Life Sciences Center Loop

The project provides for the planning of the 3.5-mile Life Sciences Center Loop Trail, a 12 to 10-foot wide shared-use path that is a central feature of the Life Sciences Center (LSC) area of the Great Seneca Science Corridor Master Plan. This CIP will design and build the Medical Center Dr section from Great Seneca Highway to the Omega Dr/Research Boulevard intersection. The Life Sciences Center Loop Trail is a critical staging element to increasing the non-auto driver mode share (NADMS) before the expansion of stage 2 of the master plan's development. The shared-use path will widen existing sidewalks along certain existing or planned streets in the Life Science Center (Omega Drive, Medical Center Drive, Johns Hopkins Drive, Belward Campus Drive, Decoverly Drive) as well as new roadways through the Public Safety Training Academy (PSTA) property and Crown Farm. The planning and design will create a trail design that can respond to varying right-of-way widths and other local conditions while providing a recognizable trail system that will attract walkers, runners, and bicycle riders and contribute to the LSC's sense of place. The design will enable private developers and the county to build their respective LSC loop pieces consistently.