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Trail Voices: Megan Odett

2011-06-21T14:00:00Z

By Megan Odett

Before I had a kid, I used to be a cyclist of the "strong and fearless" variety. No road was too busy and no bike lane too narrow to stop me from getting to my destination by the most direct route. After I had my son Alex, though, it was as if I had become a newbie all over again. Suddenly I was hyperaware of every vehicle, every pothole, every pedestrian and every hazard on the road. I began to prioritize traffic calmness much more in choosing my routes.

Around the same time, I discovered the Metropolitan Branch Trail.

A little miracle in the heart of Washington, D.C., the Met Branch Trail enables Alex and me to bike from our Bloomingdale home to some of our favorite destinations while avoiding some of the city's most dangerous roads. From our house, it's an easy four-block ride to the trail's R Street access point. From there, we can head south to NoMa and Near Northeast, skipping the twin nightmares of New York and Florida avenues. Or we can pedal north to Brookland, gliding over the commuter artery of Rhode Island Avenue.

The Met Branch is a huge help during our several-times-a-week commute to daycare. For those trips, we bike north on the trail to Brookland, then zigzag on side streets over the Maryland border to Hyattsville. The trail helps us bypass the commuter traffic of Rhode Island Avenue and converts the exhausting ups-and-downs of Edgewood into a persistent but manageable uphill climb.

My favorite part of our daycare commute is the trip home, when the sweat from the morning's uphill climb pays off in a long downhill run and we fly past the trees and the railroad tracks, with the Capitol dome ahead of us and Alex waving his hands in the air to feel the wind.

The Met Branch is still a work in progress. The District Department of Transportation and numerous other partners are still working to complete the trail from Union Station to Silver Spring, Md. Even before the rest of the trail is completed, there are projects that will improve the trail's connection with neighborhoods and transit stops.

Since we live in Bloomingdale, we use the R Street NE entrance in Eckington to access the trail. For us and many others, R Street is not only a gateway to the Met Branch Trail, it's an important cross-town street for cyclists, stretching nearly three miles from the Met Branch Trail in Eckington to Rock Creek Park.

The only problem is that R Street is one-way for a single block in Eckington. In order to avoid illegally bicycling against traffic on our return trips, I hop up on the curb for that one block. Although a legal maneuver outside of downtown D.C., it's not the best solution. The sidewalk is narrow and residents store their trash cans there. I'm always worried that I'm going to run into a fellow sidewalk user or knock over someone's trash can--especially on days when we're using our bike trailer.

For that reason, I've been following the recent debate over proposed changes to R Street with interest. I support the proposed addition of a contraflow bike lane to the one-way block and sharrows to the rest of R Street NE from North Capitol Street to the trail entrance. It will make this section of R Street safer for cyclists, drivers and pedestrians by slowing down traffic in this residential neighborhood--without eliminating any on-street parking spaces.

This connection may face debate and delay, but it is critical to making our neighborhoods better places to walk and bike--not to mention raise a family. The Met Branch Trail has made it easier and even more fun to bike around town with my son. I'm so grateful to have this resource, and I look forward to many more miles on the trail with him.

Megan Odett is the organizer of Kidical Mass DC, which promotes safe, fun family biking in the Greater Washington area.

Crossposted at Kidical Mass DC.

RTC Partners with Guardian Angels for Trail Patrol Program

2011-06-17T12:21:00Z

The recently opened Met Branch Trail connecting downtown Washington, D.C., with neighborhoods to the north is a great example of how urban rail-trails serve a wide variety of needs--from everyday commuters to casual runners and the people and businesses in communities along the trail.

But one of the realities of life in a big city is the threat of crime and assault, particularly after dark. Trail users returning home of an evening are often a target.

Having been one of the key proponents of the construction of the Met Branch Trail, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) understands that building the trail is only half of the mission. The other half is to make sure the trail is well-used and well-loved, and that nearby residents become stewards of the pathway. That includes things like landscaping along the corridor to create places for rest and relaxation, and helping local school students build a natural connection to the trail.

It also includes making the route safe.

Following a number of troubling incidents on the Met Branch Trail in recent weeks, the challenge of reducing the threat of assault and robbery has received increased attention.

That's why RTC is partnering with a national volunteer patrol agency, the Guardian Angels, to see what can be done about making the Met Branch Trail a place where all people feel secure.

Last week, members of RTC's trail development staff met with a group of Guardian Angels, including one who often walks the Met Branch Trail on his way to the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station, where he connects to patrols throughout the Metro system.

The plan is to build a closely connected network of trail security volunteers from neighborhood groups, trail users and residents in the area. Given that many of these volunteers probably won't have the burly presence of your average Angel, safety patrols will be made up of four or five volunteers, who will walk or bike sections of the trail together.

It will not be the role of the volunteer patrols to directly confront troublemakers or act like citizen police in foiling crime. The idea instead is that one of the biggest deterrents to threatening behavior on the trail is a regular presence of groups of people.

The hope is that these small volunteer patrols will be the kernel that develops into a strong sense of community ownership along some of the trail's less traveled and isolated spots.

Interested? Join RTC, the Metropolitan Police Department and the Guardian Angels at a public safety open house between 4 and 7 p.m., June 22, at the S Street Pocket Park on the corner of S and 4th streets NE to discuss the formation of regular community patrols, and sign up today to join the trail patrol.

Also, at the urging of one local rider, there is now also a "Bike Buddies" sign-up sheet, where trail users can connect with others who will be on the trail at the same time. Information about the volunteer security patrols, and the Bike Buddies system, can be found by joining the Met Branch Trail listserv.

For more information, contact Stephen Miller at 202.974.5123, or e-mail stephen@railstotrails.org.

Photos: Cyclists on the Met Branch Trail north of the New York Avenue Metro station; community members gather for the "Meet the Met" celebration in 2010, by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Pop-Up Bike Shop Energizes Blue Island, Ill.

2011-06-15T17:33:00Z

It is always great when Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) can be involved in a project that goes way beyond building trails.

So we were very proud to be a part of the very cool Cal-Sag Cycles Pop-Up Bike Shop in Blue Island, Ill., earlier this month.

It was truly a community-wide effort that brought together youth advocates, Friends of the Calumet-Sag Trail, the Active Transportation Alliance, a local bike shop and other businesses, a temporary art space, and a bunch of great community energy and goodwill.

On June 11, 15 at-risk teenagers and their adult mentors opened a temporary ("Pop-Up") bike repair shop in a vacant building in a section of Blue Island that had fallen on hard times. The Pop-Up Bike Shop was housed in the same building as a Pop-Up Art Gallery, the latest in a creative effort to bring life back to Blue Island's historical central business district.

Under the expert instruction of staff from the local bike store, West Town Bikes, the kids learned the nuts and bolts of basic bike maintenance. Then, on June 11, they opened a one-day only, free-to-the-public bike garage, putting their newly acquired skills to work and helping local cyclists keep their machines running smoothly.

The teen bike mechanics serviced 90 bikes in just four hours. But RTC has a little more work for them to do. This week, a shipment of brand-new bikes from our friends at Fuji Bikes will arrive in Blue Island, awaiting assembly. Once each young mechanic has put together a bike, it is theirs to keep, courtesy of RTC's Metropolitan Grants Program, funded by the the Coca-Cola Foundation. The teens will also receive a helmet, lock and light at the culmination of this exceptional program to encourage young people to tap into their pedal power, take advantage of their local rail-trail, and provide another bright spark of creativity, commerce and collaboration in their hometown.

Better yet, the blueprint has now been created to allow the program to be recreated anywhere in the region.

Congratulations to everyone who made it happen!

Photos courtesy of Cal-Sag Cycles.

Newburyport Celebrates Rail-Trail's First Year

2011-05-31T14:29:00Z

The Clipper City Rail Trail in Newburyport, Mass., was almost 40 years in the making.

The idea of a rail-trail through the downtown area of this historical seaport on the mouth of the Merrimack River had been talked about since the railroad corridor there became inactive in the 1970s.

But in the last decade, the city made the development of a rail-trail a priority in its strategic and recreational planning, and today the Clipper City Rail Trail, opened in May 2010, is a spectacular asset, popular among locals and tourists alike.

So a few weekends ago, the people of Newburyport showed their appreciation for the trail by marking its first birthday with a community celebration, complete with a birthday cake designed by 8-year-old local resident Maddy Vining (pictured below with contest judges Bill Steelman and Mayor of Newburyport Donna Holaday).

A 1.1-mile multi-use pathway connecting a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail station with the downtown shoreline of the Merrimack River, the rail-trail provides a vital connection to many local businesses, as well as forming an ideal pathway for visitors to explore the picturesque area on foot.

Recognizing the importance of the trail to commerce and recreation along the riverfront, more than 2,000 people came out to enjoy the birthday party, which featured a kids cake decorating competition, free cake samples, a raffle for cakes made by local professional bakers, trailside food vendors, roving musicians, planting and mulching with the Green Artist League, kayak rides on the Merrimack River, and free bike helmets courtesy of the Newburyport Police Department.

The Clipper City Rail Trail features an impressive display of public art installations, a riverside boardwalk made of tropical hardwood, and a number of stairway and spur trail connections to local bakeries, coffee shops and restaurants. Two public schools located nearby, the River Valley Charter School and the Molin School, regularly use the trail for students and teachers to walk to downtown, the harbor, parks and other destinations.

Learn more about this wonderful recreational and commercial resource in downtown Newburyport!

Photos courtesy of Geordie Vining/City of Newburyport.

Smith College Students Chip in on Local Rail-Trails

2011-06-08T13:41:00Z

Across America, college campuses are often hubs of bicycling activity. Students and staff regularly depend on the local municipality having decent bike lanes and safe places to ride--indeed, the "bike-friendliness" of the college's city or town can sometimes be a selling point for prospective undergraduates.

But rather than just rely on their local trails, the students at Smith College in Northampton, Mass., have taken a proactive interest in their maintenance and development.

The college was recently heralded for its involvement with the Northampton rail-trail network, work that included funding new crosswalks and bike lanes, producing trail maps and studying future expansion possibilities for these crucial commuter and recreational pathways.

Students and staff worked with local authorities on the creation of bike paths on the main roads by campus, which dovetail with the rail-trails that been opened throughout Northampton in the last few years.

A number of students also used internships with the Office of Planning and Development to promote bikeability around campus; one student helped coordinate trail ribbon-cutting events, another studied how many people are within easy walking distance of the new trails, and a third developed an application for national trail status.

Smith College students also run their own Bike Kitchen, pictured at right, which offers bicycle repair and maintenance workshops, and provides refurbished bikes for students who can't afford their own.

As a result of its tremendous work, Smith College was awarded the 2011 Trail Neighbor Award by the Friends of Northampton Trails and Greenways (FNTG), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the development of local trails and greenways.

The Bike Kitchen, and the students' support of their local rail-trails, are great examples of how colleges can encourage biking around their campuses, providing students and staff with better transportation options and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Congratulations to Smith College, and keep up the good work!

Photo courtesy of Judith W. Roberge/Smith College.

.@folcnola isn't the only rail-trail greenway project in New Orleans! Look at plans for the Hollygrove Greenline: http://j.mp/lz9YkD #upath

2011-06-06T14:28:09Z

.@folcnola isn't the only rail-trail greenway project in New Orleans! Look at plans for the Hollygrove Greenline: http://j.mp/lz9YkD #upath

Tornado Damages Connecticut River Walk in Springfield, Mass.

2011-06-03T15:08:00Z

A few weeks ago, we reported on tornado damage to the Virginia Creeper Trail in southwest Virginia. Now, at the end of last week, we received news that a tornado directly hit the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway in Springfield, Mass.

Jeffrey McCollough of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission snapped a few photos on Thursday, June 9. He says trees were down across the stretch of trail between Memorial Bridge and LA Fitness, including Riverfront Park. Other sections of the River Walk were impassable because of electric wires down on the corridor.

Check with the Springfield Department of Parks & Recreation for updates on trail clean-up and conditions.

Photos of tornado damage on the Springfield River Walk by Jeffrey McCollough/Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

Bicycling is for Everyone: Parallels Between Developing Countries and Low-Income Cyclists of Color in the US: http://bit.ly/j5sULE #upath

2011-06-01T12:10:50Z

Bicycling is for Everyone: Parallels Between Developing Countries and Low-Income Cyclists of Color in the US: http://bit.ly/j5sULE #upath

New Rail-Trail in Delaware a Key to Transportation Future

2011-05-31T17:21:00Z

In a speech to mark National Bike to Work Day on May 2, Cleon Cauley, Sr., the acting secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), said cycling and trails were vital to the future of mobility.

Cauley's words were music to the ears of cycling and sustainable transportation advocates in Delaware, many of whom attended the Bike to Work Day launch at the University of Delaware's Newark Campus. The event was organized by the Newark Bicycle Committee, a partnership of cyclists and agencies working to improve options for bicycling in one of the state's most populous cities.

"DelDOT is committed to continuing our efforts to make Delaware more bicycle friendly," Cauley said. "In the coming years, our transportation needs will change. As fuel prices continue to rise, more people will park their cars. They will walk, ride their bikes or ride a bus. We have already seen dramatic increases in the past two years. To ignore this trend is to do a great disservice to the people of Delaware."

Delaware, like many American states, is struggling to provide adequate, safe bike lanes and facilities for the burgeoning fleet of residents who choose cycling as a regular form of transportation. According to Cauley, there were 158 car/bicycle accidents in Delaware in 2010, 96 percent of which resulted in injury. More than a fifth of those accidents involved children younger than 15.

"Like most of you, I find those numbers unacceptable," Cauley said. "We must provide better facilities for bikes, and we must have fewer people getting killed."

Part of Newark's plan to accommodate more walking and biking now includes a proposed rail-trail traversing the city from north to south. The Pomeroy Trail, a multi-use asphalt trail along the inactive Pomeroy Rail Line (out of use since 1939), is expected to open later this year, connecting White Clay Creek State Park and the existing James F. Hall Trail north of the city with residential areas and a transit hub to the south.

The Pomeroy Trail will be well-lit along its two-mile length and will feature three informational kiosks dedicated to aspects of the line's history.

"This is a very exciting week for us," said Newark Mayor Vance Funk. "For four years, we've been working on the Pomeroy Trail. The trail came about because Senator Thomas Carper gave us more than $5 million to build it. Finally this week, we're sending out the bid package. Hopefully, we will award the contract in late June, and we will finally see it built."

The state of Delaware has been praised in recent years for its concerted efforts to promote cycling and non-motorized transportation in urban areas. Cauley said much of this momentum was a direct result of political leadership.

"Many of the recent changes have come directly from Governor Jack Markell, who has made it very clear that Delaware must become more bike friendly," Cauley said. "He made this challenge to us not because he is a cyclist himself, but because he can see what we must do to prepare for the future."

A few weeks ago, in fact, both the Delaware House and Senate voted unanimously to direct the DelDOT to "create contiguous systems or networks of walkways and bikeways within and between cities and towns in Delaware in order to provide travelers with the opportunity for safe, convenient, cost-effective and healthy transportation via walking and bicycling."

For more information about other rail-trails in Delaware, visit RTC's free online trail-finder website, www.TrailLink.com.

Photos (top to bottom): James F. Hall Trail, which will connect to the Pomeroy Trail; Pomeroy Trail Bridge in White Clay Creek State Park, by Heather Dunigan.

.@DetroitGreenway reflects on lessons learned from our recent Urban Pathways Initiative #upath Summit in Cleveland http://bit.ly/kGBzIq

2011-05-29T23:14:17Z

.@DetroitGreenway reflects on lessons learned from our recent Urban Pathways Initiative #upath Summit in Cleveland http://bit.ly/kGBzIq

Thank you everyone for a great #upath summit in Cleveland! Look for video and a follow-up to stay connected soon!

2011-05-26T10:37:10Z

Thank you everyone for a great #upath summit in Cleveland! Look for video and a follow-up to stay connected soon!

Compton Rolls out for First-Ever BikeFest

2011-05-25T21:18:00Z

Last Saturday, May 21, 120 Compton, Calif., residents rolled out for the first-ever Compton BikeFest. In celebration of Bike Month this May, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) joined forces with the city of Compton Parks and Recreation Department and Hub City Teens to teach local riders about bike safety and the best ways to get around on two wheels in Compton.

Participants visited several stations featuring demonstrations on bike maintenance, how to ride safely on roads, footpaths and bike lanes, and even took slalom runs through a mini course set up in Gonzales Park just for the occasion. The majority of participants did not come with bikes, so they borrowed a friend's or took turns on donated bikes to spin through the course.

A few lucky locals who didn't have a set of wheels rode away with a brand-new bike of their own, thanks to RTC and our partners Kaiser Permanente and the LA County Sheriff's Department, with seven new bikes offered as raffle prizes at the end of the day.

For those bikes that needed a touch-up here and there, Watts Cyclery mechanics and Cyclists Inciting Change Thru Live Exchange (CICLE) helped out with some running repairs, teaching kids how to take care of their own bikes with some simple maintenance tips.

For more photos from Compton BikeFest, visit hubcityteens.com.

Photo of BikeFest by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

In Cleveland? Join our #upath partners @SlavicVillage for the 5K Morgana RUN! Check out reason #10: http://twitpic.com/525qo0

2011-05-25T02:44:12Z

In Cleveland? Join our #upath partners @SlavicVillage for the 5K Morgana RUN! Check out reason #10: http://twitpic.com/525qo0

Looking forward to it tomorrow! MT @DetroitGreenway Just prepared presentation for Urban Pathways Initiative Summit in Cleveland. #upath

2011-05-25T02:14:40Z

Looking forward to it tomorrow! MT @DetroitGreenway Just prepared presentation for Urban Pathways Initiative Summit in Cleveland. #upath

Good morning #upath attendees! Looking forward to seeing you at the Cleveland Public Library for some great discussions this morning!

2011-05-24T11:00:01Z

Good morning #upath attendees! Looking forward to seeing you at the Cleveland Public Library for some great discussions this morning!

Weekend #upath reading: @StreetsblogNYC highlights Hunter College report: bike infrastructure needs more focus on #equity http://j.mp/jnUASh

2011-05-22T00:34:39Z

Weekend #upath reading: @StreetsblogNYC highlights Hunter College report: bike infrastructure needs more focus on #equity http://j.mp/jnUASh

We're excited for the Urban Pathways Summit in Cleveland next week. Are you attending? Get the conversation started early using #upath!

2011-05-18T17:30:08Z

We're excited for the Urban Pathways Summit in Cleveland next week. Are you attending? Get the conversation started early using #upath!

Get the Conversation Started: RTC's Urban Pathways Initiative Summit

2011-05-18T14:16:00Z

Next week, more than 100 advocates of urban pathways, greenways and trails from cities across the nation--representing the nonprofit, private and public sectors--will meet in Cleveland for RTC's second Urban Pathways Initiative Summit. We'll be discussing the common issues we face in our efforts to encourage more physical activity on shared-use paths in urban areas, especially in low-income communities and communities of color.

Registration has closed, but even if you aren't making it to Cleveland, be sure to sign up for e-mail updates from our Urban Pathways Initiative. After the summit is finished, you'll be able to watch video and listen in on some of the discussions.

But don't wait until after the summit! If you're attending--or even if you're not--introduce yourself in the comments, and let's get this conversation started. What's the biggest challenge you face? The biggest success? What specific issues do you want to discuss with your colleagues during the summit?

Photo: Area youth pedal to the Morgana Run Trail during the Slavic Village Bike-a-Thon. Photo courtesy of Slavic Village Development.

DC Prep Brightens up the Met Branch Trail

2011-05-17T13:03:00Z

The opening of the Met Branch Trail in Washington, D.C., last year provided a great resource for commuters and nearby communities. One year later, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is working to help those who live, work and play near the trail make the most of this multi-faceted facility.

On Friday, RTC staff members Kelly Pack, Stephen Miller and Lindsay Martin joined local artist Quest Skinner, fitness trainer Chikaro Martin and a group of D.C. Prep School 2nd and 3rd graders for a special work party on a section of the trail in Edgewood.

Between their school building and the trail, the students already tend a vegetable and flower garden. Drawing inspiration from that garden on Friday, the students painted a mural with the bright and bold colors of tomatoes, grapes, apples and vines.

Out on the adjacent trail, Martin gave the youngsters an energizing workout, with relay races and agility exercises, demonstrating how the trail is a great place for recreation and an asset for keeping our communities fit and healthy.

The event was part of a growing partnership between RTC and DC Prep, whose staff and students use the trail regularly. Click on the photo at right for more pictures of all the fun!

Photos by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

In Chicago, a concept for a "Low Line" - a trail-under-rail, beneath the "L" - in West Lakeview neighborhood http://j.mp/eNZk2e #upath

2011-05-16T14:08:01Z

In Chicago, a concept for a "Low Line" - a trail-under-rail, beneath the "L" - in West Lakeview neighborhood http://j.mp/eNZk2e #upath