Bike DC Routes Defined

Bike DC has finalized the routes for the Oct 17th ride.

On Saturday morning, October 17, Bike DC gives you the opportunity to bike on roads that are closed to cyclists during the rest of the year:  the George Washington Parkway from Key Bridge to Fort Marcy; the Whitehurst Freeway along the Georgetown Waterfront; the Jefferson Davis Highway past Arlington Cemetery.
 
Plus there are special places to stop and visit, like Twin Oaks. Twin Oaks generously made available by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative's Ambassador Jason Yuan as a Bike DC rest stop, Twin Oaks is a 17-acre estate near the National Cathedral.
 
This is just one of many treats awaiting you as you explore your community and your Capital from the best possible place - the seat of your bicycle.
 
All of this is part of Bike DC's 25-mile Capital Ride. Both the Capital Ride and the family-friendly 12-mile ride are on car-free streets

And remember kids 15 years old and younger ride free

Technically, biking is allowed on the Whitehurst Freeway, too crazy for many of us, but allowed. Biking the GW Parkway and visiting Twin Oaks, pretty cool stuff.

Comments

[Bilsko]

Hmm. I got the email about the ride yesterday night. Subject line: "Ride DC's Forbidden Streets"

Last I heard, the Whitehurst is not off-limits for cyclists. You'd have to be pretty desperate to ride it, but I don't think its illegal.

[Washcycle]

Yeah, the whitehurst has a 35mph speed limit. There are people who ride it everyday. I'm not one of them, but it's not Forbidden.

[Contrarian]

Whitehurst is marked as a bike route on the city bike map. In fairness, often the traffic moves so slowly there that a bicycle would be the fastest way. Although I think it would be quicker to avoid the mess at the terminal of Canal Road and take the CCT to water street.

I'm not sure that Jefferson Davis Highway is formally closed to cyclists either. I've never noticed signs -- which doesn't mean they're not there -- and Virginia requires roads to be signed if they are closed to cycling.

I guess the point is that a lot more roads are open to cyclists than people realize -- in theory at least.

[Amy Smith]

I've ridden on Whitehurst twice, mid-day on a weekday. It was a blast. Not part of my commute route, just thought I'd try it on the way to a dr.visit @ GT Hosp.

[Allen Muchnick]

Bicycling on the Whitehurst Freeway, especially in the inbound direction, is a piece of cake and overall probably safer than the alternatives of M St and K St NW. I've ridden it inbound hundreds of times without incident. I control the right travel lane and avoid the shoulder.

There is nothing illegal or forbidden about bicycling on this roadway.