Metropolitan Branch Trail Happenings

[LhasaCM]

Setting aside the disappointment with the pause on the 8th NE section, there are a few exciting MBT developments I thought I’d pass along for anyone interested.

1. The extension up to Fort Totten (to bypass “Big Stinky”) is almost complete. The trail is paved all the way to the Green Line tunnel as of this past weekend, leaving just the small section downhill to make it complete. Looking good for them to hit the revised completion date of “December 2021”

2. DDOT has scheduled a virtual meeting for Tuesday, November 30, at 6:30pm to discuss the 100% design for the “MBT Fort Totten to Takoma” segment. Information on that meeting can be found at https://metbranchtrail.com/mbt-fort-totten-to-takoma-100-design-public-meeting/. The 65% design (which should provide a good sense of where things are heading) can be found at https://metbranchtrail.com/met-branch-trail-fort-totten-to-takoma/. At that time, the plan called for a trail/sidepath along from Fort Totten Metro to Riggs on 1st Place, then around to 1st Street on Riggs. There would be a “on street” portion to the intersection of Blair and McDonald Place (as a long-term but hopefully not “forever” alignment, with appropriate traffic signal improvements), with a new trail/sidepath along Blair from there up to Aspen.

3. DDOT also has scheduled a virtual meeting for Tuesday, December 7, at 6:30pm to discuss the future “Blair Road to Piney Branch Road NW” segment. More information can be found at https://metbranchtrail.com/mbt-blair-rd-to-piney-branch-virtual-workshop/

[Smitty2k1]

Thanks for the updates!

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[LhasaCM]

Updated the first post with a link to the 12/7 meeting/virtual workshop information page (https://metbranchtrail.com/mbt-blair-rd-to-piney-branch-virtual-workshop/)

[elbows]

Thanks for pulling this together. So is the new revised revised opening for the Ft Trash-ton bypass now the END of March?

Looking forward to a potential end of inhaling bits of trash each day not to mention the roads in the area were extra fume-y this morning.

[LhasaCM]

@elbows 217512 wrote:

Thanks for pulling this together. So is the new revised revised opening for the Ft Trash-ton bypass now the END of March?

Looking forward to a potential end of inhaling bits of trash each day not to mention the roads in the area were extra fume-y this morning.

That’s the latest on the website. It looks like late last week they’ve gotten back to working on the trail itself (they had laid down the base layer of gravel for a small section between where they’d stopped paving in November above the Metro tunnel and the new Metro stairs/runnel); my understanding is that they’ve intentionally not finished paving until they get the other surrounding site work (drainage, etc.) completed, to ensure that the trail does not appear open while construction is underway.

[elbows]

The idling New Jersey trash trucks are stinking up my new-MBT-high. Seems that 2-3 of the tractor trailers are regularly idling their diesel fumes right next to the trail. Isn’t this illegal in DC? According to the DC site, the fine is $500. If it actually were to be enforced, seems a bit high, esp if drivers are not from here and don’t know. Wish there were a sign to notify them.

As far as reporting to 311, is it even worth it?

On another note, I’m woefully ignorant on what happens at Ft Totten. Where does the trash get transferred from and to?

[CaseyKane50]

@elbows 219141 wrote:

The idling New Jersey trash trucks are stinking up my new-MBT-high. Seems that 2-3 of the tractor trailers are regularly idling their diesel fumes right next to the trail. Isn’t this illegal in DC? According to the DC site, the fine is $500. If it actually were to be enforced, seems a bit high, esp if drivers are not from here and don’t know. Wish there were a sign to notify them.

As far as reporting to 311, is it even worth it?

On another note, I’m woefully ignorant on what happens at Ft Totten. Where does the trash get transferred from and to?

The trash comes from DC residents and businesses. Trash from Washington’s transfer stations ends up in Fairfax County at the Covanta Waste-to-Energy facility https://www.rolloffdumpsterdirect.com/where-does-the-trash-go-in-washington-d-c/

[LhasaCM]

@elbows 219141 wrote:

The idling New Jersey trash trucks are stinking up my new-MBT-high. Seems that 2-3 of the tractor trailers are regularly idling their diesel fumes right next to the trail. Isn’t this illegal in DC? According to the DC site, the fine is $500. If it actually were to be enforced, seems a bit high, esp if drivers are not from here and don’t know. Wish there were a sign to notify them.

As far as reporting to 311, is it even worth it?

On another note, I’m woefully ignorant on what happens at Ft Totten. Where does the trash get transferred from and to?

I think it worth reporting to 311 – maybe not for the short-term issuance of fines, but adding signage.

[elbows]

Thanks for enlightening me. Wonder why so many of the trucks have New Jersey plates. I see the cabs are Covanta but most of the trailers/plates seem to be from New Jersey.

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