Washington, D.C., August 12, 2008…The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has begun design for a segment of the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) that will run between New York Avenue and Franklin Street, N.E. in the NoMa (north of Massachusetts Avenue) neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Part of a planned eight-mile pedestrian and bicycle trail between Union Station and Takoma Park, Maryland, this new segment will provide continuous linkage from Catholic University to downtown Washington. Scheduled for completion by mid-2009, this new segment also will provide direct access to three Metrorail stations: New York Avenue, Union Station, and Rhode Island Avenue.At the same time, DDOT and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities have announced their selection of a local artist, Robert Kent Wilson, to create a comprehensive plan that visually unifies the trail. Mr. Wilson will facilitate conversations and workshops with the surrounding communities to gather insight and incorporate design elements that are important to the community. His final proposal will include an overview plan for the trail’s artistic identity and the artistic branding, and a plan for incorporating the branding into the trail’s amenities.

The new trail segment in NoMa will take users over Florida Avenue, under New York Avenue, and over Rhode Island Avenue, allowing them to avoid eighteen lanes of heavily traveled roadway. “We are pleased that the District is moving forward with planned completion of the Metropolitan Branch Trail, which will run through the NoMa area, enhancing NoMa’s status as a multi-modal transportation hub,” said Elizabeth Price, President of the NoMa Business Improvement District (BID). “The trail brings us much closer to our vision of creating a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly neighborhood, where art and design will enliven public spaces and provide opportunities to bring people together.”

Upon completion, the MBT will connect to the Capital Crescent Trail, the Anacostia Tributaries Trail System, and the National Mall, and will be part of the East Coast Greenway. It will be an important recreation and transportation route and will provide direct access to seven of Metro’s Red Line stations. For additional information on the Metropolitan Branch Trail, visit www.metbranchtrail.com or a www.ddot.dc.gov.

About the NoMa BID:
NoMa is an emerging mixed-use neighborhood north of the U.S. Capitol and Union Station in Washington, D.C. Private developers have invested over $1 billion in 2007–2008 alone, with plans to develop more than 20 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, and retail space in the 35-block area covered by the NoMa BID over the next 10 years. For more information about the BID, including an interactive development map, see the BID Web site at nomabid.wpengine.com.