Public Asked to Weigh in on Trail Extension
A study underway by Anne Arundel County, the City of Annapolis, MDOT SHA and biking and walking advocates is looking for public input on a bicycle and pedestrian trail that runs along Poplar Ave. in Annapolis. The county was awarded an $80,000 State of Maryland Kim Lamphier Bikeways Grant in 2019 to study a westward extension of the trail from Taylor Ave. to Admiral Drive.
The first phase of the study has identified three potential trail route alternatives between Admiral Drive and existing pedestrian/bicycle facilities along MD 2. The study team seeks input on these alternatives and how they would be used by pedestrians and bicyclists for both transportation and recreation.
The current trail provides a separated bicycle and pedestrian alternative to the high-vehicle traffic sections of West Street (MD 450), but the current western terminus leaves no alternatives for cyclists to continue westward without using busy roads that have no separated bicycle facilities. The proposed extension would provide dedicated connections between downtown Annapolis and the Parole area. This corridor is also used by many local residents and employees for whom personal vehicle transportation is not an option.
The Poplar Trail is part of an envisioned Anne Arundel County Trail Network, to provide improved regional connectivity to other nearby recreational trails such as the planned South Shore Trail, which will connect Annapolis to Odenton and other points to the north and west. The Poplar Trail also serves as part of the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile pedestrian/bicycle route from Maine to Florida.
The public is asked to provide input by visiting www.aacounty.org/departments/public-works/engineering/capital_projects and selecting “Poplar Trail Extension – Feasibility Study”. Comments and questions can also be sent by email to Adam Greenstein, Project Manager, at [email protected] or by calling 443-569-9587. The public comment period is open until 1/4/2021.