Palisades Citizens Association to Consider Glen Echo Trolley Path for Bikes
This post is authored by WABA supporter Brett Young, who hopes to see the Glen Echo Trolley Path fixed to accommodate cyclists and pedestrians.
The Foundry Branch Bridge connects Foxhall Drive to Georgetown University.
On Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Palisades Rec Center (5200 Sherier Place NW, Washington, D.C., 20016), the Palisades Citizens Association will be voting on a resolution requesting support for converting the old Glen Echo Trolley Path to a bike/recreation trail.
From 1902 until 1961, the trolley was used to transport residents from D.C. to Glen Echo Park. Since the demise of the trolley, the path has lain dormant. Weeds have grown over it and a few of the remaining bridges are derelict.
There have been several attempts over the years to reuse the path, each meeting with community resistance or indifference. We think the timing is now ripe for reuse of the trail, given the success of the Capital Crescent Trail and the overall increase in cycling usage through D.C.
We believe that there are now enough residents who share the same vision as us: That the old trolley right-of-way can be both an asset to the community and a useful resource for transportation and leisure.
The Palisades Neighborhood Trail, the name for the reused right-of-way, will begin to the north at Galena Street and end to the south at Georgetown University. It would then extend to Prospect and 37th streets NW (two blocks west of the Exorcist Steps).
If you’re interested in supporting the idea of the Palisades Neighborhood Trail, please come out to the Dec. 3 Palisades Citizens Association meeting.
To learn more about the trail and where it would go, see this map (the D.C. portion is shown in red). Here’s a video of the trail from Foxhall Road, finishing at the Capital Crescent Trail. And here are my photos of the Foundry Branch Bridge that connects Foxhall Drive to Georgetown University. I’m answering questions about the idea of the trail on the Washington Area Bike Forum. Feel free to submit questions or comments there.
I hope to see you on Dec. 3 at the Palisades Rec Center!