Join Tomorrow's Ribbon Cutting for New Sidewalk Making Travel Along Route One that Bit Safer (And history of those 2 pillars)!

📷 courtesy of College Park City University Partnership

Put on your fancy shoes and hats, people! The ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new sidewalk/bike path connection between Albion Road in College Park and Riverdale Park Station in Riverdale Park is this Thursday (4/5) morning, 8:30am at the corner of Albion Road and Baltimore Ave!

Sidewalk while under construction. 📷 courtesy of CPCUP

If you’re not sure why this path is a big deal, consider that prior to it, there was no safe way for folks to walk/bike from the Albion Road side of College Park & Route One to or beyond the new Riverdale Park Station development (unless they wanted to go down the trolley trail side, which isn’t always convenient if your home is along Route One and you’re carting 5 bags of groceries with you). As someone who used to live in College Park’s Calvert Hills, I can only imagine how this will make things so much more convenient and safe for folks traveling along that side of Route One.

Wondering about these two pillars at the top of the sidewalk? They’re a part of our local history according to College Park City University Partnership: “In a nod to the area’s history, the path winds between the original pillars marking the entrance to the former MacAlpine House, built by Charles Baltimore Calvert in 1863. It served as the family home for many years, and later became the Longfellow School for Boys.”

Here’s more from the College Park City University Partnership’s Media Advisory:

“In Spring 2018, a much-needed sidewalk between Albion Road and Riverdale Park Station opened. This was a true collaborative effort between the City-University Partnership, the City of College Park, Prince George’s County (including CM Glaros and Executive Baker’s office), WMATA, Riverdale Park Station, and the State – particularly the 21st and 22nd District Delegations (Senators Rosapepe and Pinsky, and Delegates Barnes, Frush, Peña-Melnyk, Gaines, Healy, and Washington).

The Partnership was awarded a $350,000 state bond bill to increase pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure between College Park and Riverdale Park Station. Working with the City, County, and property owner, construction began in early December, with completion expected in winter/spring 2018. This work included the completion of a pervious, ADA-compliant sidewalk and lighting across WMATA land along Baltimore Avenue. This one block stretch lacked sidewalk and because of topography, it was dangerous, forcing pedestrians into the busy road.”