Biking irony in today's newspaper

The cover story on the real estate section of this morning's Washington Post, "Bike commuters face uphill battle in finding suitable rentals," is about how increasingly, accommodation of bikes within housing developments and access to trails and paths is one of those "location, location, location" aspects to real estate that is becoming important to greater numbers of real estate buyers. Among other things, the article mentions the "Pedal to Properties" real estate brokerage, a franchise operation where in part, potential buyers tour neighborhoods by bike.

The second section of the Saturday real estate section is always ads but with a front page article leader, "Where the water unites and divides," that focuses on a specific neighborhood, today it's the Lake Frank neighborhood in Montgomery County.

The subhead of the article "Some fear bike path to Lake Frank will spoil peaceful atmosphere" and the discussion of broader access for County residents to a nearby public lake park is a big part of the article:

Purcell said the biggest draw of the community is the lake, which is named after one of the founders of the environmental group the Wilderness Society -- and who also worked to preserve the area around Rock Creek.

"It is most peaceful and provides families with an opportunity to commune with nature and have a perfect retreat from the hectic life of the city," Purcell said.

But just how people have access to Lake Frank has been a contentious issue this year. In June, the Montgomery County Planning board approved a 10-foot-wide paved bike path along the lake's shore, connecting with the Rock Creek hiker-biker trail that continues through the county and into the District. While a mostly unpaved three-mile-long trail currently winds around the lake, there is little access to it.

The new trail would pass about 100 feet behind several houses in Manor Lake, and some residents worry that an influx of bicycle riders and walkers would diminish the peaceful atmosphere.

"The biking trail will bring more bike traffic where it has always been uncrowded and a perfect place for families to walk," Purcell said.

At the same time, other residents welcome an additional avenue for recreation.

"While it's controversial for some of the neighbors, a lot of bikers -- and, of course, kids -- want the trail," Kordell said.

It's true that trails, especially in areas where there aren't many trails, bring about a significant increase in bicyclists, especially on weekends when recreational riders take to the roads and trails. It is a surprise that the article doesn't suggest that bike trails increase crime, so that is a step forward.

But 100 feet isn't much, and increasingly, almost in the way that the first article discusses the increased interest in biking accessibility and property purchases, I find that people are willing to live immediately adjacent to trails, with little in the way of a buffer at all.

House abutting the Northwest Branch Trail, Prince George's County

As the Northwest Branch Trail makes it's way through Hyattsville, there are houses immediately abutting the trail. The same is true of the #8 and #9 Trolley Trails in Catonsville, in Baltimore County, Maryland.

People on the Catonsville #9 Trolley Trail in winter. Note the houses and commercial buildings in the background.

In fact, the #9 Trolley Trail was created in large part by neighborhood residents, and by one person who lived next to then abandoned trail, in order to convert an abandoned streetcar line used by "bad elements" for late night antics and mayhem and for dumping vehicles and other trash and debris, into a usable community asset. (See "Input sought on safer bicycle, walking paths in western county" from the Catonsville Times.)

Connected places are safer places.

I do think the issue with the Lake Manor residents is more about their having an almost private park, even though it is publicly owned and supposed to benefit the entire county, and how by adding a connection to the Rock Creek Trail, more people will begin using the park, which somehow reduces their quality of life, when rather they have been over-benefiting because of their proximity to a publicly owned civic asset that has inadequate access currently.

It's not really about biking at all.


The #8 Trolley Trail in Catonsville is very short, less than 3/4 of a mile long. It connects Frederick Road and Edmondston Avenue as well as schools, a couple of small apartment complexes, residential housing, and a small commercial district and it is a nice community asset.


House abutting the Catonsville #9 Trail.


A lady walking her dog on the Catonsville #8 Trolley Trail. She lives in an abutting apartment building, and chose to live there in part because of the trail.


Runner along the Catonsville #8 Trolley Trail. As you can see, houses-lots immediately abut the trail. Some houses have fences, either open or closed. Some houses don't have fencing, or have put gates in their fences, in order to have rear access from their properties to the trail.


In New Orleans, "Exposition Boulevard" is not a street but a walking path, and abuts Audubon Park. Houses on the path face the path, with an address based on the path, rather than a rear access alleyway.