Regional Trails Network to include 242 Miles of Multi-Use Hiking and Biking Trails in Prince George’s County
The Prince George’s County Council, during session on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, unanimously adopted Council Resolution CR-62-2021, legislation supporting the Capital Trails Coalition and the Capital Trails Network.
The Capital Trails Network is a connected system of multi-use trails located in the jurisdictions that comprise the Metropolitan Washington region. The Capital Trails Coalition seeks to create a world-class network of 881 miles of multi-use trails that are equitably distributed throughout the Washington D.C. metropolitan region, including 242 miles in Prince George’s County. The network currently includes 89.6 miles of completed trail.
CR-062-2021 requests the County Executive and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, as well as the State of Maryland and the Federal Government, assist in prioritizing Prince George’s County Capital Trails Network projects for funding. The legislation also endorses the completion of 40 priority projects of the Capital Trails Coalition Network by 2025.
District 3 Council Member Dannielle Glaros, proposer of the legislation, says the benefits of trails and open space cannot be underestimated.
“Our residents want and deserve access to trails and open space, not only for leisure activities, but for the environmental and health benefits as well. Additionally, the Capital Trails Network, if expanded in Prince George’s County, will broaden transit options and employment opportunities, giving residents more options for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. This will be a game-changer for Prince George’s County and I want to thank my Council colleagues for joining as co-proposers of the legislation.”
Once completed, the Capital Trails Coalition estimates nearly 4 million people, including more than 500,000 working-age adults in Prince George’s County, will live within a 2-mile walk or ride of the network, giving them access to jobs, businesses, transit, and recreational opportunities, while also reducing the region’s greenhouse gas emissions by bolstering its sustainable transportation network.
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