The Baltimore City government has received the final $4 million necessary to extend the Jones Falls Trail into Mt. Washington, city officials said last week.

The fifth leg of the trail's expansion would mean the construction of a walking and biking trail from Cylburn Arboretum through Mt. Washington to end at the Mt. Washington Light Rail Station.

Gennady Schwartz, chief of capital development for the city's Recreation and Parks Department, said he expects construction to begin on the expansion in November 2011.

"I'm extremely excited," said Ira Kolman, president of the Mt. Washington Improvement Association. "This is what the vast majority of residents have been wanting for years."

The Jones Falls Trail is a hiking and biking trail that runs parallel to the Jones Falls.

The trail currently extends 4.25 miles from Penn Station to Clipper Mill and passes by a number of historic mills, the scenic overlook at Round Falls and the Baltimore Street Car Museum.

When completed, the trail will stretch 12 miles from the Inner Harbor to Lake Roland.

The funds from the state's Department of Transportation mean the fifth phase of the installation, which brings the trail to Mt. Washington, is now fully funded. The sixth phase would extend the trail into Baltimore County and Robert E. Lee Park, Schwartz said.

The expansion into Mt. Washington had its detractors, but many of them have been won over, Kolman said.

"There was a very small but vocal group of people who opposed the trail," he said. "You are never going to make everyone happy, but even some of them finally saw that this is a good thing for our community."

In October 2007, more than 100 people came to a meeting about the proposed leg of the trail that would run through Mt. Washington; most opposed it, saying it could lead to a loss of green space and a lack of security.

The concern most commonly expressed was that the trail as planned would spoil the tree-lined community's atmosphere.

The trail will be located near the Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital, and the impact on the environment there will be "very minimal," Schwartz said last week.

"This was a very hard-fought project, and it was very challenging to get everyone to come to a consensus," he said. "It's a highly intelligent community. They have very good questions."

Three phases of the trail have been installed and, so far, no one has been bothered by crime, Schwartz said.

"For some reason, criminals don't like to go on the bike trail," he said.

Kolman said he plans to buy a new bike to use on the trail.

"We now are a green society," he said. "Mt. Washington has always had people who were interested in the environment. This will encourage people to exercise more than we used to. People can use a bike to get to work."

He said the Jones Falls is a hidden treasure in a metropolitan area.

"It's just beautiful," Kolman said. "People don't even realize it. We have a wild wilderness right here in the city of Baltimore. People have no idea. I would love to get on the trail, take my bike and go downtown."

---

user comments (1)

user bryanstark says...

Where can I find a map of the current and proposed trail system?

Posted 6:03 PM, 07.20.10

• Permalink