[RP TownTalk] trolley trail - what to call it?

[Dwight Holmes]

I'm not sure why I should be thinking ahead to the day our new bike
trail is operational on such a rainy, dreary day, but so be it. I
finally got around to posting the update on the trolley trail that was
published in the February 2009 Town Crier, complete with map and photo
(that were not included in the Crier). You can find it here, on the
Wiki: http://rpwiki.wetpaint.com/page/Trolley+Line+Hiker-Biker+Trail

There are several reasons why I think it will be absolutely fantastic
to have this trail available for the use of pedestrians and bikers.
For me, first and foremost is that it will really make biking a viable
alternative to the car for doing errands, going out to eat, have a
beer, etc. We are currently blessed with a great network of trails
that, while some do indeed use them for commuting purposes, are
largely used for recreational purposes.  And of course there's nothing
whatsoever wrong with having recreational bike trails -- au contraire.
More is better!  But to be able to add to that the ready ability to
hop on the bikes and get to any of the business establishments
starting with Rhode Island Reds to the south up to any of the many
establishments in "downtown College Park" to our north will really
enhance our lives here in Riverdale Park, I believe.

I only have one question: What will we call the trail?  I fear that it
will inherit some long and cumbersome bureaucratic name, as a result
of its history.  Since it will subsume the old alignment of the
Trolley Line, it is perhaps natural to incorporate that into the name.
You'll note that the M-NCPCC refers to it in the February update as
the "Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail". And I suppose it could be
worse. But I believe it could be better. What do you think? I also
fear that if we do nothing proactively, it will end up with a long,
bureaucratic name that will be too long to use, and then we'll be
reduced to calling it the "bike trail," only to cause confusion since
we already have "the bike trail" a few blocks to the east (Northeast
Branch Trail).

One idea I've had is to tie the route into some even older history of
our area. When Riversdale was one of the few things on the local map,
it shared that distinction with the George Washington House (now home
to the Anacostia Watershed Society offices) and the Rossborough House,
which is now part of the campus of UMd.  The old highway that
connected Bladensburg to Baltimore and served these 3 historical
buildings was known -- as best as I can tell from available online
documents, was the "Old Post Road."  (There may well have been other
old names as well -- do you know of any?).  Although the alignment of
that old 'goat path' highway may not precisely coincide with our
soon-to-be hiker-biker trail, I think it would be a great way to bring
in a bit of local history.  Painted arrows or footprints (or whatever)
could direct tourists from each of the historical places to the trail
itself, and the trail could be marked with "street signs" that say Old
Post Road (or Old Post Road Trail); the signs likely would be brown,
to denote historical significance.  That's one idea.

Another idea plays off the "Alt 1" and "Route 1" highways we have.
Since this trail is by definition "green" since it uses "alternative
power", we ought to be able to come up with a short, sweet, succinct
name for the trail that connotes "alternative," "green" and Route 1
(since it parallels, and provides an alternative route to that ugly,
unbikeable street 2 blocks to the west!)  I welcome suggestions for
exactly what the name could be.  "Alt 1 Green"?  'Alt Green Trail"?
???????????

Creatively done, this could perhaps even help attract some grant
funding - at least for the signs and historical plaques and trail
markings.

It could also provide a more unique and prestigious address to our
Town Center businesses.  Currently there is great ambiguity as to
whether these buildings are on Queensbury Rd. or Rhode Island Avenue.
Why not have them be on Old Post Road? or Alt-1 Green?