The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will host a public meeting regarding the rehabilitation of the Klingle Valley Trail and its design elements Thursday, January 16, 2014.The meeting will be held at the Cleveland Park Public Library (First Floor Auditorium), 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW, 6:00p to 8:00p. with a presentation beginning at 6:30p. BAC encourages you to attend this meeting to learn more about how bicyclists and pedestrians will access a rarely visited park.
According to DDOT, the design plans are being developed based on the Final Environmental Assessment / Finding of No Significant Impact. This assessment analyzed a range of alternatives for the construction of a multi-use trail within DDOT’s right-of-way. This assessment includes the stream restoration of Klingle Creek, management of stormwater runoff, and restoration of the 0.7-mile barricaded portion of Klingle Road between Porter Street, NW, and Cortland Place, NW. DDOT states that the trail will provide a safe, non-motorized transportation and recreational route for residents and visitors and provide connections to the existing pedestrian and bicycle network.
The approximately $8 million to $11 million project began several years ago when in 1991 the road was closed to traffic due to erosion. Wikipedia states that Klingle Road has been the focus of a long dispute between District residents who wanted the road repaired and residents who wanted to keep this portion of Rock Creek Park free of automobile traffic. According to WashCycle in 2011 a lawsuit was brought against the District to declare the Klingle Trail project unlawful and to prohibit the Federal Highway Administration from funding it and DDOT from constructing it. Eventually, the case was dismissed, thus allowing the project to move forward.
According to DDOT, the design plans are being developed based on the Final Environmental Assessment / Finding of No Significant Impact. This assessment analyzed a range of alternatives for the construction of a multi-use trail within DDOT’s right-of-way. This assessment includes the stream restoration of Klingle Creek, management of stormwater runoff, and restoration of the 0.7-mile barricaded portion of Klingle Road between Porter Street, NW, and Cortland Place, NW. DDOT states that the trail will provide a safe, non-motorized transportation and recreational route for residents and visitors and provide connections to the existing pedestrian and bicycle network.
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| Klingle Valley Park and Proposed Trail, Courtesy of DDOT. |