Happy 50th anniversary, W&OD Trail!
U.S. News & World Report recently selected the City of Falls Church as the nation’s “healthiest community,” due in no small part to the s coursing just one and a-half miles through the Little City’s length, as it traverses northern Virginia between Shirlington at Mile Marker 0 and Purcellville 45 miles west.
With the 2021 completion of the Dual Trails project significantly expanding the trail’s capacities, the showcase paved trail with separate lanes for pedestrians and wheeled riders not only serves as a major catalyst for improving the City’s “health,” “walkability,” “bikeability,” and “livability,” but as a model multimodal transportation artery for the region.
It’s a Celebration
Along the trail at N. West Street near Founders Row, Saturday Sept. 7, the City held a cheerful 50th anniversary celebration for the beloved W&OD Trail in the cool, bright morning air. Near the Northern Virginia Parks (NOVA Parks) and events tents offering free anniversary t-shirts and generous commemorative swag, a lectern and folding seats were set up in the grass, while many passing walkers, joggers, bikers, stroller-pushers, and dog walkers were bustling along the trail soaking in the sunshine.
Speakers at the celebration included City of Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi, NOVA Parks Vice Chair, Paul Baldino, Friends of the W&OD Vice Chair, Judy Collins, and the “Mother of the W&OD Trail,” NOVA Parks Board Member, Barbara Hildreth. City of Falls Church Police Chief Shahram Fard was on hand with a group of officers to provide security and City Council Member Justine Underhill – in full bike kit – was also spotted in the milling crowd that included many with their bicycles by their sides, water bottles in hand, or kids in their clutch.
Across the street at Founders Row, the City recently unveiled an electric utility box painted to commemorate the historic Washington and Old Dominion Railroad upon which the W&OD Trail was initially blazed over its rail bed.
While Sept. 7, 1974 – 50 years ago – marks the first ceremonial bike ride through a small stretch of the initial W&OD Trail, the origins of the trail harken back to forward-looking trail visionaries who saw a great opportunity in the late 1960s when the old railroad line was going out of business after 109 years of service. At first, those with leverage over the trail’s future were skeptical that these activists' “rails to trails” idea would even fly.
“When the [Washington & Old Dominion Railroad] finally encountered its demise in 1968, it underwent a series of changes – first at the hands of VEPCO – which had formerly been the local Virginia Power Company – and then later in 1974 by NOVA Parks,” NOVA Park’s website recounts. “The ribbon on the first section of the W&OD Trail was cut on Sept. 7, 1974 by then Falls Church mayor Harold Miller – the first of what would be many events as the park expanded in both directions. On November 5, 1988, NOVA Parks celebrated the opening of the Trail’s final nine miles into Purcellville. Today, the Trail is an artery for visitors and commuters year-round.”
And today, the W&OD Park that incorporates the W&OD Trail is described by NOVA Parks on their website: “Often called the skinniest park in Virginia, Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Railroad Regional Park is a paved trail between Shirlington and Purcellville, Virginia. Run, cycle or [rollerblade] the 45-mile route along the former roadbed of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad, which runs through the urban heartland and into the Virginia countryside. Equestrians can ride the adjacent 32-mile gravel horse trail. The W&OD trail has multiple parking areas, enabling you to jump on and off the trail at various points.”
The Mayor's ‘Happy Birthday!’ Wish
“Happy birthday to the W&OD!,” Mayor Hardi called out from the lectern, after thanking NOVA Parks for their historic and continuing role in creating the W&OD Trail. “Having just celebrated our claim to fame as the healthiest community in the U.S. – with a huge factor in that ranking being the recreation and transportation options we provide in the city, like sidewalks, parks, trails, and most notably, the W&OD Trail running down the length of our city – we’re so proud this is part of our city and our identity. And, on behalf of our residents, I say thank you!"
“It’s hard to believe that only three years ago, we were opening Dual Trails in the City of Falls Church, with wider separated paths for bicyclists and other users, better stormwater management, and a safer, more accessible option for people getting around other than single-occupancy cars,” Hardi continued. “The evolution of the W&OD from railroad, to trail, and now to dual trails represents our shared commitment to a healthier, safer, and a greener quality of life for our residents and our neighbors in the region.”
“The W&OD is the perfect example where something has grown and changed to meet the needs of the community and to meet our responsibility to the next generation,” the mayor added. “And, it’s one of the best and most enduring investments we've all made for the future without forgetting what was once here. We look forward to continuing to be good stewards of this gem in our city and our great partnership with NOVA Parks. And we look forward to even more improvements on the W&OD Trail in the future!"
Among the speakers, Barbara Hildreth, the “Mother of the W&OD Trail,” was a highlight as she recounted her commitment and dedication to her “rails to trails” vision from the late ‘60s on. As she read from a history of the trail’s creation, she humorously highlighted the “challenges” presented to planners and managers of the trail site. “And by ‘challenges,’ they mean me,” she said to laughs. Clearly, without Hildreth’s drive, determination and commitment to getting the project right, her vision for the community never would have materialized.
Interview with Paul Gilbert, Executive Director NOVA Parks
Near the NOVA Parks tent, I met a beaming Paul Gilbert, executive director of NOVA Parks.
I asked Gilbert how the celebration made him feel. “Oh, it’s fantastic!,” he said. “50 years ago on this day, the first ride took place which was a mile and a-half. The trail was just 6 feet-wide in Falls Church. So, the trail as we know it was still years and years and years away. It really was developed through the 1980s and was completed in its 45-mile stretch in 1988. But, we started work on it in 1969 or 1970, shortly after the railroad stopped. NOVA Parks was doing studies on creating a trail and the work is really never done.”
“So, it’s not like the trail was fully complete in 1988,” Gilbert continued. “We just added a new bridge three years ago over Route 29. We have a new bridge that is just now completed over Wiehle Avenue in Reston. There’s another one planned over Sterling Blvd. So, the trail is continually growing and adapting."
"The Dual Trail section through Falls Church which was finished three years ago is the centerpiece and hallmark of the whole trail," Gilbert said. "It functions so well. This is our vision for all the urban areas of the trail. We are currently in discussions with Arlington and Vienna, and we will be continuing that treatment in the years ahead. So, the trail is never really ‘done.’ The trail is always adapting.”
“And the trail is no longer simply used for recreation – it’s now a major transportation corridor?,” I asked. “Yeah. So, it was founded as a weekend [opportunity to], you know, ‘Get out and get your exercise; it’s good for the cardiovascular system!’ And it is all of that today,” he answered. “However, now it’s a transportation network. So, Dual Trails in Falls Church was funded by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) and today it really ranks in terms of the volume of people it carries as a major transportation artery. And that’s a real evolution over the last 50 years."
I asked Gilbert if he likes to bike on the trail himself. “I do,” he said. “I don’t ride it as much as I should, but I love it. And when you think about it, the W&OD defines a large section of Northern Virginia. Going back to the railroad, where the railroad stopped is where you have towns. So, Falls Church wouldn’t be Falls Church if there wasn’t a stop on the railroad. And there was a stop at Wiehle which became Reston. And there was a stop at Vienna and that’s why we ended up with Vienna. So, all these places were just ag [agriculture] land, until the railroad decided, ‘Oh, we probably should stop.’ [Laughs]. And wherever they stopped you'd wind up with a warehouse, maybe, for where the farmers could bring their stuff, and then there would be three buildings, and then 10 buildings, and then there’s a town and a city. So, that’s how Northern Virginia grew. And the trail’s still that connective tissue that connects the whole region.”
“Falls Church is amazing!,” Gilbert added. “It’s a walkable community. And then you have the W&OD Trail where you can actually go places on a bicycle which is something I would not take for granted. Because, in most places, even in most of Virginia, you can’t do that. But, here you can. I mean, we’re getting better with bike lanes and all of that. But, there’s no substitute for a straight, dedicated trail [that runs between Shirlington and Purcellville, Virginia, and connects to trails in D.C.]”
"Besides serving the transportation and recreational needs of the community, doesn’t the trail also help the environment?," I asked. “Yes!,” Gilbert said. “When we rebuilt the trails, we added in stormwater management. I mean, 50 years ago, it was just a strip of asphalt on a railroad bed. Now, it’s engineered so that the water all gets managed on site. So, it goes into swales and french drains where you see areas of tall grasses and wildflowers. Those are not only pretty but they’re loved by pollinators. And they are also highly functional for stormwater management in concert with the physical changes of pipes in the ground and things like that.”
“The biodiversity has been improved,” Gilbert continued. “You know, when you clear back that vegetation which you certainly had to do to create Dual Trails, 90 percent of the vegetation was invasive species…. So, actually it was an opportunity for major invasive species removal. And then, we come back with native plants and we improve the biodiversity.”
Reaction of a Longtime City Resident and Cultural Anthropologist
Before collecting my swag and returning to the path, I struck up a conversation with Robert Leopold, a longtime City of Falls Church resident, prolific trail-user, and retired Cultural Anthropologist of 32 years with the Smithsonian Institution.
“I try to get onto this trail pretty much every day, or every other day, and ride about 20 miles,” he told me. Leopold’s favorite loop is the 19.9 mile swing between the City and the entrance to the Mount Vernon trail.
I asked him how he felt about the trail’s 50th anniversary. “Well, it’s a total success story,” he said. “And as we just heard from Barbara Hildreth, we know how much persistence really paid off in this case – all the different people she had to speak to, all the different organizations she had to work with to get this accomplished. And here we are today. So, it’s really exciting!”
I was curious how the Cultural Anthropologist in Leopold viewed the W&OD as an artifact of the community. “Well, it’s great for exercise,” he said. “It’s great for your health. It reduces traffic and as I was just speaking with a neighbor of mine, [he] takes his kids to school every day and they’re pointing out different species of trees and animals and birds and plants, so it’s also a learning adventure for people of all ages.”
By Christopher Jones
