Let’s get started on a wider Custis Trail

Shared by Sustainable Mobility for Arlington County

Proposed redevelopment at the Air & Space Force Association site at 1501 Langston Boulevard would replace an end-of-life office building with much-needed housing, while making dramatic improvement to the Custis Trail and conserving a significant natural open space. The County is soliciting citizen input on this site and we think it’s important to support this much-needed housing while also demanding separation between cyclists and pedestrians on this busiest section of trail.

>>>Check out Sustainable Mobility for Arlington County’s action page for suggested feedback and then take the survey here.<<<

As proposed, the development would remove a lane of Langston Boulevard, using the space to widen the Custis to 12′ and add significant tree buffers between the trail and the highway. 12′ is the minimum width for trail widening specified in the recently-completed Custis Trail Needs Assessment report but this is one of the highest usage areas of the trail. A 12′ width was chosen because it maintains a “Level of Service” of B for the trail when being used by 200 trail users per hour. According to the nearby trail counter, the trail already receives 250+ trail users during peak commuting hours on nice weather days. We need to be building for the future, not for existing usage. In addition, the slope between this site and Key Bridge means this whole stretch of trails sees higher-than-expected conflicts between trail users. The slope encourages wheeled trail users to pick up more speed than they normally would.

We think these two factors call for separate space for people walking and biking in this stretch of trail, similar to the “dual trail” portion of the W&OD Trail in Falls Church. 10′ for two-way bike traffic and 6′ for two-way pedestrian traffic. This same cross-section should be continued along the Key Bridge Marriott site, past the proposed Boathouse, connecting down to the Mt Vernon Trail as part of those adjacent projects.

More about Trails

Trails are the best. They are low-stress bike infrastructure, access to nature, parks, landmarks, and community gathering spaces all rolled into one.

WABA's trail advocacy is focused on connecting gaps in our region's trail network; ensuring existing trails are maintained and upgraded to meet current design standards; and expanding the network into underserved parts of the region.

More about Advocacy

WABA fights for a region where biking, walking and transit are the best ways to get around.

We educate policymakers and organize grassroots advocates for to speak up for safer places to bike and walk; and for laws and policies that protect people who are walking and biking, reduce dangerous driving, and facilitate changes to the built environment.