Streetcar Number 82

The Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail traverses a remnant of a former streetcar line that ran from the Treasury Building in Washington, DC to Laurel, Maryland. In the early 20th century, the "Number 82" streetcar was a central part of the small town experience for the region of commuters, shoppers, and residents of Prince George's County just outside of the Capital. 

This area of northern Prince George's County, Maryland is known for its long history of transportation and communication from hot air balloons to air mail to the James Web Space Telescope — streetcar lines are part of this lasting legacy.

The vehicular road known as U.S. Route 1 or Baltimore Avenue was established before 1794 as a "post road" for carrying mail and later a "turnpike" in 1814. In 1835, the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad built the Washington Branch into the Capital, and is still used today for freight and commuter trains. 

For residents of Prince George's County, however, the streetcar was the preffered mode of transportation. The Maryland and Washington Railway began streetcar service from Florida Avenue NE and New York Avenue NE to Mount Rainier, Maryland in 1897. Mergers created the City & Suburban Railway which extended service north to Riverdale Park by 1899 and to Berwyn by 1900. The City & Suburban Railway was taken over by the Berwyn and Laurel Electric Railroad, which built the northern most portion of the line up to Laurel. The original plan, unrealized, was to continue all the way to Baltimore through Ellicott City.

In 1902, the first streetcar traveled from Washington, DC to Laurel, Maryland with the Mayor of Laurel and other VIPs onboard. Stops included Mount Rainier, Brentwood, North Brentwood, Hyattsville, Berwyn, Branchville, and Beltsville. The streetcar would remain popular for decades and even shared the roads with buses until buses completely took over in the late 1950s. Streetcars ran on the #82 line until 1958 and streetcars completely stopped running in the region by 1962.

The abandoned line continued as a utility right-of-way until the first major steps to create a trail sparked in the 1990s in College Park. The latest portion of the Trolley Trail between Charles Armentrout Drive to Farragut Street in Hyattsville was completed in 2023. 

Funding for the trail has come from a variety of sources including the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission. Three partner organizations, the College Park City-University Partnership, Anacostia Trails Heritage Area, and Hyattsville Community Development Corporation, alongside the three municipalities have been working together to promote and connect the trail to those that live, work, and play in the region.