Trail Tale Trilogy, II -- The Visionaries

Elections bring new energy and ideas on all levels of government. In the best cases, this synergy transcends jurisdictional borders and singular purposes to benefit a multitude of interests So it was a pleasant surprise to read last week that two new members of the Baltimore County Council plan to organize a citizens' advisory committee to recommend ways to improve infrastructure to make the county more bikable and walkable.

While similar panels exist on all levels of government to advocate trails for recreational and quality of life resources, the comments of David Marks, new to the 5th District, were particularly encouraging.

"Trails can boost tourism and strengthen our local economy," Marks said in announcing the proposal he submitted along with new Councilman Tom Quirk.

In the world of sports marketing, we rejoice when elected officials acknowlege the nexus of sports/recreation facilites and economic development. We're even happier when they use their influence to advance the agenda.

This extra push is coming at a time when Baltimore County already celebrates the success of one of the most popular trails in the region -- the Torrey Brown -- and eagerly anticipates the opening of another system in the spring -- Robert E. Lee Park, at the north end of the city's Jones Falls Trail.

A dog owner in my neighborhood has been regularly scouting (let's not call it trespassing) the progress of this project. She grew up in the area and lamented as the city-owned reservoir (known as the region's greatest unauthorized dog park) fell into dangerous disrepair.

When the property transferred to the county a few years ago, plans to restore and improve the trail system were developed. From what this reconnoiterer tells me, the transformation is astonishing. When it reopens this summer, the multi-use public facility with its hiking/biking trails and canine corner will be the newest gem in Baltimore County's parks and recs system.

But it will be more than that. Connected to the Jones Falls Trail (and also a light rail stop) it becomes a destination for visitors. Hopefully, it will also be a venue for staging popular outdoor events.

These two trail systems are only a small part of the potential Baltimore County has for integrating a cycling/pedestrian network into transportation/recreation/economic development. An old trolley line in Catonsville could eventually reach Ellicott City. Portions of the old WB&A where the light rail connects Glen Burnie to Baltimore have parallel paths that have been eyed for bicycles. 

What Baltimore County enjoys is proximity to the city, and integration with the bicycle-friendly light rail system.  What they also enjoy is a good relationship with City bicycle planners and their long range plans.
 

AND AS LONG AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VISIONARIES . . .  we need to give a shout out to our Governor, Martin O'Malley.  In early 2010, he released (in conjunction with MDOT) a vision for Maryland trails as part of the Smart, Green and Growing program.  In addition to mapping the trails already in existence and identifying where links had to be completed, the Governor outlined his priorities.  As any task-oriented person knows, the way to get things moving is to prioritize them. In ranking his "Top Eight," the Governor looked for missing links that would complete other segments and connect communities.  Here are the ones selected in February:

• Anacostia Trail will connect the Anacostia Trail in Prince George’s County to the Anacostia River Trail in Washington, D.C. (two miles)  (That's underway now, and nearly complete.)

• Little Paint Branch Trail Connector will connect the Paint Branch and Little Paint Branch Trails in Prince George’s County (about one mile);

• Henson Creek Trail will connect communities to the Branch Avenue Metro Station in Prince George’s County (about three miles);

• Patuxent Crossing is a new bridge over the Patuxent River that will connect the West Baltimore & Annapolis Trail, Baltimore & Annapolis Trail and BWI) Trail in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties; (Folks in Anne Arundel County have been waiting on that one for years.)

• BWI Connector will connect the BWI Trail in Anne Arundel County to Baltimore City’s trail system (about three miles); (Yippee!  I used to see parts of this from the light rail and wonder why it couldn't be connected.  That would make it possible to pedal from Annapolis to the stadium -- if you have the energy.)

• Jones Falls Trail will be a 10-mile trail, built in phases, that will connect central Baltimore City to Baltimore County; (The Mt. Washington/Cylburn phase will be complete this year.)

• Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway Trail System will cross the Susquehanna River and connect Harford and Cecil counties; and

• Big Slackwater Gap is a project to reconstruct a three-mile section of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath in Washington County.(All hail the Feds and their Stimulous largess!  This groundbreaking took place in August.)

And while we're crediting visionaries, let's throw our arms around DNR, who coordinated a series of regional roundtables to hear what local activitists wanted to see in their trails.  This cultimated in the first statewide Trails Summit in October.  That, in turn, put stakeholders together in a network to develop a comprehensive plan that would bring visitors to Maryland (including those who pedal in from Pennsylvania and Delaware) and serve residents as transportation and recreational facilities.

Furthermore, Governor O'Malley authorized  the creation of a new Trails Development Office in DNR to coordinate these resources “to enable the kind of progress that occurs when governments, stakeholders and everyday citizens work together."  In the words of the Governor, Maryland trails will be "second to none."

The speaker for that Summit was to have been the original DNR visionary, Dr. Torrey Brown -- he of the eponymous trail.  However, Dr. Brown was unable to attend.  It would have been gratifying for him to see how his then-controversial determination to build a trail along a deserted rail bed in Baltimore County has blossomed into a statewide movement that benefits so many.  We suspect, however, that there will be many more opportunities for him to see this initiative progress. 

It will be fun to see how far, and how fast, our Governor's to-do list will carry the trails movement.