Park Service Determines Options
for Extending the Mount Vernon Trail

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Photos of the proposed extension of the trail

A map of the proposed route

The existing Mt. Vernon Trail: sites and facts

The vision of a "bicycle beltway" on both sides of the Potomac River has gained a boost with the publication of a new study by the National Park Service (NPS). In December 2002 the Park Service released a study of the feasibility of extending the popular Mount Vernon Trail from its current northern terminus near Roosevelt Island in Arlington. The idea is to build a continuation of the trail northwest to the American Legion
Bridge in the Langley section of Fairfax County.

The study is the result of advocacy over the past decade by members of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and the Virginia Bicycling Federation. The trail extension proposal was in part born out of cyclists' frustration at the difficulty of biking between the adjacent communities of Arlington and McLean. No safe cycling route exists within two miles of the river in this part of northern Virginia. Extending the Mount Vernon Trail would provide a logical solution to this problem.

The NPS study is available on line at this site. It examines the various options for the trail extension in five sections. The routes determined "feasible" in the first two sections (from Rosslyn in Arlington to Chain Bridge Road (Route 123) in McLean) are very limited. For reasons explained in the study, the route through Arlington would probably be on road utilizing Military Road and part of the existing Custis Trail adjacent to Interstate 66. Between Chain Bridge Road and the Beltway, however, there are several options for trail alignment. For example,
the trail could be built within the parkway right of way and pass through Turkey Run Park. One alternative would be to route the trail along Chain Bridge Road and Georgetown Pike (Route 193).

The next step is to conduct an environmental and cultural impact assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Trail proponents are working with the NPS and other federal officials to help identify funding for the NEPA study. It would involve full community review of the various trail route options and would lead to the identification of a "preferred" route by the Park Service. Design and construction could then follow. Congressman James Moran of Northern
Virginia has been particularly supportive of the trail extension effort and instrumental in securing study funds.

If the Mount Vernon Trail is completed to the American Legion Bridge, future bicycle and pedestrian accommodation on the interstate bridge would likely follow. This would allow the Mount Vernon Trail in northern Virginia to link up with the C&O Canal towpath and other existing and planned cycling routes in the District of Columbia. Ultimately bicyclists could ride a "great loop" on both sides of the river, utilizing the American Legion Bridge and the new Woodrow Wilson
Bridge, which is being built to accommodate bikers and walkers.

For more information on the Mount Vernon Trail extension effort, contact Rob Swennes (703-532-6101) in Arlington or Dennis Frew (703-442-7848) in McLean.