7rider
07-05-2008, 06:26 AM
Hey MD folks....
WTOP reports on the ICC's Hiker/Biker trail (http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1434554)today.
They'll be accepting public comments (http://www.mcparkandplanning.org/Transportation/icc/icc_bike_path.shtm)at a public session on July 10th.
I'm still a little torn on the ICC in general. The idea of cutting off time for travel to G'burg is appealing, but I'm not convinced the cost justifies it. The hiker-biker trail certainly added appeal - particular for DH looking for a safe bike commuting route into his work in G'burg.
For non-local folks, the ICC (Inter-County Connector) is a very controversial highway project joining the communities of Laurel and Gaithersburg in Montgomery County, MD, just north of Washington DC. It cuts through some nice open area - and opens up access to a lot of new area for development, adding to suburban sprawl. In fact, a driving force for this is a HUGE development project in Laurel. The bulldozers are already hard at work on that project.
The trail was originally part of the plan, but in a (as one commenter in the TOP article put it) "bait and switch" move, was pulled - citing the usual cost overrun concerns. A trail that is like <0.1% of the total budget of the project is the first to get axed. Hmmmm....not much savings there.
WTOP reports on the ICC's Hiker/Biker trail (http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1434554)today.
They'll be accepting public comments (http://www.mcparkandplanning.org/Transportation/icc/icc_bike_path.shtm)at a public session on July 10th.
I'm still a little torn on the ICC in general. The idea of cutting off time for travel to G'burg is appealing, but I'm not convinced the cost justifies it. The hiker-biker trail certainly added appeal - particular for DH looking for a safe bike commuting route into his work in G'burg.
For non-local folks, the ICC (Inter-County Connector) is a very controversial highway project joining the communities of Laurel and Gaithersburg in Montgomery County, MD, just north of Washington DC. It cuts through some nice open area - and opens up access to a lot of new area for development, adding to suburban sprawl. In fact, a driving force for this is a HUGE development project in Laurel. The bulldozers are already hard at work on that project.
The trail was originally part of the plan, but in a (as one commenter in the TOP article put it) "bait and switch" move, was pulled - citing the usual cost overrun concerns. A trail that is like <0.1% of the total budget of the project is the first to get axed. Hmmmm....not much savings there.