Sally Strain•6 months ago Reasons to oppose the DDOT proposal for the trolley trail:DDOT has proposed a costly, unnecessary, unsafe and destructive plan to pave a peaceful neighborhood path. DDOT has even eliminated a bioswale (a storm water management technique) from their previous proposal. At one end of the proposed plan, there exists a “hiking trail,” according to the DDOT map (and visitors to that lovely, natural area). The DDOT proposal doesn’t include a connection from the trail to the street or to the hiking trail. At the other end of the project, Galena Pl, NW, there is a street known to DDOT for traffic problems.2. Other issues with the DDOT Plan:The current trail surface of wood chips and grass provides a safe space for walkers, bikers, birders and babies alike — much safer than if paved. A sketch presented by DDOT during a zoom session of 2/25/26 shows an adult, a dog on a leash, and a child on a small bike, all moving together along a DDOT-proposed paved surface. What is not in the sketch is a more realistic scene, typical of the congested and paved CCT: A nervous dog, on a leash, darting across the trail when a fast-moving biker passes from behind, surprising the adult and scaring the child. Imagine this safer scene/sketch: a child using a small bike on the Rec Center’s paved loop, the dog in the Rec Center’s dog park, and the adult encouraging the child to ride as he/she cycles on the paved loop. Plus … open green space and slow-moving traffic along the unpaved trolley trail.3. Congested Trails Nearby: The busy CCT, the C&O Canal NHPark towpath and the informal trail between the towpath and the river, are all available to residents of the Palisades, and the trails (unofficially) accept both motorized and non-motorized vehicles, including e-vehicles. Perfect for fast moving bikers! Fortunately, the trolley trail (so far) has not been paved, providing a safe, calm, slow, scenic urban area for residents and visitors to enjoy. (Who would enforce any rules for a paved trolley trail, and at what cost?)4. Piecemeal Planning? The “Trail to Nowhere?”:Is the proposed DDOT trolley trail plan part of a larger plan — perhaps another bike route to Georgetown? If so, it is important to make that aspect clear to the public. The proposed paved “trail to nowhere” is inappropriate. Its purpose is unclear, unnecessary, costly and possibly dangerous. Plus, NEPA — the National Environmental Policy Act — forbids piecemeal planning, something to consider even at a local level.5. Construction and Maintenance Costs for Paving the Trail:DDOT has not revealed the estimated costs to the public — probably unknown even after eight years of planning for the unnecessary project.6. DOEE Yes, DDOT No:A pause, and a transfer of the project to DOEE should benefit our neighborhood. A restart with DOEE at the helm (their mission is to promote “environmentally responsible behavior”) should be helpful to sustain the current slow, safe and scenic route of the trolley trail that so many residents of the Palisades value today.
