riverdale Park, (301) 779-4248, steiner814@aol.com
Brian McGibbon, Glenn Dale, (703) 597-6918, admcgibbon@yahoo.com
Cheryl Cort, Coalition for Smarter Growth, (202) 244-4408, ext. 112, Cheryl@smartergrowth.net
Heather Olsen, Hyattsville Bike/Ped Safety Committee, (301) 864-6248, hlolsen@yahoo.com
Bob Harper, Hyattsville Bike/Ped Safety Committee, (301) 779-0256, rharper@umd.edu
Eileen Nivera, M-NCPPC Department of Parks and Recreation, (301) 699-2522, Eileen.nivera@pgparks.com
Barbara Klieforth, HBU/WABA, (202) 669-7562, beeklee@gmail.com

Purpose of a Joint Meeting

The meeting served as both the Quarterly Meeting of the Prince George’s County Bicycle and Trails Advisory Group, and as a meeting of the Hyattsville Bike and Pedestrian Safety Committee. The joint meeting between the two groups was intended to focus on trail and pedestrian issues in the Hyattsville area, highlight the recent work Hyattsville has done recently regarding trails and pedestrian safety, and to develop a collaborative relationship between the two groups. Fred Shaffer explained some of the recent work the City has done regarding pedestrian safety and a bike-to-work day pit stop. Hyattsville held its first pit stop during the May 19, 2007 regional bike-to-work day event and had over 70 participants and two bicycle commuter convoys. It is hoped that BTAG and Hyattsville will be able to submit a Safe Routes to School grant application to implement some of the needed sidewalk and pedestrian safety improvement, as well as work together to develop a mountain bike skills park in Hyattsville.

South CountyMaster Plan Listening Sessions (Trail Issues)

M-NCPPC is initiating master plans for both Subregion V and Subregion VI, which cover much of southern Prince George’s County. Prior to the official initiation of these plans, M-NCPPC staff is initiating “listening sessions” with members of the community to get early citizen input, develop an idea of the issues important to the community, and develop ideas for the goals, concepts and guidelines that will direct the planning effort. The trails session will be held on Friday, July 20th at 10 AM in the M-NCPPC Jane Jacobs Conference Room in Upper Marlboro. Issues to be discussed include the identification of potential trail corridors, the preservation of existing trails, and the development of new trail cross sections accommodating all trail users on M-NCPPC trails.

Pedestrian Safety Needs in Hyattsville

Fred Shaffer noted the excellent, ongoing work of the Hyattsville Bike and Pedestrian Safety Committee in identifying sidewalk retrofit opportunities, necessary safety improvements, and developing a plan for making the community more walkable. The safety committee has made formal recommendations for improving pedestrian safety, is developing a plan for certifying Hyattsville as a “Bike Friendly Community”, and has organized volunteer activities related to bicycles and pedestrian access. The committee successfully organized the City’s first Bike-to-Work day event this past spring, attended the Bike Symposium in Annapolis, and has been researching grant and funding source opportunities.

The group’s work on pedestrian safety improvements has focused on problem intersections, major pedestrian routes, and major bike routes. Copies were provided of the committee’s April 16, 2007 PowerPoint presentation that highlights the major needs identified and major recommendations. Recommendations include, but are not limited to:

• Additional “yield to pedestrian” signage at Queens Chapel and Belcrest Road
• Striping for new crosswalks at Queens Chapel and Belcrest Road
• Close gaps in the sidewalk network (examples included 38th Avenue and MD 410)
• Proposes that major routes have six-foot wide sidewalks
• Fix/add street lighting along Jamestown Road
• Designate the Northwest Branch Trail as a commuter route and light the trail at night
• Continue efforts to implement the Trolley Trail
• Stripe bike lanes along Queens Chapel Road, East-West Highway, Adelphi Road, Hamilton Street, and Ager Road.

Fred Shaffer and Eileen Nivera noted that M-NCPPC has been meeting with Councilman Campos and other members of the community on the issue of trail lighting and public safety along the trail. DPR currently operates recreational trails, and opening a trail for 24-hour “transportation” uses may exceed their current mission and resources. Major obstacles to be resolved include:

• Funding for light installation
• Continued funding for light maintenance. Maintenance of the lights will be a continual need as current lighting along the trail north of Chillum Road is constantly vandalized and destroyed.
• Staffing for additional police patrols of the corridor after dark.

Ms. Nivera noted that several of these issues may not be resolved without cooperative use agreements and partnerships with the surrounding municipalities, police departments, and transportation agencies.

Fred Shaffer also noted that he had just received information from the State Highway Administration regarding their Safe Routes to Schools Program and that some of the proposals included in the report may be eligible for funding through a state grant as part of improving pedestrian access and safety to local schools. He will be following up on this issue with both the City of Hyattsville and SHA.

Master Plan of Transportation (Re-initiation)

A subcommittee of the Bicycle and Trails Advisory Group (BTAG) worked extensively in 2003 and 2004 to develop a draft Countywide Trails plan. BTAG efforts involved developing suitable trail categories, identifying appropriate trail corridors, refining and updating trail networks proposed in area master plans, and developing a Countywide trails map. BTAG also worked to develop a technical bulletin summarizing current standards, guidelines and “best practices” for the provision of trail, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities. This work was intended to be used as the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Equestrian Element of the Master Plan of Transportation. Due to a variety of scheduling conflicts and the necessity to spend additional time developing the transportation model, the Master Plan of Transportation has been postponed for the last several years. However, the project will be re-initiated this fall.

This will give BTAG, the community, and other stakeholders the opportunity to continue to refine the countywide trail network and to develop proposals that will guide trail development and design comprehensively for the entire county. It is anticipated that the project will be reinitiated this fall, with public workshops and work group meetings to follow. BTAG will have an important role to play in insuring that the draft trail network is developed comprehensively for the County, provides countywide connections, and meets the needs of individual communities with neighborhood trail connections, safe routes to schools, and connections to the regional trail system.

Staff also anticipates that the plan will include revised trail cross sections to better accommodate all trail users, and to reconcile conflicts and contradictions between the cross sections included in prior master plans and the current Park and Recreation Design Guidelines. It will also be necessary to evaluate how to provide stream valley trails in the most environmentally-sensitive manner possible, while complying with current guidelines and regulations and accommodating all trail users. Such discussions may involve identifying what trail corridors are suitable for paved trails, what corridors are best implemented as natural surface trails, and what stream valleys should be avoided due to sensitive or endangered environmental features. It may be desirable to develop a trail cross section significantly narrower than the 35-foot wide (or wider) cross section shown in current master plans.

Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail

Fred Shaffer summarized some of the recent work done on the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail by College Park and Hyattsville. Much of the trail has been completed within College Park. Relatedly, Hyattsville has worked with the applicant of the EYA development for the provision of a major segment of the trail within Hyattsville. EYA approvals require the provision of the trail, providing that all of the trail corridor can be acquired. Discussions with the applicant and an attorney for the City of Hyattsville indicate that this acquisition is likely to occur.

Fred Shaffer also noted that M-NCPPC has funding in FY 2009 for a consultant study of the trolley trail within the City of Riverdale Park. First steps for this study will be to develop a scope of work for the study. This scope of work will be developed with the City of Riverdale Park will probably include information on right-of-way acquisition, environmental constraints, and possible preliminary design options.

Also discussed was the existing at-grade crossing along the Trolley Trail at Paint Branch Parkway. Discussions are underway with Councilman Olson’s office concerning safety improvements at this crossing, and different alternatives will have to be evaluated. Suggested improvements include enhanced signage, a pedestrian signal, or grade separated options. Routing trail users to the existing pedestrian crossing at US 1 appears to not be practical because of the length of the detour required.

BTAG letter to National Harbor

At the April quarterly meeting, BTAG voted in favor of writing a letter to the Peterson Corporation in favor of trail or pedestrian access to National Harbor from the residential community to the south. Fred Shaffer noted that this letter had not been completed yet, and that there remained some questions and issues that needed to be resolved with regards to how this connection is implemented. M-NCPPC is still attempting to determine what is feasible regarding the connection into National Harbor, what the viability of the existing Waterside trail easement is, and how to best connect into the planned National Harbor pedestrian and trail network. A recent field visit by representatives of several agencies attempted to evaluate the viability of the easement, determine the extent of building within the easement, and to begin to develop strategies for dealing with the issue.

Roderick Owens reiterated the opposition of the Waterside HOA to the use of the trail easement. He also expressed concern that the Waterside community was not involved in the field visit to the easement, and stated that the Waterside community should be involved in all future discussions as they are most directly impacted by any trail proposals. Fred Shaffer agreed that Waterside should have been contacted regarding the easement walk, and added that the Chairman of the Planning Board has stressed the importance of working with all stakeholders and members of the community. Mr. Shaffer added that if the Board is going make a decision regarding the use or disposal of the easement, that it is necessary for them to have a full understanding of existing conditions and constraints on the site as it was developed.

Mr. Owens also expressed the opposition of the Waterside HOA to any connection to National Harbor from the south, stating that the original approvals of National Harbor prohibited access to the south. Mr. Hudnall noted that due to land use changes on the National Harbor site (including the addition of residential), it may be necessary to reexamine the appropriateness of a pedestrian connection to provide access from the surrounding community. He also added that Councilman Dernoga has expressed the need to address this issue and that pedestrian access may be appropriate due to the change in land use.

With regards to the BTAG letter to National Harbor, Mr. Hudnall stressed that BTAG is in favor of a pedestrian connection to National Harbor, but is not advocating a particular location or alignment. Possible alternatives to the trail easement include utilizing Waterside Court (and accessing National Harbor through the National Park Service property) and Cagle Place, which currently stubs into the National Harbor site near the planned road network. Fred Shaffer agreed that keeping the letter general, without recommending specific alignments is the best way to proceed in recognition of BTAG’s previously approved position while acknowledging that continued discussions are necessary. The M-NCPPC Department of Parks and Recreation will evaluate the feasibility of the wetland crossing between Fort Foote National Park and Waterside.

Mr. Shaffer concluded by thanking those in attendance for keeping the dialogue open and civil on this contentious and heated issue, and reiterated the Planning Board’s goal of reaching a conclusion\compromise that works well for all in the community. Such a compromise should provide pedestrian or trail access to National Harbor while respecting the property rights and security concerns of homeowners. Additional meetings and discussions will be necessary once the feasibility of various alternatives has been explored.

Paint Branch Trail Extension

Fred Shaffer began this item by summarizing the importance of the Paint Branch Trail extension. Not only will this trail link IKEA and the Summit at North College Park with the Paint Branch Trail with the University of Maryland, but it will also connect the Paint Branch Trail with the Little Paint Branch Trail north of Sellman Road. The trail will also provide another segment of the Bladensburg to Laurel Trail connection envisioned in the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area Functional Master Plan.

The M-NCPPC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has been working with the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) regarding the feasibility of this trail and possible alignments. Currently at issue is whether the trail will follow the stream within the utility right-of-way, or be aligned around the edge of the site along Cherry Hill Road. BARC has security concerns regarding a trail through the center of the property. It was noted DPR could fence the trail corridor just as they did through BARC property inside the Beltway. DPR also has concerns that trail not be placed in an area subject to erosion and frequent flooding, such as some segments of the Henson Creek Trail currently are.

Several members of the BARC bicycling community were present and have been working with the administration of BARC and DPR regarding the provision of this trail connection. To serve as a viable transportation connection, the trail should be parallel to or as near as possible to the stream valley corridor. Only along this alignment will direct trail access be provided from IKEA and the Summit at North College Park to the University of Maryland. The alignment along Cherry Hill Road would be a substantial detour and could discourage residents at the Summit at North College Park from commuting by bicycle along the trail. At the same time, security concerns need to be addressed to the satisfaction of BARC administration before an easement for the trail can be acquired.

Bill Kelly made a motion that BTAG write a letter to BARC in support of the trail connection along the stream valley alignment. This motion passed, and Fred Shaffer will send a letter on behalf of BTAG in support of the trail connection along this alignment.

Possible MountainBikeSkillsPark

Fred Shaffer noted that there has been interest expressed in Hyattsville for the development of a possible mountain bike skills park. He added that there are several successful urban models for skills parks that provide trail opportunities on small, relatively constrained sites. A handout was provided showing the successful Colonnade Mountain Bike Park in Seattle, Washington. This park utilizes a formerly vacant 2 acre parcel under I-5 near downtown Seattle. This park includes numerous technical features for a variety of skill levels. The park provides over 1.5 miles of trails on the small, urban site. The unused land under the interstate was previously full of trash, weeds, and attracted illegal activity. By cleaning, improving, and maintaining the area, the mountain bike park has gained the support of local residents and homeowners.

Anne Villacres added that mountain bike parks can provide young and inexperienced cyclists with safe areas for improving the skills and habits necessary to ride a bicycle successfully on-road. Fred Shaffer added that mountain bikes are a rapidly increasing segment of the trail community in Prince George’s County, and that a skills park may be appropriate to address the growing demand for these types of trails. Also, the recent Professional Trailbuilders Association Conference provided multiple examples of the different types of mountain bike trails and parks that can be successful. The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) has published an excellent manual with case studies and current best practices called Managing Mountain Biking: IMBA’s Guide to Providing Great Riding. This great resource provides information on trail design and construction, minimizing environmental impacts and user conflicts, safety and risk management, and providing challenging trails. It also provides a large number of successful case studies from across the Country.

Eileen Nivera noted the ongoing work with MORE and IMBA on mountain bike trails in Fairland Regional Park and Cosca Regional Park. She added that discussions regarding a skills park in Hyattsville should address the following questions:

• Will the park be on M-NCPPC or City of Hyattsville land?
• How will the trail be funded? Options include the M-NCPPC CIP or a grant application.
• How will the trails be designed? This work may involve working with IMBA Trail Solutions.

Meeting with Lyn Coleman of Montgomery County to discuss the development of Mountain Bike Parks may be the next step in determining how these types of facilities are addressed in Hyattsville and Prince George’s County. Fred Shaffer noted that it will be valuable to see what Montgomery County is proposing and to discuss possible case studies that may work in our area.

Next BTAG Quarterly Meeting:

Friday, October 12th, 8:30 AM Location to be determined