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- More than 10,000 hikers and bikers use the Capital Crescent Trail between Bethesda and Silver Spring weekly, and that number is growing steadily.
* Close the Trail for 2-3 years during construction of the Purple Line;
* Pemanently remove all the surrounding trees and tree canopy;
* Convert the Trail into a dangerously narrow bike lane along a transitway;
* Run trains about 10' from hikers and bikers every three minutes;
* Permanently close the Bethesda Tunnel for Trail use, or at best, ramp the Trail above the trains in the Tunnel;
* Park trains next to Giffords Ice Cream and the Landmark Theater while awaiting maintenance.
- And yet, MTA does not weigh these impacts seriously because, they say, the Capital Crescent Trail right of way between Bethesda and Silver Spring was purchased for a rail and a trail 20 years ago. Thus, they believe, there is no legal need to assess the environmental impacts of the rail on the Trail. Moreover, they say, the Trail used to be a freight rail line, so installing a light rail system is not a change of use for this corridor.
- Indeed, the tree-lined berm on which the single tracked freight train ran, is now the Capital Crescent Trail.
- Up until 1985, a coal-bearing freight train ran a few times a week, at about 15 mph -- on a single track -- along a narrow berm, buffered by forest. That is a far cry from a double tracked light rail running alongside a trail and very close to homes, passing every three minutes, without any trees left as a buffer.
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- In 1988, when the County purchased the Georgetown Branch right of way, and in the 1990's, when future transit use was written into the master plan, the purple Line was conceived as a single track "trolley"because the corridor was so narrow.
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- However, since that time, plans for the Purple Line have evolved into shoehorning into this narrow corridor, a double tracked transit system, with trains passing in both directions every three minutes -- without concern for hundreds of nearby homes, condominiums, and apartments and without concern for the preservation of the Capital Crescent Trail as we know it.
- Twenty years ago, it was difficult for leaders and citizens to foresee how popular and valuable the Capital Crescent Trail would become as a natural, tree-lined greenspace and Trail.
Had our public officials known then what we know now about the environmental benefits of preserving this 17 acres of mature trees and natural greenspace in lower Montgomery County, and had they known the environmental costs of putting transit in this location, they may have supported purchasing the right of way solely for parkland -- just like the Capital Crescent Trail from Bethesda to Georgetown.
Moreover, at that time, had our public officials known about the BRAC relocation of Walter Reed Hospital and the need to find transportation solutions for the new National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, they might have planned differently.
And even though twenty years ago the Georgetown Branch/Capital Crescent Trail right-of-way may have been purchased for transit and a trail, the State is NOT absolved from doing a complete and objective evaluation of the environmental impacts of putting Purple Line trains or buses along the Trail now.
The Purple Line Draft Environmental Impact Statement is "intended to allow for an objective, efficient, and fully informed evaluation and rating of the transit projects seeking funding under the Federal New Starts process".
Unfortunately, the State's Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) appears to be neither objective, fair, nor complete.
The adverse environmental and community impacts are severely understated in the DEIS -- for all of the rail and bus alternatives that would build the Purple Line along the Georgetown Branch of the Capital Crescent Trail. (And given the apparent bias in this study, it causes one to have grave concerns about other areas of the study which are technical and not so transparent, such as ridership, time traveled, etc.)
the Capital Crescent Trail:
1. History in the DEIS
There is no mention in the DEIS that the original plans for a light rail called for a single track light rail because the corridor is so narrow. While there is frequent reference to the right of way being a former transit corridor, there is no mention that the freight train that previously ran in the corridor, ran only a few times a week, at about 15 mph, on a single track, and was screened by forest on both sides. With the Purple Line, this single track (which is now a trail) will be replaced by two tracks and a trail, with no trees, and with trains passing every three minutes.
2. Popularity of the Trail and Need for Greenspace
Inexplicably, there is no mention in the DEIS of the fact that the Trail has been documented to have 10,000 trail uses weekly as of 2006, and this number has been growing steadily. Trail users are of all ages, races, nationalities, and abilities. This heavy trail use is especially significant in light of the fact that the Trail is crushed stone, not paved like the Trail to Georgetown, and bikers with narrow tires cannot use it without significant risk to their tires.
Moreover, there is no mention in the DEIS of the need for greenspace and natural recreational trails in the years to come with Smart Growth and increasing urban density.
The population of the Bethesda CBD will double in 15 years and these residents will need greenspace and recreational trails. The Trail to Georgetown is already saturated and dangerous -- with accidents becoming common.
Even though the right-of-way was originally purchased for transit and a trail, that doesn’t absolve the State from doing a complete and objective evaluation of the environmental impacts of putting transit in this location.
3. Loss of Forest
The DEIS clearly states that the trees in the right of way will be destroyed and no tree canopy will be replaced. The DEIS is inexplicably negligent in failing to quantify these trees or weigh the impact of the loss of these trees to the environment, to trail users, and to the communities surrounding the Trail. According to American Forests, at least 17 acres of tree canopy will be destroyed. These 17 acres of mature trees are some of the last remaining forest in lower Montgomery County and they are important for sediment control, clean water, clean air, carbon sequestration, shading the Trail, and providing a buffer for communities.
4. Inaccurate renderings of the future bike lane
MTA's visual and written images of the "trail" along the light rail are seriously misleading. There can be no tree canopy near the tracks, and to state that trees from neighboring yards will provide canopy is not supported in fact. To the contrary, on both sides of the right-of-way, neighbors will put up security and privacy fencing because their homes are very close to the rail and the Trail. Hence, trail users will be confined inside a solid fenced in corridor with trains passing by in both directions every three minutes. Fencing will also be necessary along the inside border of the Trail to keep trail users from accidently falling onto the tracks or from crossing intentionally. Most of the right of way will require major retaining walls since the terrain in almost never level and tends to rise steeply or fall of precipitously.
5. Safety Concerns for the new narrow confined bike lane
The Trail is already crowded with trail users of varying speeds and abilities, small children, elderly, strollers, etc., -- going in two directions, passing each other in both directions. To be fenced into a narrow bike lane with high speed bikers passing too, would be harrowing at best.
6. Adverse Impact on Community Cohesion
The neighborhoods of East Bethesda, Town of Chevy Chase, Edgevale, North Chevy Chase, Coquelin Run and Coquelin Terrace, would be divided by a transitway. These neighborhoods share the same middle school and high school. Children go back and forth, and use the Trail to get to Westland Middle School, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, and the Leland Community Center, not to mention each others homes. A transitway in this location seriously is destructive to community cohesion and is inexcusable transportation planning.
7. Loss of Trail Access
Except at a few places, trail access will be lost for the neighboring communities. Currently there are many gates and open access points to the Trail.
8. Safety Concerns with the Light Rail
Loss of Trail access will lead youth to try to cross the rail in dangerous ways, jumping fences, etc. Young people will try to climb fences, for example, to cross directly to B-CC High School in East Bethesda, Macdonald's on East West Highway, and the Leland Center in the Town of Chevy Chase. Currently, there are many gates, and youth come through these regularly.
In the last two weeks there have been light rail accidents in Boston and in Phoenix, and a few months back a boy was killed by a CSX train in Montgomery County.
This is simply not a safe and resonable location for a transitway, so close to homes and a popular Trail.
9. Closing the Bethesda Tunnel for Trail Users or building the Trail above the Trains in the Tunnel
The medium- cost light rail option of routing 10,000 trail users weekly across Wisconsin Avenue at grade and along Bethesda Avenue would be TOTALLY unsafe. A child was hit by a car crossing at Wisconsin Avenue before the Tunnel was opened ten years ago. The high-cost light rail option of routing trail users above the trains in the Tunnel would also seriously diminish the use of the Trail by everyone except perhaps high speed bikers. Families with children, the elderly, etc.would find this Tunnel passage difficult.
10. Parking Trains Awaiting Maintenance next to Giffords Ice Cream and the Landmark Theater -- or Running Buses Through There
Using the open space at Bethesda and Woodmont Avenues as a "Tail Track" for trains -- or a roadway for buses -- would ruin the ambiance and safety of this open space, which is an important amenity in the heart of downtown PleBethesda.
11. Homes along the Trail
The DEIS makes no enumeration of homes, condominiums and apartments along the Trail, and it neglects to describe how close these residences would be to the transitway. The DEIS should state how many of these homes are less than 100', 75', 50', 30' etc. from where light rail trains would pass; It is simply inexcusable to have no analysis of the impact on the property values of the homes along the corridor.
In conclusion, the DEIS has not been a fair study and appears to be biased in understating the adverse impacts of transit along the Capital Crescent Trail. Given this apparent bias, it causes one to have grave concerns about other areas of the study which are technical and not so transparent, such as ridership, time traveled, etc.
In any event, it is important that the Capital Crescent Trail/Georgetown Branch right of way be finally eliminated as a route for the Purple Line. Loss of this significant, irreplaceable greenspace is unacceptable. Choosing this route will meet with substantial and growing opposition from Trail users and communities far and wide, and this dissent will hurt any chances for FTA funding.
Our public officials should give a fair and more thorough study of the Jones Bridge Road Bus Rapid Transit route (and any other possible routes that should be studied as well, such as the Purple Line Loop.)
There could be a tremendous regional benefit provided by a full consideration of the BRT alternative on Jones Bridge Road or East West Highway. The opportunity to provide for good east-west transit in the southern part of Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties in a cost-effective way, saving as much as $1 billion over the other alternatives, and at the same time addressing the transportation and traffic needs posed by the BRAC.
In the meantime, the State should study long-term solutions such as connecting the two legs of the Red Line with a true Metro connection (not light rail) along the Beltway or underground to improve our exisitng Metro system.
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