The federal Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded a $25 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant in late June to a regional partnership in Maryland and Washington, D.C., investing in trails.
The grant, submitted by Maryland's Prince George's County Office of the County Executive on behalf of M-NCPPC Prince George's County Department of Parks & Recreation, Montgomery Parks and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), will drive massive investments in the regional paved trail network across underserved communities in Prince George's and Montgomery counties and the District of Columbia.
According to the Daily Record, a Baltimore-based digital news service, the award supports renovation or construction of a half-dozen projects and is a significant win for the region and the Capital Trails Coalition, a collaboration of public and private organizations, agencies and volunteers with an ambitious vision to connect Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia via a 990-mi. trail network.
Hopes are that the funds will increase construction of walking and biking connectivity in the region while improving trail access for nearly 300,000 residents living in historically disadvantaged and persistent poverty areas.
The federal dollars will be used to repair 8 miles of some of the oldest existing trails, construct six new paths spanning 7 miles, and improve safety at major intersections and at-grade crossings. Once completed, the project will provide alternative commuting options for an estimated 53,000 people, add four new trail connections to Metrorail stations, and fill major gaps in the regional trail network. Additionally, finished portions of the trail will be close to three future Purple Line light rail stations.
The monies will accelerate more than $70 million in projects that help complete the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, rehabilitate the Sligo Creek and Northwest Branch trails, and build the Central Avenue Connector Trail, Suitland Parkway Trail, and Prince George's Connector.
Each project is located completely within areas of persistent poverty and/or historically disadvantaged communities, as defined by the USDOT, and will directly improve outcomes for traditionally underserved populations across the region.
Construction crews will work to close trail gaps, rehabilitate and upgrade sub-standard facilities, increase carrying capacity, enhance safety and improve access for people with physical disabilities, the Daily Record noted.
Trails to Give Access to Low-Income Residents
The Maryland State Wire, a nonprofit news content provider, said July 2 that most of the state's congressional contingent in Washington, including U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, along with Reps. Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, David Trone and Glenn Ivey — all Democrats — backed the trail project's RAISE funding, which was first established through the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in 2021.
"Bike and pedestrian trails are a vital part of our transportation infrastructure, helping to connect people and neighborhoods throughout our region," the lawmakers said in a joint statement. "This federal grant for the Capital Trails Network recognizes the increasing demand for new ways to travel and commute safely and effectively by walking, biking and taking public transportation. This project is an example of how we're investing in Maryland's transportation network through the [IIJA] to advance our shared safety, sustainability and equity goals."
This package of projects addresses some of the oldest trails in the Capital Trails Network in need of maintenance and will introduce new trails within communities that were historically overlooked in local trail development. Eighty percent of Prince George's County is comprised of households identifying as Black or Hispanic, and certain segments of this project benefit census tracts where more than 90 percent of households are low-income.
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