A key stretch of Route 1 between Riverdale Park Station and Calvert Hills will finally get a much-needed sidewalk.

The developers of Riverdale Park Station and the city of College Park are helping add a sidewalk between Baltimore Avenue from Woodberry Street to Albion Road.

It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s actually pretty crucial. For joggers, bicyclists and even just neighbors out for a walk, the stretch at the crest of the hill on this part of Route 1 is particularly dangerous, as cars come perilously close.

Before the opening of the Trolley Trail, the lack of good pedestrian access effectively cut off Riverdale Park Station from Calvert Hills to the north.

That didn’t mean people didn’t try. While getting a photo for this story, the Hyattsville Wire watched a man headed to Whole Foods from Calvert Hills walking toward traffic on Route 1, with cars passing within inches.

The lack of a sidewalk didn’t matter as much before the Cafritz property was developed, but now that pedestrians have good reasons to walk to the area, adding a sidewalk is crucial.

In the long run, these little connections — like a much-needed link from the Trolley Trail to the Northwest Branch Trail — will add up, making the Route 1 corridor more walkable overall. (Though the area around Whole Foods already scores pretty well.)