The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is seeking public input on the Langston Boulevard STARS study. The study proposes multiple improvements that affect accessibility and pedestrian/cyclist activity, access, and safety along the 1-mile of Langston Boulevard (US 29) nearest the Mount Vernon and Custis Trails. The VDOT study team has released preliminary concepts to address concerns identified through an earlier period of public comment. We encourage you to give your input by clicking completing this online feedback form by December 4th, 2025. You can rate each of the six intersections on a scale of 1 (unsatisfied) to 5 (excellent). Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail is satisfied with the proposals and will be rating all intersections with a 5.
In particular, we are excited about the final intersection, US 29 at North Lynn Street / I-66 Ramps frequently referred to as the “Intersection of Doom.” Please feel free to express your enthusiasm about the major change regarding right-turns off of I-66. Cars will no longer be allowed to turn while the trail crossing/crosswalk (connecting Mount Vernon and Custis trails) is enabled. This is a huge improvement for trail users in the Rosslyn area.
Provide feedback by December 4
VDOT is accepting Provide feedback on Langston Boulevard STARS study project feedback through December 4
Have you had a terrifying experience crossing Lynn Street between the Mount Vernon Trail and Custis Trail, often referred to as the Intersection of Doom? The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is conducting a survey of the Route 29 Corridor in Rosslyn to identify safety improvements. Comments are due by March 12th.
Google Street View captures the dangers of crossing Lynn Street between the Mount Vernon Trail and Custis Trails. Two right turn lanes have a green light at the same time that trail users have the crossing signal. Visibility is poor for drivers and it’s impossible to look both ways simultaneously for oncoming trail users.
What’s so dangerous?
This crossing is extremely dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. This crosswalk is a major thoroughfare for cyclists and pedestrians, as it connects the Mount Vernon Trail to the Custis Trail and offers access to Rosslyn as well as Georgetown, Capital Crescent, and C&O Towpath via the Key Bridge. The two right lanes turning right onto N Lynn St are both permitted to turn right while the crosswalk signal is on “walk”. The “walk” signal to cross N Lynn St begins while only the far-right lane is allowed to turn. However, the signal remains on while the second-from-right lane becomes allowed to turn. Often, these drivers assume that the “walk” signal is over (given the increased permissions for cars) and accelerate quickly. The danger is exacerbated as cars in the right lane block the view of cars in the other lane.
FoMVT suggested comments
Question 1: Rank Pedestrian safety and accessibility, bicycle safety and accessibility and corridor safety/intersection safety in your Top 3.
Question 2: Include inadequate bicycle facilities, inadequate/missing crosswalks and pedestrian signal timing, running red lights and speeding/aggressive driving in your response.
Question 4: Include difficulty when walking, difficulty accessing businesses, poor signal coordination and difficulty when riding a bicycle in your response.
On the Map: Drop a safety pin on the crosswalk between the Custis Trail and the Mount Vernon Trail on Lynn Street and provide a comment about how dangerous this crossing is because of the double right turns when trail users have a crossing signal.
Make sure to identify other areas on the map where you would like safety improvements. We want it to be safer to travel between the trail, Gateway Park and the businesses and residences in Rosslyn on foot or bike.
Provide feedback by March 12
VDOT is accepting STARS US 29 Study – Arlington project feedback through March 12
Arlington County is seeking public input for the design of the Crystal City to DCA Bridge. The bridge will provide a direct connection from the Mount Vernon Trail to Crystal Drive and the terminal entrance at National Airport. The bridge will be 20 feet wide and provides the opportunity to create the safest and most comfortable access between Crystal City, the Mount Vernon Trail and the airport, but only if there’s public support for these design choices. See an overviewPDF of the current status of the project.
There are two major challenges to making this a great project:
1. There is a competing vision that this bridge should be park-like with paths that narrow, meander and have vertical obstructions. The Crystal City Connector trail to the Mount Vernon Trail sees over 300,000 users per year. We expect this bridge will be incredibly popular with a mix of people walking, biking and scooting. The bridge’s design should prioritize providing space between people on foot and people on wheels so that the bridge experience is not similar to using the trail at Gravelly Point.
2. Access to the bridge at Crystal Drive is through a staircase, making it difficult for people with mobility issues, people on bikes and people with rolling suitcases to access the bridge. It also creates limitations on access for maintenance equipment and emergency response. The design should incorporate ramp access to the bridge from Crystal Drive or at the very least runnels.
Question 7: Rank Pedestrian/Cyclist separation and Other as Most Important. Enter “Ramps and/or runnels to the bridge on Crystal Drive to make the bridge accessible to people with mobility challenges and bikes” as the reason for other.
Question 8: Rank Pedestrian/Cyclist separation as most important
Question 9: Rank Other as most important
Question 10: Enter “Ramps and/or runnels to the bridge on Crystal Drive to make the bridge accessible to people with mobility challenges and bikes”
The past year was a whirlwind of growth for the Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail, with awards, growth in volunteers, new events, media opportunities, new partners, and major trail improvements. In our fourth year as a Philanthropic Partner of the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), it feels like four years of stuff happened just in 2024.
We continued to grow and invest in our volunteer leaders, adding six new leaders. Six of our leaders completed Weed Warrior Training, and three completed Tree Steward training. We added our first youth leader and joined the celebration as she received Volunteer Alexandria’s Youth Volunteer of the Year Award. We also celebrated the marriage of our leaders Anna and Bryan.
It was also a year of new partnerships. Volunteer Arlington invited us to participate in a Cocktails and Causes night. We welcomed employees from Nestlé for their Day of Service. We were the beneficiary of the ALX Dog Walk and were able to bring GWMP’s B.A.R.K. Ranger program to the event. We also partnered with Bunch Bike, and our new cargo trike has been fantastic for hauling tools and marketing our group. We ended the year by joining the Old Town North Alliance and are excited to work on trail improvements in the Old Town North Small Area Plan.
Trail enhancements
We also celebrated major trail improvements. GWMP completed a new 14-foot wide bridge through Dyke Marsh, creating room to safely stop and enjoy the marsh habitat. We also collaborated with GWMP to renovate the Peter B. Webster III Memorial Area, which has a new frost proof water fountain, benches and bike racks.
Support Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail
Great things are yet to come for the trail. We helped secure a $475,000 grant to replace water fountains and a $6,750 grant to replace bike racks on the trail and are expecting installation of the bike racks in 2025. We also adopted a strategic plan that will guide us through the next three years of improving the Mount Vernon Trail.
You’ve probably noticed a lot of improvement on the Mount Vernon Trail since we began weekly volunteer events in October 2020. Those efforts received national recognition this year when we received the National Park Service’s Excellence in Volunteerism Group Impact Award! Help us continue to make significant improvements on the trail in 2025. All donations made through 12/31 will be matched 3X up to $10,000!
Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail leaders pose with GWMP staff after receiving the National Excellence in Volunteering Award.
Our volunteers and donors made a significant impact on the Mount Vernon Trail in 2024, including:
Provided 4,141 volunteer hours, equivalent to $210,694 of labor.
Completed 721 repairs or improvements on the trail.
Removed 404 trail bumps.
Patched 86 potholes.
Helped install improvements at the Peter B. Webster III Memorial Area including a new water fountain, benches, interpretive signage, bike rack and invasive plant removal.
These improvements are only possible because of trail users like you. Make a donation today and every $1 you donate becomes $3 thanks to the support of a generous trail supporter.
Before and after of renovations at the Peter B. Webster III Memorial Area completed by NPS and FoMVT.
Big improvements are coming to the trail in 2025! We’ll be replacing bike racks on the trail in the next few months thanks to a $6,700 grant from Athletic Brewing. Thanks to a $475,000 grant we helped secure, new year round water fountainswill be installed on the trail in 2025.
Most grants require some matching funds from the applicant. The amount of donations we receive this year is the largest factor in what trail improvements we can fund. Make your 3X matchedinvestment in the trail today!
Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail (FoMVT) was one of 170 organizations selected to receive a Two For The Trailsgrant from Athletic Brewing Company in 2024. Named after Athletic Co-Founder and CEO Bill Shufelt’s family tradition of taking two brews to toast post-trail adventures, this program gives back up to $2 million annually to protect and restore outdoor spaces across the globe. Grant funds will be used to replace 5 bike racks on the trail. The new racks will replace the older bike racks currently on the trail.These racks are referred to as “wheel bender” racks because they only allow locking to a bike’s tire. They can cause damage to bike wheels, create higher risk of theft, and are incompatible with the diversity of bikes commonly seen on the trail, including cargo bikes and recumbents. As a result, cyclists leave bicycles unsecured or locked to benches and trash cans. The absence of bike racks also discourages potential cyclists who might otherwise choose to bike if secure parking options are available.
Current bike rack at Belle Haven Park which will be replaced using grant money
“We are excited for this grant because it will allow for increased access to the Mount Vernon Trail by people of all ages, physical abilities, and economic backgrounds. Providing access to secure bike parking accommodates adaptive cycles such as trikes as well as wider family cargo bikes.” shared FoMVT President Judd Isbell.
“For the first time in our history, Athletic Brewing will donate $2 million in a single year through our “Two For The Trails” program, supporting a wide range of outdoor projects across the U.S., UK, and Canada. This essential funding will directly benefit the environment and communities where our customers live, work, and adventure, helping to protect, enhance, and sustain outdoor spaces for generations to come. We aim to provide safe, equitable access to the great outdoors and look forward to seeing the transformative impact of these projects,” said Athletic Brewing Company’s B Corp. and “Two For The Trails” Manager Cara Wilson.
About Athletic Brewing Company
Athletic Brewing Company is the largest and most decorated non-alcoholic brewery in America. Athletic is revolutionizing how modern adults drink by crafting game-changing NA beer that can be consumed anytime and anywhere. Launched in 2018, Athletic is now the number one non-alcoholic beer brand in America and a top 20 U.S. brewing company. Its award-winning brews are available nationwide at over 50,000 retailers and 25,000 on-premise venues. Athletic operates custom breweries in Connecticut and California and donates up to $2 million annually to protecting and restoring outdoor spaces across the globe via its Two For The Trails program. Athletic is proudly a Certified B Corporation™. Learn more and shop at www.athleticbrewing.com.
The Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail believes in the importance of training and education to help us become the best caretakers of the trail. Three FoMVT volunteer leaders recently took part in a 10-week training hosted by Tree Stewards of Arlington & Alexandria to learn about tree identification, pruning, planting, urban tree problems, pests, soils, stormwater, and invasive species. Our volunteer leaders learned a lot and are excited to teach others the best practices and techniques. In total FoMVT has four trained tree stewards, 22 trained weed warriors, and four Wilderness First Aid-trained volunteer leaders.
“The Tree Stewards training has awakened my curiosity. It’s like learning a new culture or language, in that I can better see and appreciate the biodiversity that’s always been there. We can’t wait to share this knowledge and use it to inform our FoMVT work.”
Trainee Pete Nuwayser
2024 FoMVT Tree Steward Trainees Pete Nuwayser, Matt Gluth, and Sara Carioscia, with Tree Steward Russ Bailey and a young swamp white oak, at a planting event at Four Mile Run Park
The George Washington Memorial Parkway installed a new water fountain on the Mount Vernon Trail at the rest area near the Old Stone Bridge and Alexandria Ave. The water fountain replaces the water fountain installed in 1987 by a previous incarnation of the Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail. The new water fountain is a frostless fountain which will be able to remain on year round and includes a water bottle filling station. Replacement included installation of new underground plumbing as well as a new concrete pad.
The rest area was designated as the Peter B. Webster III Memorial Area by Congress in 2018. Funding for the water fountain was provided by donations made to the National Park Foundation in Webster’s memory. In addition to the fountain replacement, the existing bench, bike rack and interpretive sign will be replaced with the assistance of the Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail.
Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail will host a volunteer event on 8/31 at the Peter F. Webster III Memorial area to help complete the project. Sign up to help at mountvernontrail.org/events
Support the Mount Vernon Trail
You can help us continue to improve the Mount Vernon Trail by volunteering or donating.
On Sunday, May 19, the new and improved Bridge 23 opened after just over a year of construction. Spanning Dyke Marsh and 1,070 feet long, the rebuilt wooden viaduct is now up to modern standards at 14 feet wide. The upgrade also includes improved railings other either side. New helical piles are more resilient against Potomac River estuary storm surges.
Construction proceeded with minimal impact to the marsh. From the NPS press release:
The bridge was constructed using an innovative method to minimize the footprint of the project and to prevent harm to the underlying marsh ecosystem. Each bridge section was built individually, with construction equipment on top of the previously installed sections. To eliminate the need for construction equipment to drive over the marsh, new sections were then added from the top of the bridge, bypassing the standard approach of building up from the bottom
Dedication
A brief ceremony dedicated the new Bridge 23. George Washington Memorial Parkway superintendent Charles Cuvelier was joined contractors, community members, Dan Storck, Mount Vernon District Supervisor and Rep. Don Beyer (VA-8) in the ribbon cutting.
A group of nine people participate in a ceremonial ribbon cutting for Mount Vernon Trail Bridge 23 over Dyke Marsh. Photo by Marc Mitchum
Check out Bridge 23 on YouTube Google Streetview
FoMVT also uploaded video of new Bridge 23 to Youtube.
George Washington Memorial Parkway superintendent Charles Cuvelier presents the 2023 NPS Excellence in Volunteerism Impact Award: Team Category for Region 1 to Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail president, Judd Isbell. Photo by Marc Mitchum.
This award is a tribute to the thousands of volunteers who have donated over 10,000 hours to make the Mount Vernon Trail better for all users.
Support the Mount Vernon Trail
You can help us continue to improve the Mount Vernon Trail by volunteering or donating.
Arlington County is seeking input on a redesign of Gateway Park in Rosslyn. Located at the intersection of the Mount Vernon Trail and Custis Trail, Gateway Park could be a great trailhead location to get water, use the restroom or take a rest. Let the County know that the redesign should include some trailside amenities and safer road crossings to enjoy the park.
Show your support
Take 5 minutes to complete the survey on what you want at the Park. In the comment boxes, we suggest providing the following feedback:
Improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists to get to the park, particularly fixing the “Intersection of Doom” where cars exiting the highway have a double right turn green light at the same time that trail users have the signal to cross Lynn St.
Frostless water fountains with water bottle fillers
More bike parking and a bike fixit stand
Signage on the trail indicating there is a park with water and bathroom facilities
