FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 26, 1999
Contact: Jim Pinkelman
Tel.: 202-366-0660
FHWA 69-99
U.S. Transportation Secretary Slater
Celebrates Completion of First Part
Of Metropolitan Branch Trail in Nation’s Capital
U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater today joined federal and District of Columbia officials to celebrate the completion of the first segment of the Metropolitan Branch Trail for bicyclists and pedestrians in the nation’s capital.
The Metropolitan Branch Trail is one of 50 Millennium Legacy Trails designated on Oct. 21 in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Secretary Slater
"The First Lady said that the Millennium Legacy Trails symbolize the spirit of our efforts to connect our nation’s culture, heritage and communities," Secretary Slater said. "The Metropolitan Branch Trail reflects the spirit of our nation’s capital and will help the region in its efforts to build a more livable future – completion of the first part of it is an important step as we work toward the goal of establishing a nationwide network of trails."
At the ceremony, Secretary Slater joined with U.S. Reps. James L. Oberstar (Minn.), ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; Earl Blumenauer (Ore.), chairman of the Congressional Bicycle Caucus; D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton; and other members of Congress and D.C. officials. When completed, the District of Columbia’s segment of the trail will be eight miles long and extend from the Takoma Park neighborhood through northeast Washington to Union Station just north of the Capitol. It will provide access to eight subway stops and, by linking to three other trails in the metropolitan Washington area, provide 41 miles of interconnected regional trails and a 25-mile bicycle beltway.
The completed segment of the trail runs from the Brookland/Catholic University of America subway stop along John McCormack Road to Bates Road in northeast Washington, DC.
The Metropolitan Branch Trail is one of 50 Millennium Legacy Trails that were announced Oct. 21 at a White House ceremony featuring First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary Slater and state and local officials from across the country. The Millennium Trails initiative is a collaborative effort of the White House Millennium Council, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Private sector companies and other agencies and organizations also have contributed funds toward the initiative.
USDOT’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provided $1.9 million in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program funds toward the completed segment of the Metropolitan Branch Trail. The total cost of the project is $8 million, and future work on the trail will be funded through the FHWA’s Recreational Trails Program and other federal surface transportation funding authorized by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). The District of Columbia’s Department of Public Works is the implementing agency for the trail.
"The Metropolitan Branch Trail, like all the Millennium Trails, is a way to connect America’s past to its future," Federal Highway Administrator Kenneth R. Wykle said. "The trails include long-distance trails, rail and water trails, greenway systems and historical and cultural trails, all of which are a vital part of our nation’s heritage."
Examples of other Millennium Legacy Trails around the country include the California Coastal Trail, which runs more than 1,200 miles along the scenic California coast; Florida’s National Scenic Trail, which runs the length of the state from Gulf Islands National Seashore to Big Cypress National Preserve; and Wisconsin’s Hank Aaron State Trail, named after the legendary home run king, which is a six-mile urban trail passing through a historic industrial and ethnically diverse section of Milwaukee.
# # #