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48-666: The Mount Vernon Trail ( MVT ) is an 18-mile (29 km) long shared use path that travels along the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Northern Virginia between Rosslyn and George Washington 's home at Mount Vernon . The trail connects the easternmost portions of Arlington County , the City of Alexandria , and Fairfax County , and travels mostly on dedicated trail with a small portion on city streets. As part of U.S. Bike Route 1 ,

96-552: A National Park Service -maintained island within the District of Columbia despite it being located west of the Potomac River . The road has an interchange with the George Washington Memorial Parkway , with both directions of Washington Boulevard accessing the southbound parkway and the northbound parkway accessing the northbound boulevard. Just before the eastern terminus, the boulevard has an exit ramp that travels underneath

144-618: A compacted gravel path from the Mason Bridge and the existing Lady Bird Trail to Slaters Lane in Alexandria, started in late 1971 and it was opened on April 15, 1972. On April 21, 1973, it was extended 7.5 miles south from I-495 to Mount Vernon with a surface of compacted fly ash from the PEPCO plant in Alexandria. The first section was 6 feet wide and cost only $ 27,000 to build due to the work of numerous volunteers who, after NPS bladed

192-506: A one-way residential street heading westbound in East Falls Church , parallel to Interstate 66 ( Custis Memorial Parkway ). It provides an ramp to I-66 west as part of the highway's exit 69. At an intersection with Lee Highway ( U.S. Route 29 and State Route 237 ), SR 237 transitions to Washington Boulevard and Fairfax Drive (the eastbound road in the one-way pair on the other side of I-66. Shortly east of this intersection,

240-594: A parking lot in Arlington County near Mile 17 and Theodore Roosevelt Island , the MVT travels south near the Potomac River until it turns inland to pass between the parkway and the west side of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport . Before reaching the airport, the trail passes through Gravelly Point , where there are often views of arriving and departing airplanes . A connecting trail travels through

288-476: A path (and therefore pedestrians may walk wherever they choose). Shared-use paths alongside the highway often look like sidewalks to motorists. Therefore, at side roads, in jurisdictions where pedestrians do not have priority at side roads, the priority situation at side roads on shared-use paths can be confusing and often cyclists are required to give way to turning motorists. Before the January 2022 revision,

336-609: A signed route number, passing through the Virginia Square and Clarendon neighborhoods. In downtown Clarendon, the road intersects the one-way pair of Wilson Boulevard and Clarendon Boulevard. It also intersects SR 237 once again, this time at 10th Street North. Beyond 10th Street, Washington Boulevard takes a more southern direction and enters the Lyon Park neighborhood. At a cloverleaf interchange with Arlington Boulevard ( U.S. Route 50 ), Washington Boulevard picks up

384-639: A small section of trail in the area under and near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. In 1982-83, a new trail route was built around the east side of the Potomac River Generating Station, on a cantilevered section between the river and the power plant, with costs paid for by the power utility because they were facing legal action for illegally storing coal on federal land. On December 7, 1988, the Park Service expanded

432-635: Is a major arterial road in Arlington County, Virginia and Washington, DC . The western portion is designated State Route 237 (SR 237), the eastern portion is State Route 27 (SR 27) and the center is an arterial road with no designation. A short portion of the road enters the District of Columbia on Columbia Island , providing a connection between SR 27 and the Arlington Memorial Bridge . Washington Boulevard begins as

480-618: The Arlington Memorial Bridge bound for the northbound parkway and US 50 west, before coming to an end at Arlington Memorial Circle, which accesses both the Memorial Bridge and Arlington National Cemetery. The first section of Washington Boulevard was built just north of the Fairfax line of the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church between Falls Church and Clarendon in the 1920s. Between I-395 and Clarendon, Washington Boulevard

528-478: The Highway Code gave no advice to pedestrians on how to share space with cyclists; there was also little guidance given to cyclists. (The 2023 edition covers both aspects. The UK Department for Transport advises local authorities that cyclists and pedestrians should not be expected to share space on or alongside city streets. Sustrans gives advice for cyclists, walkers and runners using shared-use paths on

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576-754: The National Cycle Network . The Milton Keynes redway system is an example of a city-wide network of shared-use paths. The network consists of over 200 miles (320 km) of shared-use paths that avoid the city's busy and fast grid roads (which run between neighbourhoods rather than through them). In the US, the 1999 AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities defines a shared-use path as being physically separated from motor vehicular traffic with an open space or barrier. Washington Boulevard (Arlington) Washington Boulevard

624-550: The Pentagon North Parking lot at two nearby interchanges. The southbound (SR 27 westbound) exit to SR 110 south is signed as "TO I-395 north." North of here, Washington Boulevard crosses the Boundary Channel and enters the District of Columbia . Washington Boulevard exists for just 0.4 miles (0.64 km) within the District, and road signage is scarce. The road travels north on Columbia Island ,

672-812: The Potomac Heritage Trail and the East Coast Greenway , the MVT opened in April 1972 as a gravel path and was subsequently expanded and paved. The MVT is part of the much larger mid-Atlantic Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail . Separate bridle and footpaths were included in the 1890 and 1930 plans for the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, as the George Washington Parkway was called before opening. Provisions for such paths were included in

720-621: The UK Department for Transport found that cyclists and pedestrians prefer wider non-segregated paths to more narrow segregated paths (e.g. a 3 m wide shared path, compared with a 3 m path split into 1.5 m sections). The principal benefit of a shared-use path is saving space. This may be important in environmentally-sensitive areas or on narrow streets, where a full cycle track may not be feasible. Shared use paths are criticised for creating conflict between pedestrians and cyclists and creating complaints from pedestrians and speed. Therefore,

768-628: The Washington Boulevard Trail . In 2003, the Wilkes Street Tunnel Trail, which was constructed between 1980 and 1999 was connected to the on-street portion of the trail at Union Street. In 2006, after it was determined that the bridge over the north entrance to National Airport was deteriorating and that the Mount Vernon Trail was a safety concern because of its close proximity to the roadway,

816-475: The Woodrow Wilson Bridge and passing exhibits and restrooms near Jones Point near Alexandria's south side. After crossing over Hunting Creek and leaving Alexandria, the trail continues south through Fairfax County along the river, passing through the west sides of Belle Haven Park and Dyke Marsh and, after travelling inland, the east side of Fort Hunt Park . The trail then continues along

864-829: The Columbia Pike ( State Route 244 ) by way of the Freedmans Village Bridge. The road then takes a more east–west trajectory as it approaches the Mixing Bowl . The Mixing Bowl interchange connects Washington Boulevard with Interstate 395 , the Shirley Highway . Eastbound Washington Boulevard can access both directions of I-395, while westbound traffic can only access I-395 south and the highway's reversible HOV lanes . The Mixing Bowl also has ramps to and from Arlington Ridge Road and Army Navy Drive, providing access to Pentagon City . East of

912-424: The Mount Vernon Trail opened it has been expanded, widened, connected to and improved many times. In 1976, the City of Alexandria acquired a deed from Norfolk Southern to build a section of the trail from Pendleton Street to E. Abingdon Drive. This extension moved the on-road portion through Alexandria from Pitt Street to Union Street. In 1978, the Park Service built a new, $ 305,000, 1.8 mile paved section of trail on

960-508: The Mount Vernon Trail, adding a barrier to separate the trail users from the traffic, lowering the grade across the bridge to improve sight distance, and adding a pair of trail tunnels under the bridge for safer passage between the Columbia Island Marina, the Mount Vernon Trail and, in the future, Boundary Channel Drive. The trail lane opened on March 18. In 2012, the Park Service realigned the trail at Memorial Circle, moving

1008-481: The National Park Service, after being lobbied by local civic groups led by Ellen Pickering and Barbara Lynch, decided in 1971 to build a full trail along the side of the parkway. The trail idea was not new as the Park Service had been seeking money for a trail to Gravelly Point as far back as 1967. The Mount Vernon Trail was originally built by the Park Service in two phases. Work on the first section,

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1056-698: The Pentagon Memorial to Columbia Pike. That work was completed in December 2017. The second trail is a 0.7-mile (1.1 km) long multi-use trail along the south side of Washington Boulevard from Rolfe Street at Towers Park to Arlington Boulevard and the Arlington Boulevard Trail. It was first proposed in Arlington's 1994 Bicycle Transportation Plan. The first section of the trail, from Arlington Boulevard to Walter Reed Road,

1104-517: The UK, cyclists are legally permitted to cycle on bridleways (paths open to horse riders), but not on public footpaths. Therefore, bridleways are, in effect, a form of shared-use path. On segregated or divided paths, the path is split into a section for pedestrians and a section for cyclists. This may be achieved with a painted line or different surface. It may also be delineated with tactile paving for blind and visually impaired pedestrians. Research by

1152-656: The airport and provides access to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metro Station and the Abingdon Plantation historic site. After passing the airport, the trail crosses Four Mile Run and continues south between the river and the parkway. After reaching Old Town Alexandria the trail's route continues on Union Street. At the southern end of Union Street, the trail becomes an off-street path that travels southward and westward, crossing under

1200-495: The base, spent every weekend for four months spreading gravel. Because it only went to Alexandria, it was referred to as the Alexandria Bike Trail, not taking on the name Mount Vernon Trail until the second section was completed. The second section was 8 feet wide, cost $ 135,000 to build and received help from the U.S. Army Engineer Center at Ft. Belvoir which helped to build the timber bridges and boardwalks. Since

1248-469: The bridge had to be scaled down, lacking the bicycle paths and other touches originally planned. Work was completed in December 2015 and the bridge was dedicated as the "Freedmans Village Bridge" in September 2015. In 2015, VDOT began the work of replacing the bridge over Route 110/Richmond Highway that was built in 1941. Work lasted until May of 2019 when the longer, higher and wider replacement bridge

1296-521: The bridge was rebuilt and the trail was realigned and widened in the area. That section opened in 2007. In June 2009, the trail on the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge opened with a connection to the Mount Vernon Trail and in July 2012, the trail beneath the bridge and approaching it was rebuilt. In 2011, the National Park Service rebuilt the Humpback Bridge, which involved changes to the roadway, widening

1344-627: The construction of key bridges, such as the Boundary Channel Bridge on south Columbia Island and some short paths were built before 1970 in busier areas, but none of these were suitable for long bike rides. One early path was built in 1940 between the Arlington Memorial Bridge and the Navy – Merchant Marine Memorial . That path was eventually connected to the George Mason Memorial Bridge . In 1969, that path

1392-407: The crossing of Washington Boulevard a few hundred feet south and creating a crossing at a right angle to the road. In June 2016, the section of the trail next to the airport was realigned, widened and separated from the parkway. On May 24, 2017, the National Park Service opened a rebuilt Roosevelt Island parking lot that created a new route, with smoother curves for the Mount Vernon Trail, and the trail

1440-501: The designation for State Route 27 , an east–west route despite the boulevard's current north–south trajectory. The entirety of SR 27 is a limited access road , with access to and from the road via only ramps and no intersections or traffic signals. An interchange with Second Street South provides to the Penrose neighborhood as well as the historic Fort Myer , now part of Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall . Washington Boulevard also crosses

1488-530: The edge of the Pentagon and the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial . The trail was originally built concurrent with the Pentagon in 1943 as an unpaved path, but in 1993 the county made plans to pave and grade it. This work was completed in the late 1990s. In 2006, as part of a renovation of the Pentagon following 9/11, a section was built adjacent to the new security wall. Another section along the Pentagon Memorial

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1536-399: The first photographs after the plane crashed. As the plane passed over Washington Boulevard, it clipped several light poles; one light pole landed on the windshield of a taxicab driven by Lloyd England. That section of Washington Boulevard was closed for several weeks following the attacks. At 3:40 a.m. on December 22, 2004, a tank truck overturned and exploded on Washington Boulevard at

1584-451: The interchange with I-395 , near the Pentagon. The accident killed the driver, and sparked initial concerns that this explosion was another terrorist attack. The driver was headed to the Citgo gas station, near the Pentagon. In 2012, work began on a new bridge over Columbia Pike , which had been in planning since 1990. The original bridge dated from the 1940s. Due to budget constraints,

1632-560: The interchange, Washington Boulevard turns north, meeting the eastern terminus of SR 244 at a partial cloverleaf interchange which also serves the south parking lot of The Pentagon , the Pentagon Memorial , and the United States Air Force Memorial . The boulevard continues north, serving as the eastern border of Arlington National Cemetery , before meeting State Route 110 (Richmond Highway) and

1680-509: The paths do not properly take into account the different needs of different road users. For example a study by the Institute for Chartered Engineers found that users of shared use paths were confused about the nature of the path and who has priority on them. Pedestrians are sometimes unsure how to behave on shared-use paths. The question arises whether the path is to be treated as a road (therefore pedestrians should face oncoming traffic), or

1728-848: The river until reaching in its last mile a curving inland uphill climb that ends at Mount Vernon. The Mount Vernon Trail connects to other area hiker/biker routes including: Scenes along the Mount Vernon Trail, from south to north: 38°42′36″N 77°03′41″W  /  38.710008°N 77.061351°W  / 38.710008; -77.061351 Shared use path The path may also permit other users such as inline skating . Contrastingly, motorcycles and mopeds are normally prohibited. Shared-use paths sometimes provide different lanes for users who travel at different speeds to prevent conflicts between user groups on high-use trails. Shared-use paths are criticised for creating conflict between different users. The UK's Department for Transport deprecates this kind of route in denser urban environments. In

1776-540: The trail have been built. In March 1992, work began on the Crystal City Connector Trail that connected the trail to Crystal City via a pedestrian tunnel that had been built when the railway was moved nearly a decade beforehand. The Connector opened on August 22, 1992. Between 1994 and 1999, Arlington County built a trail connection between the Mount Vernon Trail at Memorial Circle and the sidewalk along Washington Boulevard that would eventually become

1824-536: The trail north from Arlington Memorial Bridge to Roosevelt Island where a new bridge over the parkway, which opened on June 11 of that year, connected it to the Custis Trail. Later that same year a new trail segment was built in Fort Hunt Park where the trail had been on road. That represented the last new section of trail. However, many sections of trail have been improved, and several new connections to

1872-683: The two roads merge and Washington Boulevard continues as two-way undivided road. An intersection with Sycamore Street provides access to the East Falls Church Washington Metro station, which serves the Orange and Silver Lines . Continuing east in Arlington County , Washington Boulevard intersects Glebe Road ( State Route 120 ) as it enters Ballston . Here, SR 237 turns south onto Glebe Road. Glebe Road also provides access to I-66 east at exit 71, just north of Washington Boulevard. The boulevard now continues east without

1920-547: The west side of the parkway from Alexandria Avenue to Fort Hunt Road, a controversial project that was held up by legal action over safety and environmental concerns by neighbors. Previously the trail in that area had been on-road. In 1978, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority built a connection from the trail to Washington National Airport 's bicycle parking. In 1979, the original section between Alexandria and Memorial Bridge

1968-501: Was a mostly on-street route, with a pair of trail segments west of Glebe Road. The trail parallels the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the western bank of the Potomac River . Most of the northern half of the trail is open with views of the river and of Washington, D.C. The southern 8 miles (13 km) below Alexandria is largely wooded with limited river views. From its northern trailhead at

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2016-605: Was also widened. In 2023-24, NPS rebuilt bridges #23 and #24 within Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve and near Belle Haven Park. They widened the bridges from 10 feet to 14 feet, added new pedestrian safe handrails and rehabilitated a bench and overlook on Bridge 23. The National Park Service has considered expanding the trail. In 2002, they performed a feasibility study on expanding it north to the American Legion Bridge . The design proposed

2064-416: Was built in 2009–2010. The section, from Walter Reed to Rolfe St. was built between February and November 2018, with the final ribbon cutting on the trail occurring on November 30, 2018. In the future, the two sections are to be connected by a path built in conjunction with a project to expand Arlington National Cemetery. That project will realign Columbia Pike and add a sidepath to connect the two pieces of

2112-489: Was built in conjunction with that project and opened in September 2008. From 2015 to 2018, VDOT rebuilt the Washington Boulevard Bridge over Route 110, later renamed Arlington Veterans Bridge, with a 14' side path replacing the old, narrow sidewalk. At the same time they built the section of trail from the Pentagon parking lot ramp to the security wall section built in 2006 and built a short section from

2160-536: Was built on the right-of-way of the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church's South Arlington Branch in the late 1920s. The road was completed when the section from I-395 to Memorial Circle was built in the early 1940s. On September 11, 2001, many commuters and drivers witnessed the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 as it passed directly over Washington Boulevard and crashed into The Pentagon . Witnesses included Daryl Donley and Steve Riskus, both who took some of

2208-662: Was completed. It was then named Arlington Veterans Bridge. The Washington Boulevard Trail is a pair of shared use paths along the south side of the Boulevard between the Mount Vernon Trail on Columbia Island and the Arlington Boulevard Trail in Arlington. The first of the two trails built was the easternmost section from the Mount Vernon Trail to Columbia Pike. It runs 1.2 miles (1.9 km) through Lady Bird Johnson Park and then along

2256-565: Was paved and in 1980 the section south of Fort Hunt and the one between Alexandria and Alexandria Avenue was paved. In 1980, as part of the construction of seven bridges across Four Mile Run, including bridges for Potomac Yard railroads, Route 1 and the George Washington Parkway, the Army Corps of Engineers built an extension of the Four Mile Run Trail that connected the trail to the Mount Vernon Trail. In 1982, Alexandria built

2304-482: Was paved and renamed the Lady Bird Trail, in honor of Lady Bird Johnson . Before construction of the Mount Vernon Trail, cyclists frequently rode on the parkway. On Sundays, one lane would be roped off for the exclusive use of cyclists. In fact in 1971, cyclists held a "bike-in" along the parkway. Because the route was so popular, and because the addition of concrete barriers in some places would create space,

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