(7/29) On July 20, the Transportation Priorities Board of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments approved a $5.28 million grant to Frederick County for a trail project that has long been in the works.
The Frederick and Pennsylvania Line Railroad Trail has been a priority for Frederick County since at least 2018--and likely included in county planning since the early 2000s.
"This has always been an identifiable project since most of the old rail beds in the area haven’t been used in a long time," said Mark Mishler, Transportation Engineering Supervisor for Frederick County. "It’s been the number one project for several years."
The grant, which will be matched 20 percent by the county (in the amount of $1.32 million), will provide funding for the first phase in what will likely be a three phase project joining Frederick City’s Rails with Trails project and Woodsboro. The nearly $6 million allows construction of several more expensive features of the trail, including pedestrian bridges over Tuscarora Creek and the Monocacy River.
"It sounds like a lot of money for ‘just a trail,’ but this will provide safe access to different parts of the county not only for recreational use, but for commuters as well," said Mishler. "During and even after the pandemic, the number of people walking and biking has grown."
Mishler pointed to the success of the C & O Canal trails, which are ranked one of the most popular national parks in the U.S. and draw at least 4-5 million visitors annually. While the F&P Line Railroad Trail is not quite as extensive, it is projected to increase tourism opportunities similarly, with history spanning from Frederick’s role in the Civil War to the Walkersville Southern Railroad, built as part of the original Pennsylvania Railroad in 1872.
Phase I will consist of a 1.8 mile section of trail from Frederick city limits on Monocacy Boulevard to the Fountain Rock Nature Center. The 10-foot-wide asphalt path will follow the railroad right of way owned by the Maryland Transportation Authority and leased to the Walkersville Southern Railroad.
Future plans indicate that Phase II will connect Fountain Rock and Heritage Farm Park, and Phase III will connect that with Woodsboro. The county will apply for grants to cover Phases II and III as the project progresses.
On the other end of the trail, the City of Frederick is working on the East Street Rails with Trails project, which will connect East All Saints Street to the F&P Line Railroad Trail at Monocacy Boulevard. Phase I of the Rails with Trails project has already been completed between East All Saints and East 7th Street.
Collaboration will be key in all aspects of these projects, which will involve at least three different jurisdictions including the Town of Walkersville. "It will all be coordinated to have the same continuous points," said Mishler.
Grant money comes from the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program Funding, under the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program. According to the MDOT Transportation Alternatives Program Manual, this type of funding aims to aid "projects that strive to enhance the cultural, aesthetic, historic, and environmental aspects of the transportation system."
The county hopes for construction on the F&P Line Railroad Trail to begin in 2023.
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