Emory Lane in Olney is exactly like Norbeck Road, except it has a pedestrian-bike path

No shoulders on Emory Lane - just like Norbeck Rd

Are you familiar with Emory Lane in Olney?  It’s a narrow two-lane country road that connects Georgia Avenue (at the intersection of the Olney Swim Center) to Muncaster Mill Road. 

Emory Lane is exactly like Norbeck Road and Layhill Road with no shoulders and blind curves and hilly sections.  But there is one exception – it has a fantastic ped-bike path, that was added recently around 2003 or so due to concerns about safety of children, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.    

Over the Labor Day holiday weekend, I jogged on Norbeck Road, dodging passing vehicles, to reach the recently completed ICC bike trail at Wintergate Crossing.  Then I headed on the bike-trail along the ICC toward Olney.  Reached Emory Lane at the Georgia Avenue intersection and walked the entire length of Emory Lane to Muncaster Mill and back, snapping off hundreds of pictures. 

Encountered many residents walking, jogging, biking, pushing baby-strollers, walking dogs, and children visiting their friends, etc.  They all looked so happy, healthy, connected, and SAFE from passing vehicles.

I wish we had this path on both Norbeck Road and Layhill Road.  If that ever becomes a reality, then our neighborhoods on Norbeck and Layhill Road would be so much healthier, vibrant, and less isolated. 

I recall this path was built recently between 2000 and 2003 or so.  Do you know who was responsible for getting this  path built on Emory Lane?  I’d love to know. 

Thoughts?  More pictures of Emory Lane available after the jump:

Pedestrian-bike path on Emory Lane allows for safe walking and biking

If Emory Lane did not have a ped-bike path, then this bicyclist would've been in the road with cars

This dirt path connecting to the paved pedestrian-bike path shows there is demand
for walking and biking that is separate from vehicular traffic. 

No shoulders along Emory.  Thank goodness there is a ped-bike path!

Emory Lane in all of its glory as a narrow, curvy country road.  Sounds familiar, eh? 

No shoulders = no room for error.   

Can Norbeck Road ever be like Emory Lane with its separate and safe ped-bike path?