(11/09) On November 8, Frederick County Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Joe Kelley attended Walkersville’s Planning Commission meeting to discuss plans for the Frederick and Pennsylvania Line Railroad Trail.

This trail will eventually connect Frederick County’s Rails with Trails to Woodsboro and potentially further, providing not only a recreational path but a route for commuters to the City of Frederick. In July, the county received a $5.28 million construction grant for Phase I of the project, which will connect Monocacy Boulevard to Walkersville’s Fountain Rock Nature Center. Phase I will also include a bicycle and pedestrian bridge over the Monocacy River.

At November’s meeting, Kelley stated that Phase I will start late in 2023, with design for Phase II (between Fountain Rock and Devilbiss Bridge Road) expected to begin around the same time and be completed by the end of 2024. The county has received an additional grant that will cover the entire design of Phase II.

Kelley emphasized collaboration and transparency between the county and the town of Walkersville, pointing out that in all phases of the project, there will be many areas in which residents and town staff can provide input and feedback. "Before we applied for any of these grants, we came to the town commissioners and everybody was unanimous in their support," said Kelley. Moreover, Kelley stated that the county was eager to tie into any separate pedestrian and bike routes that the Town of Walkersville (as well as other involved towns like Woodsboro, Middletown, and Brunswick) may have planned.

Although the F&P Line Railroad Trail is currently supposed to be 10 feet wide and consist of asphalt, planning commission member Russ Winch expressed concerns about potential e-bike use on the trail. As e-bikes (electric bikes) gain popularity, many jurisdictions have struggled to decide whether to widen paths, include regular road signs on trails, and place restrictions on speed. In response, Kelley noted that there are restrictions on permissible types of e-bikes but that the county will carefully consider trail width and signage as it relates to e-bike usage and pedestrian safety.

The multitude of benefits provided by this trail were reiterated both by Kelley and planning commissioners, who pointed out that in addition to commuter use, recreational use will be furthered by connections between Walkersville parks like Fountain Rock and Heritage Farm, as well as outside parks like Utica which would provide athletes with access to turf fields and other resources.