Bethesda Trolley Trail

The Bethesda Trolley Trail, at one time known as the North Bethesda Trail, is a 5.9-mile (9.5 km) long rail trail from Bouic Avenue next to the Twinbrook Metro Station in the city of Rockville to Battery Lane Park in Bethesda, Maryland.[1][2]

Bethesda Trolley Trail
Bethesda Trolley Trail at the NIH Campus, Bethesda, Maryland.
Length5.9 mi (9.5 km)
LocationMontgomery County, Maryland
UseWalking, Jogging, Biking
Hiking details
Trail difficultyEasy, level, ADA accessible
SeasonYear-round
MonthsYear-round
SurfaceAsphalt

The trail runs primarily on the abandoned right-of-way of the Tennallytown (Tenleytown) and Rockville Railroad, also known as the Washington and Rockville trolley. Where the trail is not on the right-of-way, it runs on-road, on sidewalks or on side paths.

Planning for a trail on the old streetcar right-of-way began in the 1970s. The right-of-way was used by streetcars from 1890 to 1935, when it converted to buses. Some of the right of way then sat fallow for decades. Building a trail on the unused part of the right-of-way was first suggested in Montgomery County's 1978 Countywide Bikeways Master Plan, but design of the trail didn't begin until the early 1990s. Construction was held up for many years due to opposition from neighbors and funding issues,[3] but funding for the bridges over I-495 and I-270 was approved in 1999.[4]

Construction of the trail began in fall of 2000 and lasted nearly a decade.[5][6][7] Money to reconstruct existing sections of the trail was diverted to the Forest Glen Metro overpass project, delaying work on the trail and it was further delayed by the bridge fabrication.[7][8] Bridges over I-495 and I-270 opened in 2002 and 2003 respectively, adding to narrow, discontinuous sections that existed prior to 2002 between Nicholson Lane and Beech Avenue.[9][10] Paving and building the trail from the intersection of Cedar Lane to the intersection of Randolph Road with Rockville Pike began in November 2005, and continued into 2006.[11] Between Charles Street and Cedar Lane and north of Nicholson Lane, the trail was on sidewalks. Around the same time, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) built a trail along the south edge of their facility connecting Rugby Avenue to the sidewalk along Old Georgetown Road. In 2008, the new sections of the trail, including the sidewalks, were signed.[12] As part of the Montrose Parkway West project in 2009, a section of trail — a side path along Rockville Pike — was constructed from Per Sei Place to Hubbard Drive, north of the White Flint Metro Station. That section connected to a path built along Montrose Parkway at the same time.

  • Different parts of the Bethesda Trolley Trail
  • Marker at the start of the Bethesda Trolley Trail
  • Bethesda Trolley Trail at Montgomery Dr
  • Bethesda Trolley Trail near Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, MD
  • Bethesda Trolley Trail at Edson Ln and Woodglen Dr in North Bethesda, MD

References
  1. "Bethesda Trolley Trail" (PDF). Rockville, MD: Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT). 2009. Brochure.
  2. "Bethesda Trolley Trail Map" (PDF). MCDOT. 2009.
  3. Saffir, Barbara A. (19 June 1997). "Bethesda Neighbors seek detour for bike trail". The Washington Post.
  4. "Trail to Get Bridges for Beltway, I-270". The Washington Post. 1 December 1999.
  5. Otto, Mary (17 August 2000). "For Bicyclists, an Easier Commute; Expanded Path Network, Loaner Program Planned". The Washington Post.
  6. Schaffer, Ron (2 November 2000). "Out-of-Sequence Traffic Signals Frustrate Route 29 Commuter". The Washington Post.
  7. "North Bethesda Trail Aug 2001 Status". Archived from the original on 24 August 2001. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  8. "I-495 North Bethesda Bridge August 2002". Archived from the original on 23 August 2002. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  9. "North Bethesda I-495 Bridge". Archived from the original on 9 May 2003. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  10. "North Bethesda Trail Bridge over 270". Archived from the original on 4 August 2003. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  11. "The North Bethesda Trolley Trail". Montgomery County Department of Public Works and Transportation (MCDPWT). Archived from the original on 10 August 2006.
  12. "Projects Underway, Coming Up and Completions". MCDPWT. March 2008. Archived from the original on 23 May 2008.
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