Metropolitan Branch Trail Update: City Awarded Funds to Complete Local Trail Designs

In September 2023, the Maryland Department of Transportation announced that the City of Takoma Park was awarded a grant to complete the technical plans for a full upgrade of the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT).

The $465,000 award through the state’s Kim Lamphier Bikeways Network Program will build on the preliminary design efforts completed in June 2023. The preliminary designs propose widening and resurfacing the existing trail, which currently does not meet Montgomery County or industry standards for a high-volume trail of its type. The design also proposed pedestrian-scale lighting, improved crossings, stormwater management infrastructure, and new striping on the trail. The City’s section of the MBT will connect with new sections of the trail in both the DC and Montgomery County, currently under development.

The next steps for the project include the finalization of the funding agreement with the state and then the selection of a contractor to complete the design work. Upon selection of a contractor, additional rounds of community engagement will be initiated to refine the preliminary designs.