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Purpose of the Coalition The Southern Prince George's Trails Coalition was established to encourage the expansion of the hiker-biker-equestrian trail system in our area. The Coalition will identify priority trail projects in Southern Prince George's County and work as closely as possible with local, State, and Federal officials to ensure their completion and proper maintenance. To help build public consensus for trails projects, the Coalition maintains news media contacts to publicize its concerns. Information about trails policy, planning, and current issues are regularly disseminated to Coalition members. Our ultimate goal is a network of trails that links all neighborhoods in southern Prince George's County with the area's many parks and other scenic attractions, such as Fort Washington Park, Piscataway Park, Fort Foote, Oxon Hill Farm, Cosca Regional Park, and as much of the Potomac River shoreline as possible. The local trails should be linked to the larger Washington regional trail system, further enhancing the system's recreational opportunities and making bicycle commuting a practical option for southern Prince George's residents. Coalition Members The Coalition consists of community organizations in Southern Prince George's County that are interested in the area trail system. There are no fees or dues for joining the Coalition, but each member organization appoints at least one Coalition liaison to receive and distribute information about Coalition activities. Current members of the Coalition are: · District 8 Federation
of Homeowners and Associations
Trail Projects and Issues Southern Prince George's County has the least access to dedicated hiker-biker-equestrian trails in the Washington Area. In contrast to the large, interconnected trail system that serves the rest of the region, southern Prince George's has only a five-mile segment of the scenic Henson Creek trail, which has remained uncompleted for more than 20 years. County officials have indicated that a major reason for the lack of new trail construction in southern Prince George's has been a lack of public pressure from the community, perhaps because the area includes very few incorporated municipalities. The Trails Coalition intends to remedy that situation by demonstrating broad public support for completion of the Henson Creek Trail and the rest of the planned trail system. Thanks to the strong support from its members associations, the Trails Coalition has already begun having a significant impact. As noted below, funding has been requested for the Henson Creek Trail from both county and Federal sources. Coalition members are also taking an active role in the Prince George's County Bicycle/Trail Advisory Group (BTAG), helping to assure high countywide priority rankings for trail projects in our region. Henson Creek Trail. The existing segment of the Henson Creek Trail runs for five miles from the southern end of Oxon Hill Road near the Broad Creek Historic District to Temple Hill Road. When complete, the trail is to extend from the Potomac River to the Suitland Parkway. The northern end of the trail would link to the planned Branch Avenue Metro Station and a planned Suitland Parkway trail. The southern end would run along the end of the Broad Creek inlet off the Potomac River to link with Riverview Road, providing excellent access from Tantallon and adjacent neighborhoods along the Potomac. Funding for the southern segment has been included in the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) budget request for fiscal years 2001 and 2002, and federal funds have been requested for the northern segment. Completion of the Henson Creek Trail is BTAG's top priority for parkiand trails. The Trails Coalition is also monitoring progress on a planned new Henson Creek Trail crossing at Brinkley Road. The new crossing would replace a break in the trail that currently requires trail users to cross Henson Creek on the Brinkley Road bridge. Under an agreement with M-NCPPC, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is to construct a new section of the trail that would intersect the south side of Brinkley Road directly across from the existing trail segment on the north side. Work on this project is supposed to begin in 1999 and be completed in spring of 2000. Potomac River Heritage Trail. The Potomac Heritage Trail is planned to generally follow the Potomac River south from Oxon Hill Farm. The trail would run along the shoreline where possible, and in developed areas it would follow inland routes and street rights of way. A crucial shoreline segment lies between Fort Foote and the proposed National Harbor development. A shoreline trail easement used to exist on the National Harbor property, but the developers persuaded the Prince George's County Council to abandon it to allow construction of an urban waterfront. A lawsuit has forced the County to re-examine the project, giving the Trails Coalition another chance to work for an acceptable route through the property. That segment would provide a key link to Oxon Hill Farm and to a planned bicycle-pedestrian crossing on the replacement Woodrow Wilson Bridge. It is the number-three priority for BTAG parkland trails. Another scenic segment of the Potomac Heritage Trail would run along the north shore of Piscataway Bay between the Fort Washington Marina and the Piscataway Creek Trail. The Potomac Heritage Trail would then continue along the south shore of Piscataway Bay to Piscataway National Park, providing access to the National Colonial Farm and other recreational attractions along the river. Piscataway Creek Trail. The proposed Piscataway Creek Trail would connect Piscataway National Park with Cosca Regional Park and the proposed Mattaponi Creek Trail, which would run to the Patuxent River. An additional segment could run up Tinkers Creek to Rose Valley. This trail would be within easy access of neighborhoods in the Tantallon area, as well as communities near the Henson Creek Trail and Piscataway Road. Most of the Piscataway Creek stream valley is already owned by M-NCPPC. Mattawoman Creek Trail. The proposed Mattawoman Creek Trail would run along the Prince George's-Charles County border from Accokeek to Cedarville State Forest, linking to an existing network of trails in the State Forest. Most of the land for this project is yet to be acquired. "On Road" Trails. In many areas, the only practical location for bicycle and pedestrian connections may be along existing roads. Such "on road" trails may consist of dedicated bicycle shoulders or lanes, or parallel bikeways where road rights-of-way are wide enough. Priorities for the Trails Coalition are Oxon Hill Road and Fort Washington Road. The first segment of the Oxon Hill road bike trail, also a top BTAG priority, is currently being funded and planned. These priority segments would provide improved bicycle access to Oxon Hill Farm and the new Wilson Bridge bicycle/pedestrian crossing and to Fort Washington Park. Trails on Federal Land. Several potential trails in Southern Prince George's County would require Federal Government cooperation and funding. A major segment of the planned Potomac River Heritage Trail lies in Piscataway National Park, potentially linking to the planned Piscataway Creek Trail system. A potential trail through Fort Foote could link to the proposed Potomac Heritage Trail segment south of National Harbor. Completion of the Suitland Parkway Trail, which now stops at the D.C. line, could provide access from the Henson Creek Trail into Washington and the rest of the regional trail system. The Suitland Parkway project is one of the top five BTAG priorities for "on road" trails. Trail Spurs to Neighborhoods. Trail spurs to connect neighborhoods to the trail system are needed in many locations. Safe connections to the trails will greatly increase their value to area residents. An example is the Squires Woods Community, which is adjacent to the Henson Creek Trail but has no direct connection. The Trails Coalition also supported the replacement of a bridge that connected the Henson Creek Trail to the Murray Hill neighborhood. Trail Safety and Maintenance. The Trails Coalition also emphasizes the importance of maintaining trails once they are built, and ensuring their safety. The coalition currently is urging repairs of eroded areas along the Henson Creek Trail, for example. The Coalition also strongly supports efforts by the Road Runners Club of America to publicize criminal incidents and threats involving runners and bikers throughout the metropolitan area. Contacts
Updated March 29, 1999 |
home page: Oxon Hill Bicycle & Trail Club