Winchester Green Circle

Lowering the speed limit to 25 MPH is part of an overall strategy to provide safe accommodations for all cyclists traveling from Old Town to the entrance of the Museum.  This could be achieved through “share the road” and bike route signage, along with increased enforcement of speed limits.  A “share the road” education campaign for both cyclists and motorists would increase awareness for both types of users and establish a model to safely implement shared use designation for other city streets.

A conceptual plan calls for a mid block pedestrian crossing at the main entrance to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. This provides safe access for bikes and pedestrians and addresses a concern voiced by the Winchester Police Department regarding unsafe conditions for shared use designation from this point west on Amherst Street. At this point it is proposed that north and south by pass trails could route bike and pedestrian traffic around this section between Medical Circle and Fox Drive.

The north by-pass consisting of a 10-wide separated multi-use trail would provide a connection to Whittier Park and follow the route of upper Town Run. The trail would follow the sanitary sewer easement on the south side of Town Run crossing Wood, Allison, and Mrytle to Fox Drive. There are three  options available at Fox Drive. Left to Amherst and paved shoulders to continue west on Amherst. Right to Whittier and left continuing west towards Winchester Medical Center trails or straight across Fox Drive too Omps Drive (preferred ped route and challenging bike route for continuing west on Amherst.

The south by-pass, also a 10-wide separated multi-use trail would begin inside the gate and stone wall at the Museum entrance heading west to James Wood Middle School and continuing along Amherst Street to the trail section at the CVS Pharmacy. The original Green Circle conceptual plan calls for a perimeter trail along the property boundaries of Glen Burnie, JWMS, Sacred Heart Church and the Moffet property to connect with existing dead end of Meadowbranch Drive.  This is still an alternative route but with trail in place at CVS a route following Amherst Street and the Meadowbranch extension is more likely.