Wikipedia

Custis Trail

TheCustis Trailis a hilly 4.5 miles (7.2 km)-longshared use pathinArlington County, Virginia.Theasphalt-paved trail travels alongInterstate 66 (I-66)betweenRosslynand theWashington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail(W&OD Trail) at Bon Air Park.[1][2]

Custis Trail
Length4.5 mi (7.2 km)
LocationArlington County, Virginia,U.S.
Established1988
DesignationShared use path
TrailheadsEastern: West end of trail bridge overGeorge Washington Memorial Parkway38°53′53″N77°04′06″W/ 38.898145°N 77.068374°W/38.898145; -77.068374(Eastern trailhead)
Western: Intersection withWashington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail38°52′45″N77°08′20″W/ 38.879126°N 77.138784°W/38.879126; -77.138784(Western trailhead)
UseBiking, running, walking
Grademoderate climbs; trail elevation increases from east to west
Difficultymoderate eastbound; moderate to strenuous westbound
SeasonAll
MonthsAll
SightsTrees and shrubs near trail.
Distant views on overpasses.
HazardsStreet crossings in first 0.7 mi (1.1 km) from eastern trailhead, especially at:
N. Lynn Street38°53′57″N77°04′15″W/ 38.899069°N 77.070756°W/38.899069; -77.070756(N. Lynn Street)
N. Fort Myer Drive38°53′57″N77°04′19″W/ 38.899127°N 77.071876°W/38.899127; -77.071876(N. Fort Myer Drive) Winding trail:
Multiple blind curves on hills adjacent to highway sound walls near street overpasses of I-66.
90 degree turn at base of hill near I-66 overpass of Four Mile Run and western trailhead38°52′46″N77°08′10″W/ 38.879572°N 77.136110°W/38.879572; -77.136110(90 degree turn near I-66 overpass of Four Mile Run).
SurfaceAsphalt
Websitehttp://bikewashington.org/trails/wad/custis.htm
Custis Trail
Map of the Custis Trail
Map all coordinates in "Custis Trail" usingOpenStreetMap

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History

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TheVirginia Department of Transportation(VDOT) constructed the $2.5 million Custis Trail beside I-66 (named theCustis Memorial Parkwayin Virginia east of theCapital Beltway) from 1977 to 1982.[3][4][5]VDOT originally did not plan to build the trail, but added it to the I-66 project to help the highway gain federal approval and funding after the federal government rejected the initial plans.

East of Glebe Road (Virginia State Route 120), I-66 and the Custis Trail were both built on and near the former right of way of theWashington and Old Dominion Railroad'sRosslyn spur, which the highway department had purchased in 1962. In late 1972, the county received permission to build a 1.3 mile temporary, natural surface bike trail on the right-of-way east ofSpout Run,which was called the Spout Run Bike Trail.[6]The trail was to open by early 1973 and was in place by 1976.[7]The more hilly Custis Trail replaced this relatively flat route, on which I-66 now travels.

On August 8, 1977, VDOT officially began constructing the Custis Trail (or I-66 Trail, as it was originally called) and the section of I-66 in Virginia east of the Beltway.[5]The trail opened during the summer of 1982. In October, VDOT opened most of the new highway to cyclists and pedestrians for one day.[8]VDOT opened the 10 miles (16.1 km) segment of I-66 between theTheodore Roosevelt Bridgeand the Capital Beltway to motor vehicle traffic on December 22, 1982.[9]

The Custis Trail originally extended for 8.5 miles (13.7 km) to Lee Highway (U.S. Route 29) in East Falls Church (seeList of neighborhoods in Arlington County, Virginia).[4]However, the section of the Custis Trail that travels betweenBon Air Park[ceb]and East Falls Church was later informally re-branded to become a part of the W&OD Trail.[1]

On June 11, 1988, an extension of the trail and a bridge over theGeorge Washington Memorial Parkwayopened at the trail's eastern end. The extension and the bridge connected the trail to theMount Vernon Trail,a 17 miles (27 km)-long shared use path that travels along the Parkway near the west side of thePotomac RivertoAlexandriaandGeorge Washington's home atMount Vernon.[10]

In 2018–19, VDOT, in cooperation with the Arlington County government, removed a lane of Lee Highway near the eastern end of the trail (between North Lynn Street and North Oak Street). The lane's removal enabled VDOT and the county to increase the width of that section of the trail from 10 feet (3.0 m) to 16 feet (4.9 m) and to widen the trail's buffer from 3 feet (0.9 m) feet to 8 feet (2.4 m).[11]

Description

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The Custis Trail's easterntrailheadis at the trail's lowest elevation (33 feet (10.1 m)).[12]The trail connects at the trailhead to the Mount Vernon Trail, which provides access to threePotomac Rivercrossings into downtownWashington, D.C.,and theNational Mall:[1]

250 yards (229 m) west of the trailhead, the Custis Trail connects at North Lynn Street to theFrancis Scott Key Bridge,thus creating connections toGeorgetown,to the southern end of theCapital Crescent Trailand to theChesapeake and Ohio Canaltowpath.[1]The trail then follows a hilly route along I-66 through Arlington County until reaching its western trailhead at the trail's junction with theWashington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail(W&OD Trail) at Bon Air Park nearFour Mile Run.[1][13]The western trailhead is 75 yards (69 m) east of North Patrick Henry Drive's overpass of I-66, the W&OD Trail and Four Mile Run.[1]

The trail reaches its highest elevation (299 feet (91.1 m)) near the North Harrison Street overpass of I-66 and the trail, west ofBallston.[14]The trail descends from that high point to the western trailhead, whose elevation is 233 feet (71.0 m).[15]

The Custis Trail crosses I-66 three times along its route:

The trail has five at-grade street crossings, all of which in a section of the trail that travels next to the westbound traffic lanes of Lee Highway in and near Rosslyn.[1]After the trail crosses I-66 on the Lee Highway overpass west of Rosslyn, the trail travels next to I-66 and crosses all streets on the highway's underpasses and overpasses.[1]

The trail has a 300-yard (274 m)-long spur that travels east to Fairfax Drive (Virginia State Route 237) along the westbound entrance ramp toI-66in Ballston.[1][19]The spur connects to Ballston's streets and to theBluemont Junction Trail,a 1.3-mile (2.1 km)-longrail trailthat meets the W&OD Trail and theFour Mile Run TrailatBluemont Park[ceb]inBluemont, Arlington.[1]

Name

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Web pages and other sources sometimes identify the Custis Trail as the "Nellie CustisTrail "[20]or the "Martha CustisTrail ".[21]However, no documents show that the trail ever bore the name of any specific individual. In 1980, there were discussions of naming I-66 for theCustis family,to which George Washington was related by marriage.[22]

At the time that I-66 was opening east of theCapital Beltway,Virginia highway officials were unofficially calling that section of the road the "Martha Custis Parkway".[23]In 1981, at least one columnist thought the road - and by extension the trail - was being specifically named for Nellie Custis.[24]

The section of I-66 east of the Beltway eventually received the name "Custis Memorial Parkway".[3]Several Arlington County documents have therefore identified the trail as the "Custis Memorial Parkway Trail".[25]

Notes

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  1. ^abcdefghijRoute of "Custis Trail".In"Arlington County Bike Map: 2019"(PDF).Bike Arlington.Arlington County, Virginia:Government of Arlington County, Virginia: Department of Environmental Services.May 2019. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on January 6, 2020.RetrievedDecember 27,2020..
  2. ^(1) Route of "Custis Trail".In"Martha Custis Trail".Bike Washington. Archived fromthe originalon December 29, 2011.RetrievedDecember 25,2011..
    (2)"Bon Air Park".Parks & Recreation.Arlington County, Virginia:Government of Arlington County, Virginia.2020. Archived fromthe originalon December 12, 2020.RetrievedDecember 27,2020..
  3. ^ab(1)"Arlington Virginia List of State Roads".Department of Environmental Services.Government of Arlington County, Virginia.July 14, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2006.RetrievedAugust 23,2010.I-66 Custis Memorial Parkway
    (2)"State Roads".Transportation.Government of Arlington County, Virginia.Archived fromthe originalon April 12, 2014.RetrievedDecember 27,2020.Interstate 66: Custis Memorial Parkway.
    (3)"I-66".vahighways: The Virginia Highways Project.Archived fromthe originalon June 13, 2015.RetrievedDecember 27,2020.Legislative names:Custis Memorial Parkway, I-495 to DC (since 1-21-82).
    (4)Levey, Bob (November 5, 1981)."An Honor That Nellie Custis Doesn't Deserve".The Washington Post.RetrievedDecember 27,2020.Ain't no sense in trying to turn it around, "said D. D. Harris, an engineer for the Virginia Highway Department." Arlington County and Fairfax County agreed a year ago to call it the Custis Memorial Parkway. We've even ordered the signs for the entrances.
    "The only thing that hasn't been done is for final approval to be granted. But that's just dotting I's and crossing T's. It's settled. This is no time to be drumming up business.
  4. ^abHodge, Paul (December 22, 1982)."$2.5-Million Bicycle Path Along I-66 Wins Praise".The Washington Post.RetrievedJune 14,2017.
  5. ^ab"I-66 Inside Capital Beltway Chronology – 77 Years in the Making".McLean, Virginia:Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance. June 3, 2015. Archived fromthe originalon August 5, 2020.RetrievedDecember 28,2020..
  6. ^Eisen, Jack (November 22, 1972). "Rail Roadbed As Bike Trail Is Approved".The Washington Post.
  7. ^Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor Station Area General Plans.Arlington County (Va.). Dept. of Environmental Affairs. Planning Division. 1976.
  8. ^"I-66 Stretch Open Sunday to Hikers, Bikers".The Washington Post.October 20, 1982.
  9. ^"A Long Road Bitter Fight Against I-66 Now History".Local.The Washington Post.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.
  10. ^Brooks, Dudley (June 12, 1988). "Bikers' Bridge".The Washington Post.
  11. ^"Under Construction: Lynn Street Esplanade and Custis Trail Improvements in Arlington County".VDOT: Virginia Department of Transportation.November 21, 2019. Archived fromthe originalon January 7, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 7,2020.
  12. ^(1) Coordinates of eastern trailhead:38°53′53″N77°04′06″W/ 38.898145°N 77.068374°W/38.898145; -77.068374(Eastern trailhead)
    (2)Elevation at eastern trailhead from topographic map at CalTopoArchivedJanuary 12, 2020, at theWayback Machine
  13. ^Coordinates of western trailhead:38°52′45″N77°08′20″W/ 38.879126°N 77.138784°W/38.879126; -77.138784(Western trailhead)
  14. ^(1) Coordinates of highest elevation on Cutis Trail:38°52′48″N77°07′36″W/ 38.880029°N 77.126795°W/38.880029; -77.126795(Highest elevation on Custis Trail)
    (2)Highest elevation on Custis Trail from topographic map at CalTopoArchivedJanuary 12, 2020, at theWayback Machine
  15. ^"Elevation at western trailhead from topographic map at CalTopo".Archived fromthe originalon January 12, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 13,2020.
  16. ^Coordinates of Custis Trail in Lee Highway overpass west of Rosslyn:38°53′49″N77°05′02″W/ 38.897009°N 77.083830°W/38.897009; -77.083830(Custis Trail in Lee Highway overpass west of Rosslyn)
  17. ^Coordinates of Custis Trail within the Lee Highway underpass west of Spout Run Parkway:38°53′46″N77°05′55″W/ 38.896233°N 77.098641°W/38.896233; -77.098641(Custis Trail within the Lee Highway underpass west of Spout Run Parkway)
  18. ^Coordinates of Custis Trail within the Four Mile Run underpass near the trail's western trailhead:38°52′46″N77°08′10″W/ 38.879348°N 77.136144°W/38.879348; -77.136144(Custis Trail within the Four Mile Run underpass near the trail's western trailhead)
  19. ^(1) Coordinates of west end of Custis Trail spur in Ballston:38°52′59″N77°07′17″W/ 38.882969°N 77.121263°W/38.882969; -77.121263(West end of Custis Trail spur in Ballston)
    (2) Coordinates of east end of Custis Trail spur in Ballston:38°52′56″N77°07′07″W/ 38.882162°N 77.118537°W/38.882162; -77.118537(East end of Custis Trail spur in Ballston)
  20. ^(1)"County Board Agenda Item: April 16, 2011:
    SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT: SUBJECTS: Adoption of the East Falls Church Area Plan... "    Government of Arlington County, Virginia.April 14, 2011. p. 5. Archived fromthe originalon December 28, 2020.RetrievedDecember 28,2020.c. Extension of the Nellie Custis Trail past its existing termination at the corner of Quantico Street and 18th Street to Sycamore (Street).    .
    (2)yellowbiketales (February 13, 2008)."Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Virginia".Archived fromthe originalon July 8, 2011.RetrievedDecember 28,2020– viaBlogger.Nellie Custis Trail that follows Route 66 from the Potomac River connects with the W&OD just east of Falls Church..
  21. ^"Martha Custis Trail".Bike Washington. Archived fromthe originalon December 29, 2011.RetrievedDecember 25,2011..
  22. ^Grubisich, Thomas (June 21, 1980). "Routes -- Arlington Looks to History: I-66 May Be Named After Old Custis Family".The Washington Post.
  23. ^Hodge, Paul (December 22, 1982)."$2.5-Million Bicycle Path Along I-66 Wins Praise".The Washington Post.RetrievedJune 14,2017.The "Custis Trail," as the bike path is called, is the counterpart of the Martha Custis Parkway, as Virginia highway officials have dubbed the controversial section of I-66 inside the Beltway.
  24. ^Levey, Bob (November 5, 1981)."An Honor That Nellie Custis Doesn't Deserve".The Washington Post.RetrievedSeptember 10,2018.
  25. ^(1)Donahue, William T., County Manager (November 3, 1999)."Memorandum to the County Board of Arlington, Virginia:
    SUBJECT: SP #331 Major Site Plan Amendment Request... "    Government of Arlington County, Virginia.Archived fromthe originalon December 27, 2020.RetrievedDecember 27,2020.The trail connects to the Custis Memorial Parkway Trail (I-66) to the west....    {{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link).
    (2)Donahue, William T., County Manager (September 29, 2000)."Memorandum to the County Board of Arlington, Virginia:
    SUBJECT: SP #333 (Carry-Over and Amended)... "    (PDF).Government of Arlington County, Virginia.p. 6. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on February 27, 2016.RetrievedDecember 27,2020.The route....., which connects, with the Custis Memorial Parkway Trail (I-66).    {{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
    (3)"County Board Agenda Item: Meeting of July 9, 2005:
    SUBJECT: SP #65 Site Plan Amendment Request... "    (PDF).Government of Arlington County, Virginia.June 23, 2005. p. 3. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on December 27, 2020.RetrievedDecember 27,2020.It connects to other bicycle routes including Custis Memorial Parkway Trail....    .
    (4)"County Board Agenda Item: Meeting of May 22, 2010:
    SUBJECTS: A. GP-319-10-1 General Land Use Plan Amendment... "    Government of Arlington County, Virginia.May 19, 2010. p. 14. Archived fromthe originalon December 27, 2020.RetrievedDecember 27,2020.The Custis Memorial Parkway Trail (I-66) and the.... are located approximately three-quarters of a mile to the north....    .
    (5)"County Board Agenda Item: Meeting of July 16, 2016:
    SUBJECT: SP #413 Site Plan Amendment... "    Government of Arlington County, Virginia.July 8, 2016. p. 11. Archived fromthe originalon December 27, 2020.RetrievedDecember 27,2020.Further to the north, the on-street bike lanes on North Quincy Street connect to the Custis Memorial Parkway Trail (I-66).    .
    (6)"County Board Agenda Item: Meeting of February 25, 2017:
    SUBJECT: U-3468-16-1 Use Permit... "    Government of Arlington County, Virginia.p. 21. Archived fromthe originalon December 27, 2020.RetrievedDecember 27,2020.The Custis Memorial Parkway Trail (I-66) and the.... are located approximately three-quarters of a mile to the north....    .
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