Late post

On November 15, 2023, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) held a public meeting on the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) Blair Road to Piney Branch Road NW segment. View the meeting recording, slide presentation, and 65% design plan. These materials are available at https://metbranchtrail.com/blair-rd-to-piney-branch.

As DDOT typically does with these meetings, they started with an overview of recently completed segments of the MBT & those under construction. The Fort Totten to Takoma extension is under construction now. One can see the construction taking place along 1st Place NE by Fort Totten Metro and along Riggs Road NE. The current plan is for an off-street, multi-use path along Riggs from 1st Place to 1st Street NE. From there the trail will move to an on-street alignment along 1st Street NE through the South Manor neighborhood to McDonald Place NE and then to an off-street, multi-use path along Blair Road. DDOT chose this route because the National Park Service (NPS) was originally reluctant to have the trail aligned closer to the red line tracks through NPS parkland north of Riggs.

South Manor Off-street Alignment

DDOT mentioned at a few public meetings that they have continued to engage with NPS about revisiting an option for an off-street alignment north of Riggs Road. At the meeting a couple of weeks ago, DDOT shared that they have received permission to conduct environmental impact analysis for an off-street alignment through NPS parkland closer to the red line tracks between Riggs Road and Oglethorpe Street NE. DDOT plans to begin working on that analysis in 2024.

Blair Road to Piney Branch Segment

As for the subject of the meeting–the Blair Road to Piney Branch segment–I have not been following this segment design that closely. A few things stood out to me at the meeting. One-way southbound travel on 4th Street NW would be extended from Butternut to Aspen. DDOT mentioned needing to acquire Metro property for the part of the segment near Piney Branch & Eastern. There was some grumbling about how winding this segment is as well as discussion about impact to trees.

The slides have details about key intersections. Send questions to metbranchtrail@dc.gov.