Biking on the GW Parkway, legal or no?

We've had this discussion before, and despite Contrarian's lengthy research (sadly, much of the info came from Washingtonwatchdog.org, now defunct) I'm not sure we got to a good answer.  But, I leaned toward legal. When the question came up "Roads and Rails"

Washington, D.C.: Is it legal for cyclists to be on the Clara Barton Parkway, specifically the uppermost portion near Great Falls, where the speed limit is posted at 50 mph? What about the lower portion, closest to Chain Bridge, where the speed limit is posted at 35 mph? And what the George Washington Memorial Parkway? Thanks.

Eric Weiss first said this

Eric Weiss: Oy, I think you would be crazy to ride your bike on the GW Parkway (especially where there is a parallel bike path) But I put a call in on your behalf with the National Park Service, which runs these roads, to see if there is any specific prohibition.

And then this after talking to a Park Police spokesman

for the earlier questioner regarding bicycles, they are not allowed on the roadway of parkways

After rereading Contrarian's comment, I would be shocked if the Park Police spokesman knew what they were talking about. I'd say they have about a 50% chance of being right.

Update: Just today the subject came up again on Dr. Gridlock.

I have recently had several occasions to drive the George Washington Parkway south from Alexandria and have noted what I consider to be a problem. Every time I've taken that route south or north, I've come across bicyclists on the parkway.

Now, since they have a separate bike path

Not a bike path, a mutli-use path

and I, and I assume other drivers, are not as watchful for bike riders as we might normally be, the bikers put both themselves and drivers at considerable risk.

Well then, be more watchful

A 165-pound rider and his 45-pound bike unexpectedly going through a windshield could ruin several people's whole day. In years past, I've pedaled from Theodore Roosevelt Island down to Mount Vernon and back and always stayed on the bike path, assuming that it was not only smart but also the law.

Does is sound like he's more worried about his car than the cyclist, or is that just me? Dr. Gridlock replies

Sgt. Robert Lachance, spokesman for the park police, said bicyclists are prohibited on the parkways in the National Capital Region.

But the park service and the park police are reviewing whether to allow bicyclists along the George Washington Parkway south of Alexandria. They plan to meet with various interested groups to consider permitting certain high-speed cyclists to use that part of the parkway, Lachance said.

Among the considerations in diverting high-speed riders: Protecting the safety of more casual riders runners and walkers along the Mount Vernon Trail. Lachance also noted that in recent years, no serious collisions between bicyclists and motorists on the parkway have been reported to park police.

From the same discussion, btw

Alexandria, VA: I have a couple of questions about the new Wilson Bridge...

1. Why is the bike/pedestrian lane taking sooooo long to complete (don't give me some "paint staging" excuse)? The spiral ramps on the Maryland side don't look anywhere near finished, and contractors appear to be taking their time finishing this stage of the project.

2. If, as it has been said, the bike/pedestrian lane needs to be used for staging paint equipment, I would like know first why a BRAND NEW bridge needs to be painted after it's been completed, and/or why they can't stage equipment on barges or like they did during the primary construction?

The majority of the project is completed, yet is appears (as it can during most constrcution projects) that the finishing touches are taking forever, and are not being coordinated with the same amount of effort as the majority of the project. We should NOT let these contractors off the hook and ensure that this project gets completed, and soon!

And

Wilson Bridge: I disagree with the Alexandria resident who complained about the bike lanes on the Wilson Bridge. It seems to me that finishing the vehicular portion of the bridge will give the maximum benefit to the largest number of people and that therefore the contractors are doing the right thing by focusing on the road rather than on the pedestrian/bike facility. (If they could finish the express lane portion of the Beltway prior to Thanksgiving it would be a major coup.)

Which would have been a really excellent response if Alexandria had been arguing that the trail should be finished before the road. But since they weren't it just sounds like Wilson Bridge needs to freshen up on their reading comprehension skills.

I share Alexandria's frustration. I could understand a few weeks or even a couple of months. But the Wilson Bridge will have been open for 7-8 months before they get the bikeway open. That seems excessive.

Update: Pulling this up from the comments, Allen Muchnick writes

Since at least last November, however, GWMP regulations have banned bicycling on ALL of the GWMP roadway (and also on ALL of the Clara Barton Pkwy, where PPTC once held time monthly trials). These prohibitions are stated in regulations signed by the former GWMP park superintendent on 11-06-07 and supposedly updated annually [http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/parkmgmt/upload/Compendium.2007-11-06.pdf]. The unnecessary bike ban on the roadway south of Dangerfield Island and the moronic 15 MPH speed limit on the parallel Mount Vernon Trail must be changed. A 15 MPH bicycling speed limit is a de facto ban on transportation bicycling. FWIW, the GWMP roadway proper (and NOT the Mount Vernon Trail) is still recognized by AASHTO and VDOT as the route of US Bicycle Route 1.

Photo by volcanojw

Comments

[think a little]

So does that apply to Rock Creek Parkway too? I have a friend who rides to the Pentagon at 430am down the parkway...Id hate to even think about taking the path at that time of day

[O2]

All of this aside, I will echo a sentiment stated early in this post and ask who, apart from zealots looking to pick fights with cars, would WANT to cycle on the parkway?

A 45 pound bike?! What the h*ll are you riding?

[Washcycle]

South of Alexandria is much more bikeable than north of it. I don't bike it, but I know of people who do. The question is, for people who make such a decision should the option be available considering that "in recent years, no serious collisions between bicyclists and motorists on the parkway have been reported"?

[Washcycle]

I'm 99% sure that biking on the Rock Creek Parkway is legal, but the answer doesn't make that clear.

[Contrarian]

After the chat I wrote an email to Eric Weiss telling him that his park police spokesman is wrong. Cyclig is prohibited on the Suitland parkway and the BW parkway, but allowed on the GW, Clara Barton, and Rock Creek. Maryland, Virginia, and the NPS all have the same rule -- a road has to be signed to be closed to cyclists.

To close a road to cycists NPS has to publish it in their compendium of rules. They've done that for BW and Suitland but not the others.

As always, I recommend reading this account by John Forester of his attempt to cycle on the GW parkway: http://www.crankmail.com/Fred/Rt2Road.html#Forester

[Allen Muchnick]

It had been my understanding that NPS regulations for the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) prohibited bicycling only north of Marina Dr on Daingerfield Island (midway between Old Town and Reagan National Airport).

Since at least last November, however, GWMP regulations have banned bicycling on ALL of the GWMP roadway (and also on ALL of the Clara Barton Pkwy, where PPTC once held time monthly trials).

These prohibitions are stated in regulations signed by the former GWMP park superintendent on 11-06-07 and supposedly updated annually [http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/parkmgmt/upload/Compendium.2007-11-06.pdf].

The unnecessary bike ban on the roadway south of Dangerfield Island and the moronic 15 MPH speed limit on the parallel Mount Vernon Trail must be changed. A 15 MPH bicycling speed limit is a de facto ban on transportation bicycling.

FWIW, the GWMP roadway proper (and NOT the Mount Vernon Trail) is still recognized by AASHTO and VDOT as the route of US Bicycle Route 1.

[MB]

Allen, do you know anything about the annual review procedure?

[Contrarian]

What confused me is that there are actually three separate NPS jurisdictions in the region -- the National Capital, which controls the suitland and BW parkways, the George Washington, which controls the GW and Clara Barton, and the Rock Creek, which controls the Rock Creek Parkway. Each has their own compendium.

The compendium for Rock Creek is here:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/rocr/compendium.htm

and they clearly have not banned cycling on Rock Creek Parkway.

Also, if you read 36 cfr sections 1.5 and 1.7 here:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2001/julqtr/pdf/36cfr1.5.pdf

it's clear that the NPS has not followed the public notice requirement for closing a facility to certain uses, nor have they followed the requirement for posting signs.

[Contrarian]

The first sentence of the above post should be "Allen is correct."