On June 18, 2022, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser officially celebrated the opening of the extension of the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) from Brookland to Fort Totten Metro station. Residents have been enjoying the extension for several weeks now (I wrote about the extension in this post).

The celebration turned into an informal event after the mayor decided to jettison formal remarks. The National Park Service (NPS) and District Department of Transportation (DDOT) project team and contractors were on hand to celebrate what is really quite an accomplishment. The northern part of the formal trail curves around the green line tunnel. The project required coordination with National Park Service (NPS), Metro, and private property owners.

Next up for DDOT is completing the extension of the MBT from Fort Totten to Takoma (construction anticipated to begin in winter 2023) and then from Blair Road to Piney Branch Road (design underway). People in attendance also pointed out to the mayor the need to close the 8th Street gap between Franklin and Monroe Street NE.

DDOT also noted that east-west connections of interest to residents, like the Avondale segment that will connect the MBT to the Anacostia River Trail, have been put on the backburner so that DDOT can finish up the main north-south trail. They hope to get to these east-west connections within the next 3 years and they fortunately have more trail/bike staff now to work on more projects.

One other tidbit DDOT noted is that they believe construction of a sidewalk on the south side of Galloway Street NE between South Dakota Avenue and 4th Street should start next year. (Note, this project on which DDOT is working with NPS, is a different project from the Gallatin Street-Galloway Street pedestrian path through Fort Totten Park). Design of the 10-foot wide multi-use segment is finishing up soon. This small stretch of missing sidewalk has taken literally decades to come to fruition, as is usually the case with projects requiring federal government coordination. But it sounds like this construction promise is a good one.

It really is nice to see this network being built out in and near Riggs Park to provide options for residents to move around the city.