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The Metropolitan Branch Trail (MetBranch) will extend along or near the CSX/WMATA corridor for over 8 miles from the Silver Spring Metro Station through Takoma Park and Catholic University to Union Station, in D.C. It will connect directly with the future Capital Crescent Trail in the new Silver Spring Transit Center, to form the main spine of the trail network in lower Montgomery County. The trail will be a "hybrid" trail, meaning it will be an off-road trail where park land or rail corridor r.o.w. is available, and will be a side-path trail or will use bike lanes along streets elsewhere.
This trail is a priority project of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. A WABA map of the proposed MetBranch alignment is available at the MetBranch Trail website sponsored by the District DOT, at www.metbranchtrail.com.
See a pictorial summary of a Nov. 1, 2003 bike tour of the proposed MetBranch alignment.
 January 22, 2006 The MetBranch Trail in Takoma Park. |
The Montgomery County Planning Board approved a facility plan for Montgomery County's segment of the MetBranch Trail in 2001 that calls for a first class trail continuous between the D.C. line and the Silver Spring Transit Center. See the CCT/MetBranch Facility Plan map MetBranch to D.C.
The City of Takoma Park has completed the section of the Metropolitan Branch Trail between the District Line and Montgomery College. It is a sidepath trail alongside Fenton Street and Takoma Avenue. A short section was first built with a temporary, water permeable stone-dust surface. That section was replaced with permanent asphalt in January 2006 after further evaluation indicated the trees in that area would not be significantly impacted.
 January 22, 2006 The MetBranch at Takoma Park College. |
Montgomery College has completed another section of the MetBranch Trail through its Takoma Campus as part of its college expansion project. The Trail was build as a sidepath trail alongside Fenton Street when the street was realigned. A pedestrian bridge has been built over the CSX tracks to connect the new Takoma College buildings on Georgia Avenue with the main campus. This bridge also provides access between the Trail and Jessup Blair Park and the neighborhoods west of the CSX tracks. The bridge opened on July 28, 2004.
These two adjacent trail sections complete an approx. 0.5 mile continous trail to the D.C. line. An approx. 0.7 mile trail section remains to be completed in Montgomery County.
 Source: April 24, 2006 WMATA Public Hearing information packet. The transit center as it will appear when looking north toward Colesville Road. The MetBranch Trail will be between the CSX tracks and MARC station platform (left) and the transit center bus bays. |
The next section of the MetBranch to be completed in Montgomery County will be a short temporary section at the new Silver Spring Transit Center. Transit Center design plans reserve space through the center between the CSX/Metro Rail tracks and the transit center bus bays for both the Purple Line and the MetBranch Trail. The MetBranch Trail will be built from the Metro entrance at Colesville Road to Bonifant Street as part of the transit center construction. If the Purple Line is built later, then the MetBranch will be rebuilt along the east side of the Purple Line tracks from the transit center south to either Bonifant Street or Silver Spring Avenue, depending upon which alternate alignment is chosen for the Purple Line. The Trail will be rebuilt at a higher level at the transit center so it can connect directly to the future Capital Crescent Trail, which will be entering the transit center from the north on a trail bridge over Colesville Road. Transit Center construction will begin in summer, 2008, and will last two years.
 Source: Feb. 21, 2008 Council Staff memo to T&E Committee The unfinished part of the MetBranch Trail in Silver Spring. |
It is the responsibility of Montgomery County DPWT to build the approx. 0.7 miles of the Metropolitan Branch Trail between the Silver Spring Transit Center and Montgomery College. DPWT began Phase I concept design in May, 2004. DPWT presented concept options to the Montgomery County Planning Board and to the County Council T&E Committee in 2006. DPWT recommended that the lowest cost "Option 5" be built which would have been indirect, would use the existing 5' wide sidewalk on the CSX bridge over Georgia Avenue, and would cross East-West Highway at-grade. The Planning Board and the Council T&E Committee both approved the "Option 1" design that holds most closely to the approved 2001 M-NCPPC CCT/MetBranch Trail Facility Plan - along the CSX corridor with a new trail bridge over Georgia Avenue and a trail tunnel under Burlington Avenue (East-West Highway). The trail project transitioned to DPWT Phase II preliminary design in June 2006.
In February 2008 DPWT recommended to the Council T&E Committee that the MetBranch Trail design project be removed from the next Capital Budget. DPWT gave two reasons for their recommendation: 1) Concurrence is needed from several agencies before the project can proceed, most notably CSX, and 2) The cost of the project construction, estimated at about 23M$, is too high for a construction start in tight budget years. The T&E Committee accepted the recommendation, with the understanding that the project could be considered for construction funding as an ammendment to the Capital Budget after all of the needed concurrences were obtained. This project is now on indefinite hold.
 The MetBranch Trail will have a new trail bridge over Georgia Avenue, near the CSX bridge shown here. |
Putting the MetBranch on indefinite hold while waiting for CSX concurrence may be unnecessary. The Planning Board has already recommended the project be built in phases to address the cost issue: Phase 1 - From the new Silver Spring Transit Center to Georgia Avenue; Phase 2 - Across Georgia Avenue on the new trail bridge; Phase 3 - From Georgia Avenue to Montgomery College. Phase 3 is the most expensive to complete. Phase 3 also may be the only Phase that needs CSX concurrence. This begs the question "Why not continue work on Phase 1 and Phase 2 to complete an important part of the MetBranch Trail now?" An interim trail route on Philadelphia Avenue can be used until Phase 3 is completed.
Completing Phases 1 and 2 would provide an important pedestrian and cyclist connection into the new transit center from East Silver Spring neighborhoods and from Montgomery College. The Phase 3 tunnel may be delayed for many years until CSX concurrence is received and also until the Burlington Avenue Bridge over CSX comes due to be rebuilt, to minimize the closure of East-West Highway.
Trail advocates should press the County Council and County Executive to phase the construction of the MetBranch Trail. This is our best hope of bringing the project back to life in Montgomery County.
 November 20, 2004 The trail at the New York Avenue Metro station has remained closed since the station opening day because connectors are not finished. |
The District of Columbia is building the 7 miles of the Metropolitan Branch Trail within D.C. Parts of the Trail have already been built or are under construction. A one-mile section of the Trail has been completed along McCormick Avenue at Catholic University. Another short trail section has been built at the southern terminus of the MetBranch, along First Avenue at Union Station.
A crucial 2000 foot section of the Metropolitan Branch Trail was built with the New York Avenue Metro Station. The Metro Station opened in November, 2004. But the short connectors at both ends of the trail section to the neighborhood streets were not complete in 2004, and remain unfinished. This section of the trail, when connected, will give safe pedestrian access to transit from surrounding neighborhoods and a trail route that avoids the very hazardous New York Avenue/Florida Avenue intersections.
 source: June 2004 DDOT MetBranch Presentation The Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station. |
In May, 2007 the DDOT issued a call for proposals to build the section of the MetBranch Trail between the New York Avenue Metro Station and Franklin Street. This section of the trail passes by the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station. In March 2008 DDOT had selected a contractor, and expected the work would be completed by July 2009.
An interesting feature in the trail concept is the multi-level bridge that has been proposed over the CSX tracks at the Rhode Island Metro station to connect the Trail to the station. Washcycle reported in March, 2008 that the bridge design has begun.
 Concept sketch of the Metropolitan Branch Trail in D.C. |
Construction of this New York Avenue to Franklin Street Section, together with work underway to complete the trail linkages at the south end of the New York Avenue Station, will combine with already completed sections at Catholic University and at Union Station to complete the southern half of the MetBranch Trail in D.C. This will be approx. 3.5 miles of continuous trail.
The D.C. Department of Public Works (DDOT) is completing alignment studies and beginning acquisition of right-of-way for the rest of the trail. A Public Workshop was held in Takoma Park in March 2004 to evaluate two alternate alignment concepts through Takoma Park from the D.C. line south to Kansas Avenue. In June 2004 DDOT held several community meetings to discuss designs for the Trail in neighborhoods further south near Fort Totten. The final concept plans for these remaining sections are being developed. More information on trail plans in D.C. and on the plans presented at the public meetings is available on the DDOT Metropolitan Branch Trail website, at www.metbranchtrail.com.