>At a meeting Monday, the Baltimore County Council will vote on whether to help fund the study, which could represent a meaningful step forward for the idea, long discussed by cycling advocates — though it still has a long way to go. After the study, a final design would need to be completed and funding obtained for its construction.

>The study would assess possible routes to bridge the gap between the start of the NCR, also known as the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail, off Ashland Road in Hunt Valley, to the northern end of the Jones Falls Trail, in Mount Washington Village. By car, the two trails are separated by about 12 miles.

>And while the NCR Trail ends at the Mason-Dixon Line, the Heritage Rail Trail picks up from there, allowing travelers to go up to York, Pennsylvania.