West Baltimore Pedestrian-Bicycle Loop Project

Thanks to everyone who attended our workshop last night. We got some great feedback from the community which really helped us see this project as something more than a walking/biking path. A few notable ideas from the West Baltimore community:

• A community garden should be a central part of the project. Probably located on the corner of Franklin and Calhoun Streets, we can start with a small area (100' x 100') and expand it if necessary
• Exercise equipment - similiar to the equipment at Lake Montebello 
• Interpretive historical narrative and photos of the community before the Highway to Nowhere was built
• Game tables near intersections

Our team now has a good sense of the major design components and we'll be putting together a revised plan and cost estimate in the next month. Stay tuned for future updates and meetings this fall.

Thanks to everyone who attended our July workshop. We'll be having another workshop on September 14th, 6pm at the Fulton Ave. Bon Secours Community Center. Invitiations to follow. A few of the major recommendations that came from the community were:

• One way bike path going in the same direction as Franklin/Mulberry. A two way path would cause conflicts and interfere with pedestrian access.
• Double row of shade trees on Franklin with possible flowering trees near intersections and ped bridge. Flowering trees on inner Mulberry and shade trees on outer Mulbery.
• Gentle curved path on Franklin which preserves view corridors
• Community garden, exercise equipment are priorities. Perhaps a trial dog park with instructions for dog owners.
• History of Highway to Nowhere as part of design with photos and narrative. Could be public art component.
• Connect to Red Line station

Here are the July meeting minutes in PDF format.

Click here to download:

2010_08july_workshop.pdf (114 KB)

(download)

Click here to download:

2010_08july_workshop.pdf (114 KB)

http://inhabitat.com/2010/04/29/la-considering-massive-central-park-above-highway-101/

CalTrans, California's state transportation agency, is considering capping part of Highway 101 through downtown L.A. and creating a park which would connect several downtown neighborhoods. This is similiar to the idea which came out of the West Baltimore TOD Master Plan in 2008, where parts of US 40 would be capped to accomodate new development or park space over the highway. Baltimore DOT and RKK did a feasibility study last year and found that a cap for a single block would cost between $40 and $80 million. While this would be a great project, the market and the city's current fiscal situation couldn't support something of this magnitude in the near term.

In the mean time, the bike/pedestrian loop design is a low-cost, high-impact project which can eventually be incorporated into future development projects and the West Baltimore Red Line station design. Here is the presentation which was given at our first project community meeting.  I hope it encourages residents to think beyond walking and biking and consider creative uses for land which can be reclaimed to benefit West Baltimore neighborhoods.

Click here to download:

Concept_meeting_ppt.pdf (3.63 MB)

(download)

Click here to download:

Concept_meeting_ppt.pdf (3.63 MB)

http://fastlane.dot.gov/2010/06/new-report-shows-biking-and-walking-gains.html

A new report from the USDOT shows walking trips doubled between 1990 and 2009 while federal funding for pedestrian and bicycle facilities more than quadrupled during the same time. Projects like the West Baltimore Ped/Bike Loop will serve a need in communities which currently have limited options for outdoor recreation. Having safe, high-quality trails can also motivate more people to exercise and provide a safe place for kids to play in view of the community. I hope a future West Baltimore trail will be just as well used as the Lake Montebello trail, where you can see people from local neighborhoods using the path well into the evening.

http://www.thehighline.org/

Souce: On-Hudson.com

This is a great example of underutilized infrastructure being converted into a community asset. The High Line is an old elevated freight viaduct on Manhattan's Westside which has been converted into a trail and outdoor performance venue. A rotating array of artists and performers occupy the trail, and interactive educational programs teach kids about plants, architecture, urban planning, and the history of the freight line the project was built on.

Though the West Baltimore Loop project is not nearly as ambitious, a lot of the design and programming freatures of the High Line could be brought to West Baltimore.

Welcome! We are trying to make it easier to get our plans out to the public and get feedback from communities by using blogs. We'll be updating this site regularly to let you know about upcoming meetings, design ideas, and other good stuff. I've uploaded the concepts we have for the pedestrian/bicycle loop - they are large files, but you'll be able to print them at very high quality if you want to create poster-sized copies

Remember, these plans are in the very early stages of design. Additional components may include:

• Community Gardens
• Dog Parks
• Playgrounds
• Public Art/Interpretive History

I also want to make it clear that construction funds have not been secured yet. We will be applying for Federal Transportation Enhancement Program money once we are a bit further in design. You can also write your political leaders to show support for this project.

We'll be having a design workshop sometime in mid to late July. More details to follow.

Click here to download:

Sections[1].pdf (5.91 MB)

(download)

Click here to download:

Sections[1].pdf (5.91 MB)

Click here to download:

Enlargement[1].pdf (671 KB)

(download)

Click here to download:

Enlargement[1].pdf (671 KB)

Click here to download:

Concept1[1].pdf (4.46 MB)

(download)

Click here to download:

Concept1[1].pdf (4.46 MB)