Seeking Feedback for the Future of the Anacostia River Trail

Many of us already know and love Anacostia Park – an oasis for recreation, community gatherings, exercise, education, and more. The Anacostia River Trail is a key element of how many park visitors get to and experience the park. It’s already a well loved and well used community resource, but the trail is currently only about 9-feet wide, which leads to crowded conditions and the potential for conflict between trail users walking, strolling, biking, or scooting. Let’s ensure the future plans prioritize the safety and comfort of park visitors and trail users of all modes.

The National Park Service (NPS) is currently seeking feedback to improve Anacostia Park, including the Anacostia River Trail. Share thoughts on the revised design concepts for the future of Anacostia Park by August 30th. This is your final chance to voice your opinions on the design plans.

Dive into the Details:

The Anacostia River Trail is a paved, multi-use trail that runs along the Anacostia River from Southeast DC into Maryland for more than 21 miles. The trail offers views of wooded areas, marshlands, and access to points of interest including Anacostia Park, DC parks, sports fields, and other landmarks, and connects community members to points of interest, metros, shopping, jobs, and more.

Anacostia Park spans more than 1,100 acres along the shores of the Anacostia River in DC. The park currently offers many recreational and outdoor opportunities including a skating pavilion, playgrounds, picnic areas, fishing, tennis courts and multi-use sport fields. The NPS is currently looking at ways to improve the area of Anacostia Park between the 11th Street Bridge and south of the CSX tracks, just past the Anacostia Park Skating Pavilion.

The NPS has developed three design concepts based on earlier ideas from the community. Elements of each design may be removed or added to another design, based on this round of feedback. Any of the proposed Anacostia River Trail design solutions could be implemented into any of the three park concepts.

The NPS seeks feedback on the trail design that would reduce conflicts between people using the trail (walking, strolling, biking, etc.), keep the trail near the water or at new waterfront spaces, increase shaded areas and include more seating, more options fo rest and relaxation, and build in more nature-based stormwater management features to address flooding.

The proposed options for the trail are to:

1. Maintain the existing trail and add bike lanes with a space buffer to Anacostia Drive

A. Pros:

1. A dedicated bike lane will improve the safety and comfort of people who choose to ride on the road.

B. Cons:

1. The proposed bike lanes do not include physical barriers, only a space buffer and/or parked cars.
2. Not all people on bikes are comfortable riding in an unprotected bike lane.
3. This option would have the greatest increase in impervious surface in the park.

2. Separate Trail Users by Mode-type with a Buffer

A. Pros:

1. This option creates separate areas for trail users of different modes (running/walking vs. biking/scooting) that is off the road.
2. This option provides the best opportunity to increase the canopy coverage along the trail with shaded seating areas.
3. Confident riders may still choose to ride on Anacostia Drive.

B. Cons:

1. ???

3. ) Widen the Current Trail with Different Areas for Different Types of Users

A. Pros:

1. This option provides a more comfortable experience for trail users by expanding the available off-road trail and provided separation between trail users of different modes
2. Confident riders may still choose to ride on Anacostia Drive.

B. Cons:

1. NPS says this option “does not reduce potential for conflicts between trail users as much as the other two, but still provides a more comfortable experience for trail users.”

The NPS comment form will ask for your feedback on the park redesign options and has a few specific questions about how to improve how people walk, biking, and driving get around and interact with each other. We encourage you to share thoughts on overall designs for the park as well as the trail.

1. What do you like about Concept 1? What could be better?

2. What do you like about Concept 2? What could be better?

3. What do you like about Concept 3? What could be better?

4. What is one improvement you want to see most at Anacostia Park?

5. Of the options related to reducing conflicts between vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, and others along the waterfront, which do you prefer?

• Option 1: Add a bike lane to Anacostia Drive
• Option 2: Create a separate trail for bicycles next to the existing Anacostia River Trail
• Option 3: Widen the Anacostia River Trail
• Option 4: Keep existing layout for Anacostia Drive and Anacostia River Trail

6. Do have any additional thoughts for the project team?

Share your feedback with the NPS now, before the August 30th deadline.