In September 2023, the Maryland Department of Transportation announced that the City of Takoma Park was awarded a grant to complete the technical plans for a full upgrade of the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT).
The $465,000 award through the state’s Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program will build on the preliminary design efforts completed in June 2023. The preliminary designs propose widening and resurfacing the existing trail, which currently does not meet Montgomery County or industry standards for a high-volume trail of its type. The design also proposed pedestrian-scale lighting, improved crossings, stormwater management infrastructure, and new striping on the trail. The City’s section of the MBT will connect with new sections of the trail in both the DC and Montgomery County, currently under development.
The next steps for the project include the finalization of the funding agreement with the state and then the selection of a contractor to complete the design work. Upon selection of a contractor, additional rounds of community engagement will be initiated to refine the preliminary designs. “We are excited to share the finalized Preliminary (30%) Designs for the Metropolitan Branch Trail Upgrade. The designs will be presented during the City Council meeting on Wednesday, July 12. The designs were created by the firm Rummel, Klepper, and Kahl (RK&K), with the input from community members, city, and county staff. To get to the construction phase, the City is looking into funding options to complete semi-final (60%) and final (100%) designs. Additional community engagement will occur during those stages.”
- **NEW** Finalized Preliminary (30%) Concept Design Plans (PDF)
- First Draft Preliminary Concept Designs for the MBT Upgrade (PDF)
- Presentation Slides (PDF)
- Presentation Recording (YouTube – English)
- Presentation Recording (YouTube – Español)
Commonly referred to as the “Met Branch Trail”, the partially completed trail uses rail right-of-way to create a multi-use pedestrian and bicycle path. When complete, the Metropolitan Branch Trail will be an 8.5-mile multi-use trail from Union Station in the District of Columbia to Maryland’s Silver Spring transit hub.
The City of Takoma Park is responsible for the care and maintenance of 0.45 miles of the MBT, running along Takoma Ave and Albany Ave, between DC and Silver Spring. In 2003, this half-mile stretch became one of the first alignments of the MBT. Today, the trail looks similar to how it did nearly two decades ago, but time has revealed the design to be inadequate and the condition of the trail to be deteriorating. Learn more about the District Dept. of Transportation’s efforts to continue the MBT to the south: https://metbranchtrail.com/met-branch-trail-fort-totten-to-takoma/
Learn more about Montgomery County Dept. or Transportation’s efforts to continue the MBT to the north: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dot-dte/projects/metropolitan/index.html
