Trail Users Are Encouraged to Report Conditions Via Twitter Using #CCTSnow
SILVER SPRING, MD—Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is launching a pilot snow removal program this winter for the Montgomery Parks portion of the Capital Crescent Trail, located in Bethesda. Parks staff will clear snow on three and a half miles of the trail starting at the Bethesda Avenue entrance point to the Montgomery County / Washington D.C. line, as well as along 12 feeder trails. Parks staff will begin clearing the trail within 24 hours from when snow stops falling.
Regular updates on the status of snow removal along the trail will be posted on Montgomery Parks’ website at www.MontgomeryParks.org/CCT during and after snow events. Trail users are welcome to contribute updates on the conditions of the trail via Twitter using #CCTSnow.
Funded by the County, the program includes a one-time allocation to purchase special trail clearing equipment, as well as support to cover staff time.
“We recognize that many people rely on the Capital Crescent Trail for commuting and appreciate the county’s support of this pilot program enabling us to respond to the needs of county residents,” said Mike Riley, Director of Montgomery Parks.
The Capital Crescent Trail is a ten-foot wide, 11-mile hiker-biker trail connecting Silver Spring to Georgetown in Washington D.C. It is one of the most heavily used trails in the United States and is a recognized commuter trail by the Maryland Department of Transportation. Montgomery Parks operates and maintains three and a half miles of the trail—the portion which will be cleared as part of the snow removal pilot program.
“Existing data tells us that the Capital Crescent Trail is heavily used, particularly for commuting,” said John Nissel, Deputy Director of Operations for Montgomery Parks. “As part of this pilot program we will be updating the data with newly installed counters to better analyze trail use and guide future operations and maintenance.”
The new automated trail user counters will provide information on weather conditions as well as the total number of trail users traveling in each direction and detect how many are bicyclists.
The snow removal program does not include salting of the trail or ice removal. People are encouraged to stay off the trail until snow is cleared and to use caution when accessing the trail following snow removal.
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About The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks manages more than 36,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 420 parks. Montgomery Parks is a department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. The M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other