Over and Under: Biking the Bridge

Spurred by a recent comment about a lack of traffic on the >Sister City Friendship Bridge, my family set out to bike across this enticing expanse. Whizzing past in the car, I’ve always wanted to try it.

Ten years ago residents identified I-270 as a major barrier between Town Center and points west. No sidewalks, shoulders or crosswalks existed. The Sister City Friendship Bridge opened in October 2007 to remedy this situation. Now it connects the Fallsgrove neighborhood to our new Town Center. The name honors our 50-year friendship with Pinneberg, Germany. In February 2008, the One Less Car organization named it one of the most bicycle and pedestrian-friendly projects in Maryland.

At 0.75 miles in length, the bridge turns out to be two bridges meandering through the loud roar of I-270. Although it was the middle of the day, we met a man biking and a woman jogging, so people are using the bridge. The only dangerous part was crossing the street-level entrance and exit ramps for I-270 on the eastern side. One car almost didn’t stop for the red light before deciding to turn right. Once on the bridges, you can safely enjoy the view — of all the traffic. Our only disappointment was that the Bridge wasn’t longer.

Our excursion lasted about one hour and included a trip through the tunnel under Maryland Avenue by Monument Park. When biking with kids, tunnels and bridges are certainly the safest way to go. Now that we’ve tried it, I think we will regularly bike to visit our friends in Fallsgrove. In just one trip the Bridge has gone from a special destination to an ordinary necessity.

Sister City Wine Tasting Tomorrow

This will no doubt appear in >Weekend To Weekend, but since it is coming up in just one more day, we wanted to highlight it now:

For the past 16 years, supporters of Rockville’s Sister City Corporation’s relationship with Pinneberg, Germany, have gathered to share camaraderie and excellent food and drink and provide financial support for the people to people efforts of these organizations. That tradition will continue on Friday, November 2nd, at 7:30 p.m. at the Rockville Senior Center as the Rockville Sister City Corporation hosts its 4th annual Red Wine Tasting Social. This wine tasting will be the final Rockville-Pinneberg 50th Anniversary celebration in Rockville.

“Last year’s red wine tasting event introduced wines from the Australia and New Zealand,” said Wayne Savage, a member of the Rockville Sister City Corporation Board of Directors “This year we will be sampling wines of the Pacific Northwest, one of the fastest growing wine producing area in the United States.” The wine tasting will feature red wines of Washington and Oregon producers including a selection of Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel. A variety of foods and cheeses will also be on hand to complement the wine offerings.

Admission is $25 per person for RSCC members and $30 for non-members. Membership applications can be found on the RSCC web site under “Join US.” For more information about the event, call 240-314-5029.

Rockville Sister City Delegation Visit A Success

>As Rockville Central readers know (as well as other people), Rockville’s sister city is Pinneberg, Germany — has been since 1957, when then-mayor Dickran Hovsepian and the city council established the relationship.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of this special relationship, and a delegation from Pinneberg has just finished a wonderful trip, hosted by local Rockville residents, and gone back home.

While the trip featured serious pursuits, including a trip to Annapolis and meetings in City Hall, the delegation did not leave before danicing the night away in a farewell gala held in Rockville’s new library in Town Square.

Brigitta Mullican, a Rockville Sister City Corporation board member, passed along this photo, of which she says: “The couples facing in the middle are George Albrecht (pointing finger) and Marika Brown, both RSCC members and [who] hosted Pinneberg guests.”

More important, though, are these words that she shared from Hans-Dietmar Bethke, one of the Pinneberg delegation members: “The Rockville-Pinneberg relationship renews our faith in the people of the United States of America.”

Well done, Rockville.

Now, finish that bridge.

Bridge To Germany

>This week, according to the City, the Mayor and Council unanimously voted to name the Bridge To Nowhere Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge across I-270 at MD Rt. 28 the “Sister City Friendship Bridge.”

I am pleased to see the bridge going somewhere!

Just kidding. Actually, the bridge will be quite useful, connecting Fallsgrove/Rockshire with Town Center. It just seems so…grand.

Rockville’s sister city is Pinneberg, Germany, just outside of Hamburg.

“We felt this was the perfect scenario, being able to name and dedicate a bridge to our friends in Germany,” said Betsy Thompson, the City’s Recreation Program Development Coordinator. “This bridge not only connects people from different areas of the City of Rockville, but it will forever symbolize the connection between the two Sister Cities, Rockville and Pinneberg.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007 at 10:20 a.m.

Curious what’s going on at that intersection right now? Here is a webcam, shot from about where the bridge will be.