The Rock Creek Park website has a document available online from 1985 called "Rock Creek Park - Adminstrative History". There's a section on bicycling and it's really quite interesting. It shows that while much has changed, in some regards, things have stayed the same.
The 1960s saw a resurgence in the popularity of the bicycle as a mode of transportation and recreation for adults as well as children. Rock Creek Park made its first special effort to accommodate cyclists early in that decade, when Ross Drive was occasionally reserved for their use. In 1966 the section of Beach Drive from Joyce Road to Broad Branch Road was first limited to bicycle and pedestrian traffic on Sunday mornings. By that fall about three and a half miles of trail north of the Nature Center had been bluestone-surfaced for bicycle use. In the following years the Beach Drive automobile closure was extended to Morrow Drive, and the bicycle trail was extended.
These initial efforts were not altogether successful. The trail was overly steep in places, and the surface was not stable enough for thin tires. Bicycle use on the closed roads did not appear sufficient to justify their closure, and motorists complained. They also objected to sharing roads simultaneously with cyclists, who tended to hold up traffic.
Thank goodness those days are over. And here's how the trail got paved.
In September 1971 [cyclists] prevailed upon the Park Service to set aside one lane of the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway north of Virginia Avenue for a week to promote commuting by bicycle in lieu of automobiles. The experiment was well publicized and enjoyed a good response from cyclists, but its positive aspects were overshadowed by massive traffic tieups with severe inconvenience to the great majority of parkway users unable or unwilling to shift to bicycles. The political impossibility of continuing the lane closure--the goal of the bicycle lobby--was quickly apparent. The Service compromised by paving over the existing bridle trail between Connecticut and Virginia avenues for bicycle use; the crash project was completed by the following week.
In 1980 they studied nine alternatives for completing the bicycle system.
At one end of the spectrum, 5-1/2 miles of new bicycle trail paralleling Beach Drive would be built, entailing no effect on auto traffic. At the other end, major segments of Beach Drive would be permanently converted to bicycle use only, eliminating it as a through route for automobiles. Michael A. Replogle, an engineer with transportation experience, advanced a tenth alternative in March 1981 on behalf of the People's Alliance for Rock Creek Park (PARC), an outside group. His plan would permanently close Beach Drive to through auto traffic both above and below Joyce Road as soon as the Metro subway system was opened to the Van Ness station on Connecticut Avenue.
If you think the Klingle Road fight is ugly, just imagine how nuts people would have gone then. Still, that was probably a missed opportunity to make Rock Creek more Park-like. At first NPS leaned in that direction.
In March 1983 the Service advanced a three-phase solution largely endorsed by PARC. Portions of Beach Drive above Joyce Road would be closed to cars on weekends and holidays during the warm months. One lane of Beach Drive south to Broad Branch Road would be reserved for cyclists and joggers during weekday rush hours, allowing cars the other lane in the prevailing rush hour direction. After 1985, when the Red Line of Metro was to be completed beyond Van Ness and reconstruction work on 16th Street was to be finished, a gate would be placed near Boulder Bridge permanently barring that section of Beach Drive to automobiles.
This decision came after "three years of studies, public hearings and trial closings of park roads north of the National Zoo". The idea was to emulate the closure in Central Park in NY. NPS, MWCOG, DDOT and 21 environmental and recreational groups all supported the closure. COG had studied it determined it would have little negative impact on travel. But AAA and the highway-lobby funded National Capital Area Transportation Federation opposed it as did the Washington Post (which argued that it would be sealing it off and that it needs to be accessible to all users. ["Don't Seal Off Rock Creek Park",Washington Post, page A22, 19 Feb 1983] LTTE writers pointed out that drivers would still be able to get in and drive the full length of the park; and that all but 2 of the parks 30 picnic areas would still be accessible by car). NCATF that closing the 1.5 mile road would discriminate against the elderly and handicapped. At the time they also made plans to close this section on weekends starting that May and to close the reverse commute lane between Joyce and Broad Branch during rush hour to allow cyclists and pedestrians to safely travel through the park. ["'85 Ban on Cars In Rock Creek Section Planned", Washington Post, page A1, 17 Feb 1983]
Harold Gray of NCATF said "One of the great values of the park is to see it through the windshield." ["Park Service Answers Beach Drive Questions", Washington Post, page, DC6, 30 March 1983]
The Park Service agreed.
Three months later, however, the Service disappointed the bicycle forces and others interested in curtailing auto traffic by a change of position. It confirmed the weekend closings on upper Beach Drive between Picnic Area 10 and Wise Road and between West Beach Drive and the Maryland line--measures previously tried with good results. But it would not interfere with weekday traffic below Joyce Road. Instead, it would build a 2.5-mile bicycle trail paralleling that segment of Beach Drive down to Broad Branch Road.
WABA and NCPA both opposed the decision and then it appears that they fought about the trail, which WABA supported and NCPA did not. Which is where they were in 1985.
Further measures to curb auto traffic in favor of bicycles do not appear imminent.
No, they don't.
The increase in commuter traffic on Beach drive has doubled thanks to the BRAC-ing of Bethesda Naval Hospital. Restriction of the sheer numbers could take the form of a weight limit with required stickers for use of the Park roads. Eliminating SUVs would make a dent.
Posted by: Angry Parakeet | September 19, 2012 at 01:27 PM
Fascinating read--thanks for digging this up! Bikes and cars have been living with each other on Beach Drive for such a while that I think they've made peace with them -- cars generally give bikes wide berth and are pretty polite (even if still exceeding the speed limit). As a cyclist, I've been more aggressively buzzed off the road by roving packs of Fred pacelines than by cars.
Posted by: Tara | September 19, 2012 at 01:50 PM
I used to bike commute on Beach Drive. It was a rare day not to be harassed, passed on a blind curve, or passed in another quite unsafe fashion.
I recognize the political reality that closing Beach Drive during commuting times will never happen, even though that's what the Charter language and the proper mission of the NPS would support. It just irks me that drivers moan about cyclists on Beach Drive even though in a just world, commuting through the Park by car would be impossible.
Posted by: Crikey7 | September 19, 2012 at 01:58 PM
I've been more aggressively buzzed off the road by roving packs of Fred pacelines than by cars.
You've *literally* been buzzed off the road by packs of other cylists?? My, that must have been terrifying!
Posted by: oboe | September 19, 2012 at 02:02 PM
It would be good to close Ross Drive and Ridge road to Ross drive on weekends this along with the weekend closure of Beach Drive makes possible a loop with a nice climb or two. As it is Ridge road is a problem because the two way traffic and blind. I recall in the early 70's NCVC used that loop for races on Sunday mornings. corners.
Posted by: david | September 19, 2012 at 07:15 PM
I may have used some poetic license, Oboe. :) I have definitely been buzzed over to the crumbly pebbly edges of Beach Drive by aggressive cyclists. On the other hand, 9 times out of 10, cars give me extremely wide berth when passing.
Posted by: Tara | September 20, 2012 at 10:15 AM
Good story. The trail that parallels the road is a menace in places, and along the edge of the road itself, where a cyclist might be expected by some to ride, is the worst part of the paving. I suppose in tight budget times it's a bit much to expect repaving or even grinding the trail, but it's fit for nothing but a mountain bike in places. Rather than getting rid of cars, I'd like to see what's there for cyclists maintained.
Posted by: DE | September 20, 2012 at 10:36 AM