“ my wife and I have been trail riding in Upper Montgomery County for almost 50 years . Because of the Agricultural Reserve we are blessed with some of the best trail riding in the country . Occasionally it is necessary to ride along roads in order to connect some of our horseback riding trails . Although many of our roads that were dirt and gravel 30 or 40 years ago are now paved , we still feel that the trail riding here is excellent .” For everyone ’ s sake , slow down if you see horseback riders near the road , never honk , and please give the horses a wide berth .
Traveling the Reserve roads is an excellent excuse to get lost . Take a chance and turn off your GPS and just see where the roads take you . Whether it ’ s the charm of dappled sunlight , the serenity of the woods and fields , or the mystical feeling that you might be somewhere far away in time or place , let your imagination wander . Sometimes the magic of these country roads of the Reserve even inspires a song , as they did in 2013 when a local band , Smoke n ’ Mangos sang , “ Are you coming home today down old River Road ? Are you coming home today ‘ cross that old ferry boat ?” ( www . youtube . com / watch ? v = DUIbHlgzV9g )
advertorial
Is Monorail in Our Future ?
By Robert Eisinger
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission ( MNCP- PC ) is working feverishly to make a long-range determination on the best way to optimize land use and transportation on 270 . They are looking at a number of transit alternatives that would enhance the County ’ s economic base while creating very smart growth in proper locations , reduce automobile traffic and carbon emissions , and preserve water quality in the Ag Preserve by not expanding 270 ’ s asphalt footprint .
As part of the process , The High Road Foundation has been working with the Maryland Department of Transportation ( MDOT ), as well as with MNCPPC , to formulate one of those options : Monorail . The Foundation ’ s experts include the President of the International Monorail Association ( IMA ), as well as one of the foremost international transportation consultants , formerly the President of Bombardier Transportation . MDOT asked the Foundation to review and comment on the first draft of the Monorail Study , which has been done , and MDOT expects to release the study by the end of March 2021 .
MDOT ’ s final study is actually quite conservative . The assumptions used to make their determinations of vehicle speed and passengers on 270 are well below established limits . The Foundation alerted them to those factors in their reporting and provided additional supporting data , however the preference was to err on the conservative side . Nevertheless , the Monorail Study offers a very bright possibility for the future of our region . Although everything seems to come with a caveat these days , the Foundation believes MNCPPC will be very pleased … and hopefully the County ’ s citizens as well . Stay tuned !
Ellen Gordon is a long-time civic activist with Sugarloaf Citizens ’ Association . She is a former coastal issues analyst , writer and editor of stories about the ocean and the people who study it . An avid horseback trail rider , an avocational herbalist , and an enthusiastic chaos gardener in the veggie patch , Ellen chooses the outdoors whenever she can — in the fields and woods , the ocean , the mountains , and her yard .
Monorail can safely share space with a bike path or walking trail ; it also has a perfect safety recdwhen it comes to collisions with any other vehicles .
www . thehighroadfoundation . org l Info @ thehighroadfoundation . org