Architect of the Capitol, one of two new Bicycle Friendly Businesses in DC area

The League of American Bicyclists released the 2015 Bicycle Friendly Businesses list and two local "businesses" made the list: The Architect of the Capitol and Kevin H Posey, The Biking Realtor Coldwell Banker Residential of Alexandria. [Also A-1 Cycling in Manassas, but that's pretty far out]. All of these businesses are now bronze.

It's kind of odd to award the AOC a designation since the Capitol itself is somewhat not bicycle friendly, though that may be due to the Capitol Police or the Sergeant-At-Arms. For example, there still isn't a CaBi station anywhere on Capitol grounds, even though there were plans to add one near the Capitol South Metro as far back as 2012.

There is one at Penn and 3rd, but that's outside the Capitol grounds. 

In addition, barriers erected after 9-11 have made the Capitol grounds less bike friendly, and many of those impacts have not been addressed.

Comments

[CapitolHill Keith]

+1 "In addition, barriers erected after 9-11 have made the Capitol grounds less bike friendly, and many of those impacts have not been addressed."

The capitol grounds are not bike friendly at all. The placement of cones and barriers seems to be done with no thought of bike usage.

[JR]

Capitol Police are just a bunch of knuckleheads. But the Architect of the Capitol - doesn't that office control the non-blocked off roads near the Capitol, such as Constitution, Independence, and 2nd st NE/SE? Not to mention Pennsylvania Ave east of 3rd st (a parking lot) and Maryland Ave (ditto). Not much to praise.

[John Henry Holliday]

As a cyclist who makes use of AOC facilities, I was curious how they came to be on this list.

"The government agency, among other advancements, has been working collaboratively with the Congressional Bike Caucus to share information throughout the Capitol campus, and has helped to restart the Federal Interagency Bike Working Group as a means to share best practices within the federal community."

So they've started trying to do something. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt; perhaps by next year they'll have done something concrete (pardon the pun) - like providing curb cuts on both sides of the pop-up street barriers so cyclists can go around them without dismounting.

[DaveS]

The security station at 2nd and East Capitol includes one to three USCP vehicles idling in wait to block or pursue vehicles that are not permitted closer to the Capitol.

For the safety of the officers, bicycle rack fencing or plastic sawhorse fencing or cones (or various combinations of all three) are placed across the bike lane. This protects officers - and cyclists - from dooring scenarios.

On Independence and Constitution there are similar security station configurations that include off-road spots for the police vehicles to wait. I've asked officers posted on East Capitol what it would take to build a similar bay for their vehicles.

Their answer? Talk to AoC - but they aren't going to change it.

[jay]

I get regular updates through the interagency group and they have done a lot in the last year, but it's been mostly focused on employee encouragement and education. I know they installed several maintenance stands in garages and two new sections of bike lanes. I also know the lack of cabi stations is the fault of Congress limiting what can be installed on capitol hill and cabi not wanting to deal with the truck barrier issues from the police. i think you should give them the benefit of the doubt because if the League thought they deserved it, then they did.