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SJE -- I'm not arguing that you're making a bad argument. But funding streams, sources, and agencies do make a difference.

The biggest problem is when "parks" departments run trails that are used for transportation. Transpo agencies have very different missions from Parks agencies (not that they do any better, generally, on snow removal from trails).

IMO, this is a big issue in Montgomery County, and my sense of this is that it is only going to get "worse" from the standpoint of bicycling for transportation, at least there. Parks departments have two missions: conservation and use. They consider conservation the primary mission. So many places where there are trails now, they'd rather the trails weren't there.

As far as snow removal goes, I've argued that a "friends" organization should pilot snow removal, see how it works, and then work to get the dept. to take the mission on, or to deal with it through a MOU with the MCDOT. Alternatively, the parks dept. could contract with the Bethesda Urban Partnership to do it (if they are allowed to do fee for services, and fee for services outside of their specific service area--I would argue that because the trail serves Bethesda, even the trail sections outside of their specific service area are relevant to their mission).

by Richard Layman on Jun 15, 2011 5:37 am • link • report