Council asks Park and Planning to pursue pedestrian bridge over Northeast Branch near Old Calvert Road

The College Park City Council authorized a letter asking the Maryland‑National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC) to move forward with engineering and design for a new pedestrian bridge crossing the Northeast Branch near Old Calvert Road (identified as Location 1 in a recent feasibility study), and to defer spending on near‑term improvements to the Campus Drive bridge for the time being.

City staff said Park and Planning had presented a KCI feasibility study that identified three possible crossing locations and options, including improvements to the Campus Drive bridge. City planning staff drafted a letter — approved by council — that “strongly encourages Park and Planning to pursue the development of a new crossing, roughly at the terminus of Old Calvert Road,” according to the staff summary read into the record.

The letter follows years of requests from the city for a safe, direct pedestrian crossing in that corridor. Council members asked procedural questions about whether the letter would be sent on behalf of the mayor alone or as a mayor‑and‑council letter; staff clarified that letters voted by the body will be issued on mayor‑and‑council letterhead and reference the council vote.

Councilmember Rucker moved the action; the motion passed after a brief council discussion. Staff noted design and flood‑plain considerations will be part of any engineering phase and that MNCPPC will address them during design.

Ending: Council authorization directs the mayor to transmit the council‑approved letter to MNCPPC to begin engineering and design work for the Location 1 crossing. Further design work and permitting will follow MNCPPC procedures.