Light rail opponents hit Capital Crescent Trail

Eighteen groups join mounting effort to block light rail

The ‘‘Connect with the Capital Crescent Trail” event had a two-pronged purpose — to gather neighborhood groups together on the Capital Crescent Trail, and to show grassroots advocacy by the 18 community and civic groups that hosted the event.

The undercurrent of the morning was the simmering issue of whether a Purple Line light rail train should be built along the Capital Crescent Trail — one of several options the state is considering for its proposed transit link between Bethesda and New Carrollton.

Sam Schwartz, a New York-based engineering consultant hired by the Town of Chevy Chase to study a train’s effects on the trail, led a ‘‘walk shop” presentation aimed at state, local and federal elected officials.

‘‘Today is about explaining what the impacts are,” he said, standing on the trail in front of two life-sized screens depicting light rail train cars.

Schwartz gestured toward a house built a stone’s throw from the trail and explained that property and homes ‘‘would have to be taken” in order to squeeze a trail and two trains into the current right-of-way.

Lawmakers at the event included state Sens. Richard S. Madaleno (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington and Brian J. Feldman (D-Dist. 15) of Potomac, and Del. Alfred C. Carr Jr. (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington. County Council members and U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D-Dist. 8) of Kensington sent representatives from their offices.

The Purple Line proposal has prompted contentious arguments — a conflict reflected by many residents declining to give their names during interviews.

‘‘How many people are going to jump out of their Volvo or their SUV to hop on this [Purple Line]?” asked one such 27-year Bethesda resident.

Trail proponents offered a variety of reasons for their opposition to a Purple Line route along the trail. Noise, storm water management and tree preservation, trail access and safety were top reasons.

‘‘We taught our kids how to ride their bikes on the trail,” said Seth Berlin of Chevy Chase. ‘‘If they swerved into a train ...”

Berlin’s son Ian Berlin added that ‘‘for little kids, it would be really hard for them to go to sleep at night.”

A group of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School students held homemade signs adorned with increasingly popular mantras such as, ‘‘Trail users support transit too!”

The students said their track team, and other athletic teams throughout Bethesda and Chevy Chase, use the trail for practice runs — and for walking to school.

‘‘We’ll probably have to drive to school” if light rail is built, said Annie Guerra, a B-CC sophomore. ‘‘Which kind of defeats the purpose.”

Carr said that as ‘‘a huge transit advocate,” the trail march was a ‘‘valuable event” to see light rail’s impact on the trail. ‘‘I think the question is: Are there alternatives that will give us transit options but also preserve the trail, which is a great resource for our region.”

Rail-trail opponents argue that a bus line along Jones Bridge Road — an alignment the state is considering but which downcounty residents argue isn’t getting a fair look — would provide ample transit opportunities.

The state is expected to release a draft report detailing the various alignment alternatives later this summer.