Bethesda Avenue pedestrian detour (Video+Photos)

Work has begun on the Capital Crescent Trail improvements alongside Ourisman Honda on Bethesda Avenue. The project was proposed by the dealership after it was found Ourisman had built a new garage in the public right-of-way along the trail, and Montgomery County folded up like a card table rather than enforce code and property violations.

A pedestrian detour has been opened on Bethesda Avenue at the dealership, and it's quite nice compared to the illegal total sidewalk closures at other construction sites downtown. The path has been specially paved with asphalt on Ourisman's site, and even has white stripes at the borders. There is another such detour along the affected portion of the trail itself.

The temporary pedestrian detour paved on
Ourisman Honda's property

Bethesda Trolley Trail, basketball & tennis courts to temporarily close inside Battery Lane Park

Another trail disruption in downtown Bethesda will send pedestrians and cyclists out of their way for most of the next year. This time, it's the Bethesda Trolley Trail. The section of the trail inside Battery Lane Park will be closed potentially until next summer, because it will be used as a staging area for park renovations. Montgomery Parks says the closure is also necessary for safety reasons. The existing basketball and tennis courts in the park will be closed for the same reasons during the renovations.

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A detour to reach the next segment on either side of the closure has been designated (see above map). Renovations to the popular park will include will include a new playground area, trail widening, fitness equipment, site furnishings, and shade tree plantings. Watch for wayfinding signage when work is underway.

Sneak peek: Georgetown Branch Trail detour sign in downtown Bethesda (Photos)

There's controversy over what route the detour of the Georgetown Branch Trail will take during the years of construction of the Purple Line along the trail's current route. But a sign has appeared with a cover over it, and underneath is a Georgetown Branch Trail detour sign. The sign is at Woodmont Avenue and Hampden Lane in downtown Bethesda.

Photo tour of Capital Crescent Trail detour at Bethesda Row

If you recall my photo tour of the new park and common areas behind The Flats at Bethesda Avenue apartments last week, you can now see it for yourself by taking the Capital Crescent Trail detour between Ourisman Honda and Woodmont Avenue. 

Not much choice here but
to take the scenic route

Walk behind The Flats

Approaching
Woodmont Avenue

Cross Woodmont, then
go to Bethesda Avenue and
cross to rejoin the CCT

Looking back where you just came from

New crosswalk on Bethesda Ave.
if you are headed to Bethesda Row

Not this one

Pardon their dust

HILLANDALE ROAD NOW ENTIRELY CLOSED NEAR LITTLE FALLS PARKWAY IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The portion of Hillandale Road between Little Falls Parkway and Willett Parkway is now closed indefinitely in both directions. A recent partial collapse of a culvert pipe below the road had caused the inbound lane to close. Now that section of the road is entirely closed, and drivers are being asked to use Arlington Road to detour around it. A statement from Montgomery County Government says that the road section will remain closed "for an undetermined amount of time." 

STREET WORK TO AFFECT PEDESTRIANS, DRIVERS ON NORFOLK AVE. IN BETHESDA STARTING WEDNESDAY

Clark Construction has notified property owners near its 7770 Norfolk Avenue construction site that street work will affect travel by pedestrians and automobiles over the next 7 weeks. Starting Wednesday, September 3, there will be closures and detours on Norfolk, as contractors make deep utility and pipe connections for the 7770 Norfolk apartment tower project below the street. A second, smaller site by the property's Fairmont Avenue side will also be impacted.

The work on Norfolk Avenue will be between Fairmont and Woodmont Avenues. Given that the sidewalk has already been closed on the 7770 side of Norfolk there, one must assume that pedestrians will be affected on the Veterans Park side of the street. A memo on the project says the utility work on Fairmont will be a utility connection between the center of the street (underground) to the 7770 site (see image above; click to enlarge for detail).

7770 Norfolk is being developed by the JBG Companies.

BETHESDA AVENUE DETOUR THIS WEEKEND AT BETHESDA ROW (PHOTOS)

Watch for a detour on Bethesda Avenue at Woodmont Avenue this Saturday and Sunday, between 4:00 AM and 9:00 PM. (Note that the person who programmed the electronic signs below did not have a 2013 calendar handy!)

It would be smart to allow extra time for driving and/or riding the Bethesda Circulator bus in that area of Bethesda. This could turn out to be a huge mess around the Row this weekend.

I might suggest using Elm Street if you are coming to Bethesda Row this weekend. All nearby public and private garages have access via Elm Street. You still may encounter backups on Elm, if they direct cars that way on the detour, however.

I'm sure nearby businesses will be thrilled by this closure! Obviously, this is due to the construction directly adjacent to the intersection.

WOODMONT PEDESTRIAN DETOUR CLOSED - BETHESDA ROW CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

The Woodmont Avenue pedestrian detour I wrote about last week  has been permanently sealed off now by Clark Construction, according to Jane Mahaffie of Stonebridge Associates.

Mahaffie says the closure took place Monday, September 10.  I cannot dispute that, because I did not physically go up to the path every day last week.  However, I did check it every night from the Barnes and Noble corner to see if lighting had been added, just not close enough to see that it had been fenced off.  The idea that civilians would somehow just know - through ESP? - that the pathway would close at a later date, is naivete on the developer's half at best.  You can't blame citizens, if you fail to inform them.

Overall, the Woodmont Avenue shutdown operation went like clockwork, and was very impressive.  I just think the question about this pathway fell through the cracks.  All along, I've had lists of the many "moving parts" involved in this project - what's to be done, and when.  Nowhere was it mentioned specifically how pedestrians would access buildings south of Bethesda Row via Woodmont.  Then this detour appeared.

I stand by the points made in my post.  If you examine the photos, you can clearly see that the fencing - and the fact this was left open - very neatly defined a detour.  Many people were using it that weekend.  So many, that it took time to get the photos, waiting for pedestrians to get out of the way for clear photo shots.  And while it was open, it was unsafe at night.  If the pathway was really not a pathway, it should not have been made to resemble one, and never should have been left open.  That was an invitation for trouble, and it's just fortunate nothing happened along there.

The other issue is, this closure really places a burden on those trying to live a car-free lifestyle around Bethesda Row.  One must take the long way via Wisconsin Avenue.  This minor point was not really emphasized in the pre-closure public relations.

On the bright side, we are two weeks closer to getting our 900-space parking garage!

BETHESDA STORM SHOTS: PHOTOS FROM THE STORM OF THE CENTURY

Here are photos from around Bethesda, in the aftermath of the Storm of the Century:

80 MPH wind shear hit Foong Lin restaurant
"Uh oh, better get MAACO!"

Stop means stop - except in Bethesda!

Bethesda natives know to head to Talbert's on River Road
for ice when power goes out - the line was out the door!

River Road was closed between Springfield Drive and
Ridgefield Road due to storm damage.

This is River Road, looking [south]east towards Washington, D.C.
T2 Metrobuses joined all traffic on Ridgefield Rd. detour.

Another victim of 80 MPH wind shear was this tree
just north of downtown Bethesda [Photo: David Heyman]

Police tape prevents drivers from turning at
dark intersection of Wisconsin and Norfolk Avenues.

Ice Truckers of Bethesda!  Business was booming for
this truck selling ice at 7-11 on Fairmont Avenue.

Soccer fans arriving at Union Jack's for Euro Cup 2012 finals
were greeted by these signs announcing the bar
was closed due to power outage.

By the evening of July 2, most power in downtown Bethesda had
been restored.  This was the view looking north on Norfolk Ave.

Bold Bite, BlackFinn and Veterans Park
were ready for the summer crowds.

A Florida Light and Power crew that just finished a job in Bethesda
rushes to batten down the hatches as a thunderstorm hits on July 3.

A Bethesda resident's helpful note directing Pepco to a
dangerous situation off River Road.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY COOLING CENTERS - BETHESDA STORM UPDATE

For the many without power and AC:

3 cooling centers are open in Montgomery County:

Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville

Clarksburg High School in Clarksburg

White Oak Recreation Center in White Oak

*Bring any prescription medications you need with you*

RIVER ROAD DETOUR

Much traffic, including T2 Metrobuses is being diverted from a stretch of River Road just north of the Ridgefield Road-Little Falls Parkway commercial strip onto parallel Ridgefield Road.  Ridgefield Road is a 2  lane road through a residential neighborhood.  With speed bumps!  Slow going.  Avoid, avoid, avoid!

BETHESDA LIBRARY on Arlington Road is open to the public as a limited hours cooling center.  The county has not specified the hours.

MORE STORMS APPROACHING!

Monitor weather channels and @BethesdaRow on Twitter for the latest!

WATCH OUT FOR THAT [*OUCH!*] CAPITAL CRESCENT TRAIL DETOUR IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA!

Drivers have been suffering since Lot 31 closed for construction of The Darcy 6 weeks ago.

Now it's cyclists' turn.

Unless your name is Amanda Bynes or Super Dave Osborne,
SWERVE RIGHT at this CCT detour! (Photo: BTS)

Bethesda Transportation Solutions is warning Capital Crescent Trail users entering the downtown area from the west (by Ourisman Honda) of this temporary, 2 month detour.

If you're a regular on the trail, you've already noticed this.

The detour is not really designed with cyclists in mind, as you can tell from the sharp turn.  So slow down, or you could crash head-on into a fellow biker or pedestrian around the bend.