Special Event

On Saturday, November 23, 2024, Anacostia Trails Heritage Area (ATHA), together with the National Capital Trolley Museum, Maryland Meadworks, Chalk Riot LLC, and Era Wine Bar, hosted a special event to explore the history of the streetcar “trolley” lines along Rhode Island Avenue, how the current Trolley Trail came to be, and opportunities for a new trail extension to connect the communities of North Brentwood, Brentwood, and Mount Rainier with Hyattsville, and other regional trail networks, such as the Anacostia River Trail System, and beyond.

The event began at Maryland Meadworks in Hyattsville with a presentation by Eric Madison, the executive director of the National Capital Trolley Museum who discussed Route 82 – the Maryland Line. 

Following the presentation, Allie O’Neill, Consultant for the Gateway Arts District Management Plan moderated a lively panel focused on the Trolley Trail – how it began, the extension in Hyattsville, and where it might go in the future. 

The panel included Elliott Caldwell, Manager, East Coast Greenway Alliance, Tracey Douglas, City Administrator, City of Hyattsville, Evan Dame, Board Member, Gateway CDC, and Robert Patten, Trail Development Program Manager, PG Parks, M-NCPPC. After the panel concluded, participants were able to view the City of Hyattsville’s newly produced “Trail of Opportunity” video.

Participants were then invited to take a 1.4-mile guided tour of the many cultural and economic assets in North Brentwood, Brentwood and Mount Rainier. Organizers pointed out sites of interest including Sis’ Tavern, Entrepreneur Park & Windom Road Barrier Project, Material Things, Gateway CDC, Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center, Gateway Arts Center & Brentwood Arts Exchange, miXt Food Hall, Portico Gallery, Gateway Farmer’s Market, 3711 Studios and Chalk Riot, LLC, Station 3510, Joe’s Movement Emporium, Gateway Media Arts Lab, Otis Street Arts, Red Dirt Studio, Mount Rainier Transit Center and many restaurants and businesses along the way.

The tour first stopped in Entrepreneur’s Park in North Brentwood and received an update from Town Manager Jacqueline Goodall, Gateway CDC’s Executive Director, Michelle Darden Lee, and Katie Aldworth from the local Material Things Studio. 

Then, the group crossed Route 1 at call signal at Volta Avenue, walked past the Gateway Arts Center and Brentwood Arts Exchange, and stopped at miXt Food Hall to receive an update from Peter Siegal, CEO of Landex Development with four ventures: Studio 3807, Artisan 4100, Portico Gallery and Studios and miXt Food Hall. 

After the second stop, the group walked toward Mount Rainier, and stopped at the new 3711 Studios for an update from Chelsea Ritter-Soronen, CEO and Principal Artist at Chalk Riot LLC.

Following this, the group crossed Route 1 again at the call signal at 37th Street and proceeded past Station 3510, the Mount Rainier Transit Center and Potts Hall, and concluded the tour at Era Wine Bar, for the restaurant’s "Wine O'Clock” happy hour. 

This informative event is part of a pending initiative for the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration to conduct a feasibility study for extending the trail. This work is set to begin soon and will engage stakeholders and start discussions about what is possible and how the Route 1 corridor could be better connected, especially in the Gateway Arts District.

Over 60 participants attended the event overall, with 30 people walking along Rhode Island Avenue during the tour. Photos during the event were provided by Abby Tesfaye Perrotta and video provided by London Legacy Creations. Shuttle buses for the tour were provided by the Town of Brentwood and the City of Hyattsville.