Cyclists say it's the trail that leads to nowhere.
Some residents and riders who have used the newly opened Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail, which connects pedestrians and cyclists on both sides of the Potomac River to Prince George's County and Alexandria, Va., say that despite its hype, planners still have a ways to go in fully integrating the trail into other trail networks and sites in the county.
"People coming across from Virginia are like, ‘Where do we go?,'" said Mark Holt of Fort Washington, coordinator for the Southern Prince George's Trails Coalition, a group advocating for bike and hiking trail expansion in south county. "As far as connecting to the trail network in the Maryland side, [the connection] is not there — Oxon Hill Road is it."
The $15 million trail connection, part of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project, opened June 6 to much fanfare with politicians and residents from throughout the metropolitan region gathering at the trail's Potomac Waterfront Park. Planners have likened the quality of the trail's views to that of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Riders also say they are miffed that the 1.1-mile trail ends when approaching the National Harbor development, as the asphalt pavement gives way to a seashell road covering that riders say is difficult to ride and is a dead end, as cyclists are not allowed to ride along the shoreline in the development.
Rocell Viniard, a National Harbor spokeswoman, said the seashell trail was designed as a pedestrian trail and not for bikes, because of the residents and hotels on site, adding that cyclists are allowed to ride along the streets at National Harbor.
"For a lot of cyclists, it's unpleasant [to ride]," said Jim Hudnall of Fort Washington, a member of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club. "I'd like to see it have better connections to other trails in the area."
Holt says he and other cyclists hope to see better signage when crossing the bridge that would direct riders to historic sites and parks in Oxon Hill and Fort Washington. The trail points only to National Harbor, he said, leaving visitors crossing the bridge with few options as to where to go.
Prince George's residents, he said, also have a tough ride to the trail because they can connect to it only via Oxon Hill Road, which is designated as an on-road passage for the Potomac Heritage Trail but is a heavily trafficked route that is not always friendly for pedestrians and cyclists.
"Ultimately we want to make it so that the communities can easily connect to trails and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge crossing," Holt said.
The county plans to make a stronger connection between the bridge trail and the Potomac Heritage Trail, according to the county's Department of Public Works and Transportation. The added trail section would include a dedicated bike lane on Oxon Hill Road, but funding for the project has yet to materialize.
Laura Connelly, a planner for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, said that the newly installed 700-foot-long stone dust path that runs adjacent to National Harbor's portion of the bridge trail would be easier for cyclists to ride.
"I think the Woodrow Wilson Bridge trail is a welcome addition [to the county's trail network]. We will be working to ensure there is an adequate connection to the trail in the future," she said.
E-mail Joshua Garner at jgarner@gazette.net.
