December 5, 2011 Chairman Roger Berliner Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee 100 Maryland Avenue Rockville,

MD 20850 Dear Chairman Berliner: Thank you for the opportunity to join with other community and trail representatives to discuss the pending decisions on the future of the Capital Crescent Trail. We share your goal of creating the best possible trail, and are committed to achieving that goal. There will be many important decisions before that goal is reached--including the decision set for January 30th whether the trail will pass under Wisconsin Avenue through the existing tunnel right-of-way, or not. These decisions will have tangible impact on the trail and on the experiences of users for decades to come, and therefore we ask that the best possible information regarding a broad array of options be considered. That is, we ask that the County's leadership and planning staff fully and carefully explore the bounds of "possibility" as they continue to work to define the "best possible trail." While serious study is being given to alternatives to removing the trail from the tunnel right-ofway, the County is not rigorously studying the cost and possibility of a grade separated crossing of Wisconsin Avenue. Procedurally, we understand that the decision whether to use the existing tunnel right-of-way comes before any potential decisions on alternatives to the existing tunnel might be necessary. But to decide how much investment is justified to keep the trail in the tunnel without knowing the cost of the alternative grade-separated option is to decide with imperfect information and to ignore the importance of grade separation to the usability of the trail--especially for less experienced cyclists like those who might be attracted to the County through bikesharing. Thus, we request that prior to deciding whether to remove the trail from the tunnel, the County study the feasibility and cost of an alternative that maintains a gradeseparated crossing of Wisconsin Avenue. County residents, cyclists, and trail users and advocates deserve to understand the potential benefits and costs of a crossing on par with the character of the CCT's importance as a transport corridor and amenity before the decision is made to forego such grade-separated crossing. Just as impacts to physical configuration of the rail component are being studied to assess their impacts on usage before decision, so should impacts to the physical configuration of the trail. As Montgomery County continues its upward trajectory as a bike-friendly county under your leadership, we ask that you require of county planning and transportation staff a boldness of vision that truly considers the "best possible" options for residents, and seeks the data and

analysis necessary to make such decisions for bicycling projects just as it does for rail and automobile projects. In this case, that means developing and studying a trail alternative--bridge, cut-and-cover, or both--across Wisconsin Avenue that would keep the long-promised grade separation before making a decision whether to remove the trail from the tunnel, and assessing the impact of at-grade crossing on trail usage. Grade separation is important, and the cost and benefit differentials between the existing tunnel option and the best alternative grade separated possibility are key pieces of information for decision-makers to have prior to January 30. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to provide input and look forward to continuing to work with you and the County to make this and other bicycle-related projects the successes residents deserve. Sincerely,

Shane Farthing, Executive Director

Cc:

Councilmember Nancy Floreen Councilmember Hans Riemer