About Us

COG is the one place in metropolitan Washington that regularly brings leaders together to develop solutions to the region's major challenges. COG prepares plans enabling the region to receive federal funding, provides members with research and data to inform decision-making, and offers a wide range of programs, including commuter services, cooperative purchasing, technical assistance and grants, and public outreach campaigns.

Transportation

Through the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), area officials, planners, and engineers ensure a well-managed and maintained transportation system. The TPB, which is staffed by COG, conducts the federally mandated transportation planning process for the region and ensures the uninterrupted flow of federal transportation funds that area jurisdictions receive.

Environment

COG's work engages leaders in various environmental fields from water quality experts to climate scientists. Together, they are advancing regional efforts to restore local waterways, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change, promote recycling, and enhance and preserve green space and agriculture.

Community

Area officials and experts, including planning and housing directors and child welfare and health officials, work together with their counterparts at COG to help shape stronger communities throughout the region.

Homeland Security & Public Safety

COG brings police chiefs, fire chiefs, emergency managers, and other leaders together as part of its work to strengthen regional public safety coordination, homeland security planning, and emergency communication.

Home>Maps>National Capital Trail Network

Print Email

Maps

National Capital Trail Network

This is a Land Use / Land Cover Map depicting forests, cropland, park land, waters features and urban and countryside development in more than 3000 square miles of the Metropolitan Washington Region as defined COG membership of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG)

This map was developed through Land Sat imagery analzyed by RESAC (Regional Earth Science Applications Center) in conjunction with the COG Department of Environmental Programs and the National Park Service.

Analysis for this maps covers the 12 major land use / land cover classifications as defined by the Chesapeake Bay Program. The nature of Land Sat imagery is such that detailed visual images are not possible as they are when using high resolution satellite imagery or low-level aerial photography. However, t he 30 meters per pixel resolution of Land Sat imagery is very useful for high altitude land cover analysis using spectral analysis techniques.

Sophisticated digital analysis software has been used to calculate the land cover data for this map and has been 'trained' on higher resolution data to achieve accurate analysis to the 90th percentile.

Tags: Health, Public Safety, Homeland Security, Bioevent, Report, Planning,

Feb 16, 2024

The National Capital Trail Network (NCTN)—a continuous network of long-distance, off-street trails—was approved by the Transportation Planning Board in July 2020 and endorsed by the COG Board in August 2020. Since 2020, 83 miles of the planned network have been completed. The network supports healthy, environmentally friendly, and low-stress access to open space and reliable transportation for people of all ages and abilities. As of 2023, the network is nearly evenly split between existing (49%) and planned (51%) miles.

The NCTN is used to help prioritize funding for the Transportation Alternatives Program, as well as the Transportation Land-Use Connections and Regional Roadway Safety Programs. Periodic updates to the network will occur. As of the end of 2023, 752 miles have been completed with an additional 797 miles planned for a total 1,549 miles. Priority miles for completion are those that serve the region’s Equity Emphasis Areas, Regional Activity Centers, High-Capacity Transit Areas, and Transit Access Focus Areas.

For more information on the 2023 update to the NCTN, please visit the NCTN 2023 update page.

Tags:

Bicycling Featured Maps