Shady Grove Access Bike Path Completed

County Executive Ike Leggett (left) helped celebrate completion of the Shady Grove Access Bike Path that extends from Shady Grove Rd. to Redland Rd. Joining Leggett were (from left) MoBike Chair Jack Cochrane; Joe Fritsch, cyclist; Charles Hynson, MoBike member and bike commuter; Gary Thompson, bike commuter; Gregory Billing, Washington Area Bicyclist Association advocacy coordinator; and Transportation Engineering Division Chief Bruce Johnston. At left is a Bikeshare bike, which will soon be seen at a station on the west side of the Shady Grove Metro Station.

Completion of the Shady Grove Access Bike Path was celebrated by officials, bikers and walkers, alike, because it means there is a safe pathway to the Shady Grove Metro Station for bicyclists and pedestrians and a connection to other area sidewalks and bikeways. By improving access to transit, residents may be encouraged to not only travel by bike, but also combine bicycle trips with buses, Metro and walking.

The new 10-foot bike path extends 4,700 feet from Shady Grove Rd. to Redland Rd. along the east side of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metro Access road. The project includes a bikeway ramp from the new bike path to an existing bikeway on Crabbs Branch Way. To enhance safety, a pedestrian-activated traffic signal was installed at the crossing to the Metro station.

“This bike path is an important component in increasing safe access for pedestrians and bicyclists as our Smart Growth Initiative transforms the Shady Grove area into a walkable, bikeable community,” said Leggett.

Bike parking is available at the Shady Grove Metro Station. The County’s Bikeshare program will have a station located on the west side of the Shady Grove Metro -- part of a 21-bike station system with 200 bikes that will be installed in the Rockville and Shady Grove/Life Sciences Center area. The downcounty bikeshare system will have 30 stations with 250 bikes located along both of the Red Line Metrorail corridors between the District of Columbia and the Beltway.

The Department of Transportation plans additional improvements to extend bike connections along Needwood Rd. eventually connecting to the ICC (Inter-County Connector) and Rock Creek Regional Park.

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