The Anacostia Riverwalk is a planned 20-mile multi-use trail along the east and west banks of the Anacostia River in the Washington, DC. The vision for this continuous Riverwalk is a key component of the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative (AWI) Framework Plan. It realizes several AWI goals such as enhancing parkland, improving water quality, and increasing access to waterfront destinations.

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has taken the lead in planning and constructing the Riverwalk as a recreational amenity and transportation alternative for Washington residents. The trail will vary in width from 10 ft to 12 ft to ensure comfort for a wide range of users including bicyclists, inline skaters, pedestrians, disabled people, and others. Periodic waysides will provide seating, system maps, bike racks, and interpretive exhibits.

When completed, it will connect sixteen waterfront neighborhoods to the Anacostia National Park and the Anacostia River. Washington residents and visitors will be able to walk and bike on the Riverwalk to several popular destinations, including the Fish Wharf, the new baseball stadium, Poplar Point, the Navy Yard, historic Anacostia, RFK stadium, Kingman Island, and National Arboretum. At either end, the trail will connect to the National Mall at the Tidal Basin and to the Bladensburg Marina Park in Prince George’s County, MD.

DDOT estimates that the Riverwalk will cost over $50 million to design and construct over the next six years. Currently, Presidential appropriations and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program funds are the two main sources of funding for the design and construction of the Riverwalk.

• Anacostia Riverwalk Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail Program