College Park Trolley Trail
Encyclopedia
The College Park Trolley Trail is a 2.6 miles (4.2 km) long rail trail
within the city
of College Park
Maryland
.
The trail
runs on the abandoned right-of-way
of the Washington, Berwyn and Laurel Electric Railway. Streetcars started running on the line in 1903 as part of the Columbia and Maryland Railway and ran until 1962 when the entire DC Transit system switched to bus
es.
The first section of the trail, a 1.1 miles (1.8 km) long stretch north from Paint Branch Parkway to Greenbelt Road, opened in 2002. A second 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long section north to Paducah Road opened in 2005. In 2007 a third section south of the existing trail from Calvert Road to Albion Road opened.
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
within the city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of College Park
College Park, Maryland
College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S...
Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
The trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
runs on the abandoned right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
of the Washington, Berwyn and Laurel Electric Railway. Streetcars started running on the line in 1903 as part of the Columbia and Maryland Railway and ran until 1962 when the entire DC Transit system switched to bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es.
The first section of the trail, a 1.1 miles (1.8 km) long stretch north from Paint Branch Parkway to Greenbelt Road, opened in 2002. A second 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long section north to Paducah Road opened in 2005. In 2007 a third section south of the existing trail from Calvert Road to Albion Road opened.