Back on April 4^th the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission presented the results of their Purple Line community workshop at a public meeting. I attended, and while M-NCPPC’s delay in posting material has delayed this writeup, there’s still quite a bit to talk about. The Prince George’s County Planning Department within M-NCPCC established five Station Planning Areas to address stations areas not covered by another plan of some form.

M Square and College Park station areas, looking West.

The M Square/River Road and College Park stations sit approximately a mile apart and were therefore covered in the same workshops. Significant areas around both station lie open for development, both within the M Square research park and South of River Road. During the second community workshop, the Planning Department used visual examples to let participants pick and choose among elements without delving into lots of planning jargon. From this the Planning Department formulated recommendations for transit, roadways and redevelopment.

The preliminary recommendations take a solid transit-oriented urban design approach. Recommendations include new sidewalks and trails to provide pedestrian and bicycle connections, and an attention to the character of those spaces, including recommendations for buffered sidewalks, shade trees, and street furniture such as benches and trash cans. The Planning Department also includes recommended building frontage to tie structures to the street and ensure an active streetscape, rather than a series of blank walls. Each station area presents different specific challenges, addressed separately by the workshop.

M-Square/River Road

This station, intended to serve the University of Maryland’s M Square research park, will sit at the Southwest corner of River Road, University Court and Haig Drive. Note that Haig Drive, extending South from River Road, is marked as University Research Court by Google Maps. Planning calls it Haig Drive, so I will too.

A new street network for M Square

Planners acknowledged right off the bat the challenge presented by Federal government facilities. The area research park already houses NSA and USDA facilities, as well as the nearly complete NOAA building. Beyond the usual problems of nondescript buildings surrounded by parking lots, NOAA and NSA add secured perimeters that create impervious walls. The Planning Department expressed interest in running a road between the NOAA and NSA facilities to create a North-South axis through M Square from River Road to Paint Branch Parkway, which may be blocked due to security requirements

The already approved plans for M Square lots 15-17, facing River Road between USDA and FDA, includes space for future internal roads, one piece of a new internal street grid. Preliminary plans include a new road tracking River Road inside M Square, as well as new connections to River Road, Calvert Road and University Research Court. Future office development will include ground-floor retail, expected to be oriented towards daytime the daytime office workers, increased use of structured parking, and will cover over some of the existing surface parking lots. This should be most notable along River Road, where structures will create a real street wall.

To the South of River Road, outside of M Square, the Planning department recommends mixed residential and commercial, with trails behind the residential structures to connect Tuckerman Lane to River Road and Haig Drive. The connection to Lafayette Avenue will be “formalized”. Currently, Rivertech Court runs from River Road past the Raytheon building and dead-ends at a cul-de-sac. Many residents then cut across a parking lot in front of the ERCO building and across an unfinished section to access Lafayette Avenue. Current proposals suggest extending Rivertech Court as a formal road, complete with sidewalks and intersections, thus providing access from Riverdale Park out to River Road. The extension would also tie into a bridge across the CSX tracks which would be part of the Cafritz project, although that remains unapproved currently. Both these connections should assist in plans for reuse of the ERCO building. The historic former airplane factory is owned by the University of Maryland, which has expressed some interest in converting it to residential or mixed residential/office use.

The University of Maryland appears to be generally supportive of the Planning Department’s ideas, based on the entirely unofficial comments of some UMD administrators present

College Park

Possible future of College Park station TOD

The College Park Purple Line station will sit against the East side of the Metro tracks, atop the current surface parking lot. The station has been shifted slightly Southwest from previous proposals to fit the redevelopment of the WMATA lot. The joint development plan for the site is already underway. With more infrastructure in place, the College Park station area will see less new construction and connections, as the River Road station will, and a greater use of infill development. 51st and 52^nd Avenues will likely be extended South to connect Paint Branch Parkway to the internal roads at M Square. A new greenway will turn the existing stream south of FDA into a pedestrian greenway, providing green space and an improved pedestrian connection to internal M Square developments.

The Planning Department recommends new redeveloped offices on top of parking lots both East and South of the FDA building, as well as entirely new commercial and residential in the small industrial area North of Paint Branch Parkway. An Urban Land Institute study indicates that even with the airport four to five story structures are quite possible, allowing commercial to front Paint Branch Parkway and step down to residential closer to the airport. Given the presence of established neighborhoods, very little will be done West of the Metro Station other than a few sidewalk and trail improvements

The workshop presented many interesting ideas which move both station areas strongly in a transit oriented direction. Existing facilities and federal security requirements create fewer complications than I would have expected, and the Planning Department is actively trying to work around them. All the ideas presented were highly preliminary, as emphasized by multiple staffers present. Illustrations were given only to provide flavor, so one shouldn’t expect everything one sees. For example, while illustrations show cycle tracks on River Road, they’re actually proposing soft shoulders, a less protected form of facility.

There’s still time to weigh in and let the Planning Department staff know what you think. You can do that by e-mailing comments to purplelinetod@ppd.mncppc.org. A final report is expected in June, which will likely impact the review of the College Park Transit District Overlay Zone scheduled for next year.

You can view the full presentation here (PDF) and all information on the Purple Line TOD studies here.

Full Disclosure: The author works as a contractor for a unit of NOAA which will be located at M Square. All views and opinions are his own and not those of his employer or NOAA.

If you happen to be a College Park resident and a fan of biking, then the developments in the past few weeks have been cause for celebration.  First, we had the announcement from Prince George’s county about their ground breaking legislation for improved pedestrian and cyclist connections in new developments.  Then, to kick off Bike Month on May 1st, Governor O’Malley announced that College Park and the University of Maryland were awarded a state grant to establish a bike sharing program.

Efforts to bring bike sharing to College Park have long been in the works, and there have already been several failed attempts in the past few years, including a few associated with the federal stimulus (TIGER & TIGER II), and another one with the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority grant program.  So this victory has been hard fought and now that the state grant has been won, the city can move on and focus its efforts on designing and building a bike share program.

Important details about the proposed bike share program can be found in this Patch article.  The proposed College Park/UMD bike sharing program will be part of the Capital Bikeshare network.  Originally started in DC & Arlington less than two years ago (Sept. 2010), Capital Bikeshare has experienced explosive growth , with over 18,000 members and one million rides in its first year of operation. Later this year, Capital Bikeshare will expand into Alexandria and Rockville.  The city of Arlington has put together a fascinating report about its program, showing that 55% of CaBi trips would have been replaced by non-active transportation modes without bike sharing.

Not everyone is convinced that joining Capital Bikeshare would be the best use of the grant money.  Innovation doesn’t stand still, and smarter “next generation” bikes that don’t require docking stations could allow College Park to start a bike sharing program on a larger scale than operating within the confines of the CaBi network.  One example of this type of smarter bike sharing is the weBike system, started right here by UMD students for use at Mazza GrandMarc apartments.  On the other hand, with its runaway success, Capital Bikeshare has built up enough of a brand that it could be well on its way toward becoming a regional bike sharing standard.  Already, it would be difficult for elected officials in College Park and elsewhere in the DC metro area to justify using another bike sharing system, rather than simply joining Capital Bikeshare.

In any event, the fundamentals for bike sharing here in College Park have been very strong, given up to 40,000 UMD students within its borders who are moving around a large campus, with bike trails connecting the city, and a Metro station located over one mile away from campus that requires shuttle buses to move students back and forth.  Arguably, College Park had the strongest case for expanding Capital Bikeshare into Maryland, and the decision to make Rockville the first MD city instead was somewhat mystifying.  Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait for long to join as well.

It will take at least a year to get our bike sharing program up and running, so don’t expect to see the iconic red bikes around here before 2013.  According to Patch, the city has received a $375,000 grant that covers most of the costs for eight Capital Bikeshare stations.  We’ve created a map with  approximate locations for seven of the eight proposed bike stations below.

At first glance, it looks like a reasonable proposal to get bike sharing off the ground in College Park.  But it’s only a start, and this city could soon support twice this number of stations in the coming years.  The University would get four stations at points of high activity: Stamp Student Union, McKeldin Library, Regents Parking garage, and Eppley Recreation Center.  The close proximity of the two stations at the Stamp and McKeldin could be cause for concern, and may lead to one of them being moved for better overall spacing of bike stations on campus.  Two of the four other proposed locations would be just outside campus, including one at the corner of Knox & Rt. 1 with the other at the Varsity Apartments by Northgate.  Another proposed bikeshare station would be at the College Park Metro, providing an important additional option for making trips back & forth between the UMD campus and the Metro station.

The eighth and final station would be located at the Hollywood Shopping Center up in North College Park, which isn’t shown on the map.  While this would be an exciting development for Hollywood residents, it’s also a curious  and even problematic choice, given the overall network of proposed stations.  This Hollywood station would be isolated from the others, with its closest neighbor over two miles away by the Varsity apartments.  Perhaps a station in North College Park could be considered a “placeholder” for further expansion of the Capital Bikeshare network.  Another grant awarded on May 1st was to evaluate the feasibility of establishing bike sharing just to the east in Greenbelt.  Hopefully bike sharing will expand into Greenbelt in the next several years, and a bikeshare station up in Hollywood could be installed along with others at the Greenbelt Metro station and the Greenbelt historic district.  Undoubtedly, a bikeshare station should eventually be placed in the Hollywood neighborhood, but it may be premature at the start of the College Park bike sharing program, given budget constraints and the other proposed locations.

It wouldn’t be hard to think of alternative locations for the eighth bike station; a dynamic map showing all the proposed locations, along with other ideas can be found here.  Some possibilities include the Berwyn neighborhood on the Trolley trail, or the Enclave apartments and/or Mazza apartments further up the Paint Branch Trail.  Another possibility would be M-Square, especially considering the new offices being built there, the car-oriented layout that’s developed over the years and a glaring need for additional options for biking & pedestrian access.  

Debate about bike sharing technology and station locations is just getting started and it’s hard to predict where the discussion will eventually lead.  We can be sure that decisions about the College Park/UMD bike sharing system will be closely watched throughout the DC region.  Already, the grant award announcement has sparked a number of reactions, indicating the intense interest in this topic. But whatever course the future takes, this represents the start of a new era for biking in College Park, when bike sharing offers UMD students and city residents another important transportation option to complete “last mile” trips.

One thing to keep in mind when considering the merits of the various CaBi stations on a map, is these are all still proposed locations.  What do you think of this proposal ?  Is this enough to get bike sharing established in College Park ? Where would you locate the bikeshare stations ?  Now is the time to weigh in, while things are still in the initial planning stage.  Let us know in the comments.

On April 19, the last public outreach meeting was held for the Greenbelt Metro Area and MD 193 Corridor Sector Plan, which laid out a more detailed vision for the plan area. What follows are some of the highlights of this vision. A draft of the sector plan is expected to be released in July, and a joint public hearing will occur in September (tentatively set for September 18, 2012).

Land Use

Land use is to be organized in part by dividing the plan area into two zones: Greenbelt Metropolitan Center (which includes Capital Office Park, Franklin Park, and Greenbelt Station’s north core) and MD 193 Corridor (which includes Greenway Center, Belle Point and University Square, Beltway Plaza, and Greenbelt Station’s south core). The goal is to enhance connectivity within each zone and promote development that complements the other areas of the zone.

Two different land use approaches for Greenbelt Station’s north core will be proposed. It would call for either a comprehensive, transit-oriented mixed use community or a major employer (such as a GSA tenant like the FBI) with some potential for associated mixed-use development. For a more detailed description of each scenario, see our post on the North Core Concepts and Design meeting.

Residential development by the Greenbelt Metro station and other key locations (such as Beltway Plaza and Greenway Center) will be proposed. This would help answer the growing regional demand for transit-oriented and mixed-use residential development. It would bring additional residential units to support existing and new retail, and it would take advantage of the transportation and utility infrastructure that is already in-place.

The sector plan will not make recommendations for new development in North College Park. Any future revitalization and redevelopment in the Hollywood neighborhood would be subject to the recommendations of the 2010 Central US 1 Corridor Sector Plan.

Transportation

A pedestrian bridge will be recommended to run over the Metro tracks, connecting Greenbelt Station’s north/south core with North College Park. It argues that it would ensure safe pedestrian and bicycle connections between the largely residential Hollywood neighborhood and the future mixed-use environment by Greenbelt Station. The 2010 Central US 1 Corridor Sector Plan proposed an elementary school in east Hollywood at Huron Street and 51st Avenue, and such a pedestrian bridge could allow students to walk between the school and the future south core neighborhood. It should be noted that the approved Conceptual Site Plan for the development of Greenbelt Station includes a condition of approval that mandates provision of a pedestrian bridge.

A final alignment for the North/South Connector, a road that would connect Greenbelt Station’s north and south cores, has not yet been determined. Conceptual designs and preliminary engineering have been conducted.

A final alignment for the Beltway interchange at Greenbelt station has not been determined, either. The State Highway Administration has developed a conceptual interchange ramp system, but the final alignment and configuration are subject to change.

The sector plan will support additional bus service and consolidation, such as by providing bus hubs or transfer facilities at Greenbelt Station, Beltway Plaza, and Greenway Center. It will ask for the consideration of Bus Rapid Transit in the medium to long term (6 to 30 years).

MD 193 (Greenbelt Road) is proposed to be redeveloped into an urban boulevard with enhanced streetscape that includes sidewalks, bicycle facilities and landscaping. The road would be retrofitted to a 4-lane divided roadway with a median. Pedestrian crossing distances would be minimized at intersections, and signal green time would be increased to allow side traffic and pedestrians to cross.

Cherrywood Lane is proposed to be reconstructed as a 2-lane divided urban boulevard with a landscaped median, on-road bike lanes, and full sidewalks. A full signalized intersection would be developed at the entrance to the Metro station, and a reduced speed of 25 mph would be implemented with curb bump outs and bus pull-off areas.

The current diamond interchange at MD 193 (Greenbelt Road) and MD 201 (Kenilworth Avenue) is proposed to be reconstructed into a diverging diamond interchange. The sector plan would argue that this would improve traffic movement and appearance, and allow safe and efficient pedestrian and bike access and mobility along MD 193. However, it was contended that such an interchange would do little to improve the pedestrian and bicycle situation, because it would increase the number of potential crossings from 2 to 4. At this interchange, we think the sector plan should consider significant buffers for the sidewalks, as well as designated bicycle lanes. The primary goal should be to take cars off the road and improve connectivity across Kenilworth Avenue, not get more cars across Kenilworth Avenue more quickly.

Environmental Infrastructure

Existing woodlands are to be retained to the extent possible, and woodland conservation banks are proposed to be established within the sector plan area. Streams would be stabilized and restored where necessary.

The sector plan will seek to address stormwater management, reduce impervious surfaces, and incorporate environmental site design with all new development. It would ensure new development meets all local and state watershed improvement plan requirements.

Green building techniques would be incorporated and all new buildings would be asked to obtain LEED or equivalent certification. The sector plan would ask for the exploration for opportunities to obtain LEED Neighborhood Development certification west of the Capital Beltway and the inclusion of “night sky” measures such as full cut-off lighting fixtures to reduce light pollution.

The need for noise walls and other noise mitigation techniques, especially near major noise generators such as the Beltway, would be examined.

Time to count one for the bike/ped community. In a 9-0 vote, the County Council passed a bill that will require the Planning Board to take into account the surrounding areas access to pedestrian and bikeway facilities when evaluating new development. In planning terms, the bill is an adequate public facilities ordinance (APFO) for sidewalks and bikeways.

For years bike/ped access was barely an afterthought when a new development submits its plans to the county as the focus has always been on traffic impacts and automobile access. For instance, a development projected to increase car trips at a nearby intersection may be required to add turn lanes and reconfigure the traffic signal, but would only be required to build sidewalks immediately next to the development.

This ordinance will give the Planning Board the tools they need to require developers to make off-site pedestrian and bike improvements when a development proposal is projected to increase such trips. For these improvements, developers must now build bike and pedestrian facilities in the nearby public right-of-way approaching the site to the “maximum extent possible” (up to a specified maximum cost depending on the size of the project).

County Council Vice Chairman Eric Olson (D-College Park) and council member Mel Franklin (D-Upper Marlboro) sponsored the bill which is expected to be signed by  County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D).

“When new development occurs, developers can now be required to invest in off-site improvements for walking and biking, rather than just cars.  As we seek to create healthier, more walkable mixed-use communities, this is an important step forward.” – Eric Olson

Greg Billing of the Washington Area Bicyclists Association called the county’s approach “a very simple solution.”

“If you can only get to a development by car, the development loses out,” he said.

In Prince George’s, most of the affected developers would be in what is known as the developed tier, inside the Beltway and relatively close to the county’s Metro stations. – The Washington Post

Bill sponsors believe the scope of the bill is unprecedented nationally. It may become a model for improving non-motorized transportation. Read the bill HERE. The press release is below the break.

Prince George’s County Council Member Mel Franklin (D) – District 9, also a sponsor of the bill, says that walkable and bikeable communities are the right way to develop in the 21^st century economy.

“This legislation will help Prince George’s County foster higher quality and more sustainable development, while ensuring that new communities connect to our older, established neighborhoods.  Mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods are the essence of smarter growth in today’s rapidly changing economy.”