The Trolley Trail is on schedule to open at Riverdale Park Station later this month.

The northern end of the bike path has been blocked during construction of the Stanley Martin row home development on the 37-acre property,

The gates were quietly moved aside over the weekend, leading a number of bikers, hikers and even parents with young children to take advantage, but a representatitive at Calvin Cafritz Enterprises told the Hyattsville Wire that was not authorized by them and that the trail will be closed until later this month.

The three-mile asphalt trail follows the path of the old streetcar line from Washington, beginning at Franklins Restaurant in Hyattsville and ending at Greenbelt Road in Berwyn.

The section that passes through Riverdale Park Station has been a key missing link for a long time, however. The southern end of the trail remains blocked while construction continues, but even this minor change makes a big difference since biking conditions along  Baltimore Avenue at this point are not safe.

When the gate is removed, you could rent a bike at the College Park Metro station and bike all the way to Whole Foods.

The next step will be for developers to finish the Trolley Trail on the southern end of Riverdale Park Station, and, in the longer term, for local government to find the money for a much-needed connection with the Northwest Branch Trail.

Update: The developers have posted a map of the route through Riverdale Park Station that bikers can take when the trail opens.