Anacostia Riverwalk Trail

The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail is a multi-use trail system in Washington, DC, which, when complete, will be ~25 miles long, spanning both sides of the Anacostia River, the Washington Channel waterfront, and projecting into neighborhoods away from the Anacostia. It has more recently been branded as part of a larger Anacostia Riverwalk Trail Network which includes an additional 8 segments and 15 miles of trail.[1] On the north end it connects to the Anacostia Tributary Trail System; on the south end it will connect to the Oxon Hill Farm Trail and on the west it connects to the Rock Creek Park Trail and the 14th Street Bridge. Of the 19 planned segments, 14 are complete for a combined total of 16 miles.

Anacostia Riverwalk Trail
A train passing beneath a bridge on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.
Established2004
Length16.5 miles (26.6 km)
LocationWashington metropolitan area
UseHiking, Biking
Cycling details
SurfaceAsphalt and brick

History

The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail was first proposed as a 20-mile system of trails in the 2003 Anacostia Waterfront Initiative (AWI) Framework Plan, though similar proposals for such trails had been considered for decades.[2] For example the National Capital Planning Commission's 1997 Extending the Legacy plan proposed an 11 mile "Washington Water Walk" from Georgetown to the National Arboretum and the 1966 federal "Trails for America" report identified a 25 mile trail along the Anacostia as a good candidate for a Washington, DC area trail system.[3][4] The AWI plan called for building trails on the east side of the Anacostia from the Maryland boundary to the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, on the west side from the Benning Road Bridge to Fort McNair and along the Southwest Waterfront from Buzzard Point to the Tidal Basin. The AWI plan called it the Anacostia Riverwalk and Trail.

Over the next three years, the District government proceeded to study and design the trail system. During that time it was renamed, with the "and" dropped. They identified 19 different trail segments 16 miles in total length, or 25 miles with expanded elements.[5] The system proposed after design was expanded to include segments south to Blue Plains, north to the Capitol and the Tidal Basin, and with a bridge across the Anacostia at the National Arboretum. The design took advantage of several existing pieces of multi-use facilities including the 0.6 mile River Terrace section (repaved and modified in 2003 when the new Ethel Kennedy Bridge was constructed) and a 0.3 mile trail connection to Heritage Island, both built for the bicentennial;[6][7] the 0.5 mile Navy Yard Promenade built after 1991;[8] a 0.2 mile trail through Southwest Waterfront Park, built in 1968; a 0.2 mile connection over 295 to the Anacostia Recreation Center, originally opened in 1964 and rebuilt in 2009-2010;[9][10] and 2.7 miles of bicycle/pedestrian facilities on the Sousa (built in 1941, and modified for better bicycle and pedestrian access in 1995), Francis Case (built in 1971, with a causeway built by 1993 and modified in 2018) and Ethel Kennedy (built in 2004) Bridges.[11][12][13] However, the Navy Yard Promenade didn't open to the public until April 1, 2011, after the Navy built a fence between it and the facility.[14] Altogether 4.5 miles of trail and facilities existed prior to production of the AWI plan.

In 2003, the District Department of Transportation defined and signed an interim trail that utilized on-street routes, a few existing sections of trail and some demonstration trails located next to the Earth Conservation Corps's Mathew Henson Center at Half Street, SW and their Pumphouse facility along First Street, SE; and another along Water Street where the Anacostia Community Boathouse used to be. At that time they also repaved a temporary trail from Anacostia Drive to the Douglass Bridge's sidewalks and on to Bolling Air Force Base.[15][13]

Since the initial groundbreaking in 2007, another 13 miles of trail has been completed and over two miles is under construction as of 2020.

Section Name Description Groundbreaking Ribbon-Cutting Length(mi)
RFK Benning Road to 11th Street, SE with a gap at the railroad tracks[16] May 8, 2007[17] Apr. 2008 [18] 2.3
Diamond Teague Park DC Water Pumphouse to 1st Street, SE Feb. 13, 2009 [19] Apr. 27, 2010 [20] 0.1
Yards Park Navy Yard Promenade to DC Water Pumphouse May 28, 2009[21] Sep. 11, 2010 0.3
Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Bridges - Phase I East Capitol St. to the railroad tracks - east side 2009 Nov. 2009 0.6
11th Street Bridge O St, SE to Good Hope Road, SE; and Navy Yard to 12th St, SE Dec. 29, 2009[22] Sep 7, 2013[23] 0.5
East Bank (Anacostia Park & Poplar Point) Roller Skating Pavilion to South Capitol St. - east side 2010[24] Fall, 2011[25] 2.2
FRP Bridges - Phase II - West Side Bridge from Southeast Boulevard to M Street, SE 2010[26] Apr. 24, 2012[27] 0.3
Pumphouse Pier Yards Park to Diamond Teague Park March 2011[28] Nov. 22, 2011[29] 0.1
FRP Bridges - Phase III - East Side North side of Railroad tracks to Roller Skating Pavilion Spring 2011[30] Apr. 19, 2013[31] 0.4
SW Waterfront - Maine Avenue I-395 NB and NB 14th Street Bridge ramp Jul. 25, 2011[32] March 2012[33] 0.3
SW Waterfront - The Wharf Phase I 7th Street, SW to I-395 NB Mar. 19, 2014[34] Oct. 12, 2017[35] 0.4
Kenilworth Gardens Anacostia River Trail to Benning Road Apr. 24, 2014[36] Oct. 31, 2016 3.8
Florida Rock - Dock 79 First St. SE to Half St. SE Dec. 9, 2014[37] August, 2016 0.1
Mall Connectors - Virginia Ave 9th Street, SE to 2nd Street, SE May 11, 2015[38] Jan. 10, 2019[39] 0.6
Virginia Ave Park, 11th Street, SE to 9th Street, SE December, 2019 0.1
SW Waterfront - Norton Plaza N Street, SW to 6th Street, SW Fall 2015[40] June 1, 2017[41] 0.1
Douglass Bridge Underneath bridge on both sides, with connections to bridge and across it. Feb. 13, 2018 2.0
Florida Rock - The Maren Dock 79 to Phase IV March 2018 June 2020[42] 0.03
Buzzard Point - 2nd Street SW Cycletrack V Street, SW to P Street, SW May 2018[43] October 2018 0.5
Buzzard Point - River Point 2nd Street SW to Buzzard Point Park July 2018[44] 0.06
SW Waterfront - The Wharf Phase II 7th Street, SW to Water Street, SW July 25, 2018[45] 0.2
Buzzard Point - 1900 Half Street T Street SW to Half Street SW September 2018[46] 0.1
Whitney Young Memorial Bridge Connection Young Bridge southside pedestrian path to the trail August 20, 2019[47] September 23, 2019[48] 0.1
P Street SW 2nd Street SW to 4th Street SW November 25, 2019 December 9, 2019[49] 0.2

Description

Because the Riverwalk was built bit by bit, designed and constructed at different times by different organizations, the trail is a varying combination of trails and trail segments. At times it is a paved multi-use trail, an on-road route, a sidewalk, a protected bike lane or a riverfront promenade. Its surface is mostly asphalt, but at times concrete, brick or boardwalk is used.

On the north end, the trail starts at the southern terminus of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System in Prince George's County just north of the New York Avenue/US-50 Bridge and follows the river south through Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens to the intersection of 40th St. NE and Anacostia Avenue, NE. It then travels over Watts Branch and through the Mayfair neighborhood on road to the intersection of Anacostia Drive, NE and Foote St. NE. There it enters the south portion of Kenilworth Park on an old park service access road where it connects to a multi-use trail between the river and the old PEPCO power plant. It follows this trail to Benning Road where the trail splits to both sides of the river.

On the east side, the trail continues along the river through River Terrace Park, under East Capitol Street, over the railroad tracks and into the main part of Anacostia National Park. In ANP it travels all the way to Poplar Point between the river and Anacostia Drive, SE. At Popular Point it begins to run along the east side of South Capitol Street, connecting to both sides of the Douglass Bridge, before ending at Defense Boulevard and the gate to Joint Base Anacostia Bolling.

On the west side, the trail travels along the river to Douglass Bridge and then across Southwest DC to the Washington Channel, where it turns north. South of Benning Road, it travels along the river on the east side of the RFK parking lots and Congressional Cemetery. It crosses over the railroad tracks, with a separate connection to Barney Circle, and then uses a sidewalk, sections of trail and Water Street, SE to traverse Boathouse Row. After crossing under the 11th Street Bridge, it connects, in order, to the Navy Yard Promenade, Yards Park and Diamond Teague Park. Someday it will connect from there to the Douglass Bridge and Buzzard Point before turning north, but for now, it detours on road on Potomac Avenue, First Street, SW and P Street, SW to Southwest Waterfront Park. From there it turns north along the Washington Channel using the trail in Southwest Waterfront Park, sidewalks and sidepaths along Maine Avenue and the trail in front of the Wharf to its terminus at Ohio Drive and the trails around the Tidal Basin.

In the future, the trail will connect via two routes to the Capitol, via the South Capital Street Trail to Oxon Cove Park and via a new trail segment in Kenilworth Gardens and a bridge over the Anacostia to the National Arboretum. In 2018, it was branded as part of a larger Anacostia River Trail Network that included the Marvin Gaye Trail, the Suitland Parkway Trail and its extension, the proposed Shepherd's Branch Trail, the proposed Lincoln Connector Trail, the 11th Street Bridge Park, the Oxon Run Trail, and the Pennsylvania Avenue Trail.[50]

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See also

References
  1. "Anacostia River Trail Network" (PDF). Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  2. The Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan (PDF). 2003. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  3. "final national mall plan / national mall plan / environmental impact statement environmental impact statement volume 2 volume 2" (PDF). Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  4. Trails for America. Department of Interior Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. 1966. p. 145.
  5. "Anacostia Riverwalk Projects Project Overview". Archived from the original on 12 November 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  6. Siglin, Doug. "A grand Bicentennial project was partly built on Kingman and Heritage Islands. Now most traces have disappeared". GreaterGreaterWashington. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  7. Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, Environmental Assessment. National Park Service. 1981.
  8. "The Military Sealift Command fleet tug USNS MOHAWK (T-ATF-170) is moored at pier 1 near the memorial destroyer BARRY (DD-933) at the Washington Navy Yard". Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  9. Barthelmes, Wes (5 August 1957). "Anacostia Freeway Work Starts Soon". The Washington Post.
  10. "Anacostia Freeway Now Open All the Way". The Washington Post. 8 August 1964.
  11. "Anacostia Riverwalk Trail Study". Archived from the original on 11 January 2005. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  12. "Benning Road Bridge Replacement over the Anacostia River | Volkert Engineering, P.C." volkertengineering.com. Volkert Engineering, P.C. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  13. Debbi, Wilgoren (4 November 2004). "The Start of Something Beautiful". The Washington Post.
  14. Dupree, Jacqueline (16 March 2011). "Navy Yard Opening Their Riverwalk for 'Limited Public Access'". Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  15. "Directions for Riding Interim Anacostia Riverwalk Trail". The Washington Post. 4 November 2004.
  16. Cranor, David. "January 2007 DC BAC Notes". Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  17. Alexander, Keith (8 May 2007). "Construction Begins on Segment Of 16-Mile Riverwalk Trail". The Washington Post. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  18. Cranor, David. "WABA Ballgame and Anacostia Riverwalk Trail opening". TheWashCycle. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  19. Dupree, Jacqueline. "Diamond Teague Groundbreaking, With Photos". Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  20. Eisenhuth, Scott (27 April 2010). "Park Named for Slain Teen Opens". NBC4. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  21. "Work Begins on Capitol Riverfront's "Crown Jewel"". DCMud. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  22. Niedowski, Erika (29 December 2009). "DDOT Starts Construction on 11th Street Bridge Project, Sort Of". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  23. "Save the Date: Local 11th Street Bridge Celebration". Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  24. ANACOSTIA WATERFRONT INITIATIVE 10 YEARS OF PROGRESS (PDF). September 2010. p. 18. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  25. Capital Space: A progress Report. January 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  26. Jamieson, Dave (10 September 2010). "Reporting on pedestrian life in the D.C. area PUBLIC SPACE The Anacostia Waterfront Initiative: Ten years in, DDOT gives a tour of the progress". TBD.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  27. Cranor, David. "Anacostia Riverwalk's "Wetlands" Bridge to open April 24". The WashCycle. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  28. "Bridging the Waterfront in Southeast". DCMud. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  29. Dupree, Jacqueline. "New Yards Park/Teague Park Bridge Dedication Scheduled for Nov. 22". jdland.com. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  30. Cranor, David. "Cause of Anacostia RR Bridge Overpass Delay: Ospreys". TheWashCycle. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  31. Cranor, David. "Osprey Bridge is Open!". TheWashCycle. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  32. "Construction To Start on Maine Avenue, SW Trail Widening and Eastbound Roadway Resurfacing Project". DC DOT. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  33. Cranor, David. "New Maine Avenue Section of Anacostia Riverwalk Trail Improves Walking and Biking Between Tidal Basin and Southwest Waterfront". The WashCycle. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  34. "The Wharf Groundbreaking Ceremony". Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  35. Iannelli, Nick (12 October 2017). "The Wharf opens along DC's Southwest waterfront". WTOP. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  36. "Spring Brings Construction Start of Anacostia Riverwalk Trail's Long-Awaited Linkage of the District of Columbia and Maryland". Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  37. Dupree, Jacqueline. "Ground Ceremonially Broken for The Riverfront at Florida Rock". jdland.com. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  38. Dupree, Jacqueline. "Virginia Ave. Tunnel Utility Relocation Work Now Underway, For Real". jdland.com. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  39. "Virginia Avenue Trail now open all the way to 9th Street". Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  40. "Parcel 11 Construction Progress". 1 January 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  41. O'GOREK, Elizabeth (5 June 2017). "Developers Dedicate New Waterfront Park To Congresswoman Norton". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  42. @Wash_cycle (4 June 2020). "The tiny section of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail next to the Maren opened recently" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  43. Goodno, Mike. "The Installation of a Cycle Track on 2 nd Street, SW" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  44. "Work Underway at River Point". Southwest...The Little Quadrant That Could. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  45. "Cianbro is currently working in Washington, D.C. along the Washington Channel". Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  46. "Demolition Begins at 1900 Half". Southwest...The Little Quadrant That Could. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  47. Smith, Max (18 August 2019). "Reversible lane, lower speed limit coming to East Capitol St. bridge". WTOP. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  48. @BowmanKingman (23 September 2019). "New #bikeDC connection from East Capitol st near #RiverTerrace to east bank Anacostia River Trail complete!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  49. @@msussmania (9 December 2019). "P St SW 2-way cycletrack" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  50. "AWI Anacostia River Trail Network" (PDF). Retrieved 27 December 2018.

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