CWL #8 - Reopening DC

This is the eighth project on my 12-item Christmas wish list for DC biking projects.

#8 Opening all (some) of DC's closed off areas

Cost:Free to cheap
Status: Depends on the area
Probability: Depends

There are a lot of areas in the DC area that act as bicycling barricades. The White House, The Capitol, and other government areas being the first to come to mind.

While the White House grounds will never be opened to bicyclist, what about E St. NW just south of the White House? It should be made easier for bike commuters.

The Capitol grounds are pretty accessible, though some of the car barricades are difficult to navigate. Still, I'd like to see the "No bicycles" sign at Maryland Avenue SW and 1st St. SW removed. I bike past it regularly and it's not enforced, so they should just remove it.

The Arboretum and Langston Golf Course are bad ones. They aren't allowing the Anacostia Trail to pass through. The Arboretum fancies themselves a "research facility, not a park." Whatever.

Fort Myer might be the worst. Thin and long it pushes cyclist miles out of their way.

Greenbelt National Park opened up it's road, but there still is no east-west route and the east side of the park is completely inaccessible (to anyone, there aren't even hiking trails).

There are more than that, but anything to open these areas up will help.

Comments

[taleswapper]

Arboretum a research facility and not a park? Then I suppose they'll be taking down the National Capital Columns. Sure looks like a park.

Not sure where an East-West route would take you in Greenbelt Park; we can't ride on the BW Parkway.

[washcycle]

I guess I would like to see an East-West route that either crossed the Parkway on Good Luck Road, connected into a BW Parkway trail I mentioned elsewhere, or crossed the Parkway on it's own bridge or tunnel - connecting to Good Luck Estates and then eventually crossing the beltway to Schrom Hills Estates.