Lafayette Park closures

[Mariner]

Does anyone have good tips for navigating around the White House when Lafayette Park is closed?

This is the general area.

Travelling from Pennsy to the 15th Street Cycletrack NB, the closure of Lafayette around the WH creates some commuting headaches. 15th NB is ok for a block, but that brings you to H Street, one way the wrong way. I is next, also one way, but at rush hour, it is completely hopeless: full of buses, cars, and pedestrians. Continuing north on what is now Vermont (Vermont and 15th swap sides at Farragut Park), next is K, which is just as hopeless.

Beyond there, Vermont jogs more to the NE and takes you next to L (one way the wrong way) and then the mess at Thomas Circle.

Best I’ve been able to come up with is to ride through Farragut Park on the diagonal, entering at I&15th and exiting at K&15th. That gives you a fighting chance to get to the cycle track. I really want to avoid sidewalks and parks, but there is really no choice here. No way am I queuing up behind a stopped bus.

Anyone have other ideas? Any chance we could get sharrows on 15th up to K?

[huskerdont]

@Mariner 141489 wrote:

Does anyone have good tips for navigating around the White House when Lafayette Park is closed?

This is the general area.

Travelling from Pennsy to the 15th Street Cycletrack NB, the closure of Lafayette around the WH creates some commuting headaches. 15th NB is ok for a block, but that brings you to H Street, one way the wrong way. I is next, also one way, but at rush hour, it is completely hopeless: full of buses, cars, and pedestrians. Continuing north on what is now Vermont (Vermont and 15th swap sides at Farragut Park), next is K, which is just as hopeless.

Beyond there, Vermont jogs more to the NE and takes you next to L (one way the wrong way) and then the mess at Thomas Circle.

Best I’ve been able to come up with is to ride through Farragut Park on the diagonal, entering at I&15th and exiting at K&15th. That gives you a fighting chance to get to the cycle track. I really want to avoid sidewalks and parks, but there is really no choice here. No way am I queuing up behind a stopped bus.

Anyone have other ideas? Any chance we could get sharrows on 15th up to K?

Short answer: no.

Long answer: no, and it really sucks. I’m going the other way, and often end up fighting with buses on Constitution.

[Tania]

I’ve only had to do this once (because I’m usually going in a different direction) but I take the lane on 15th between G and I, then a left on I (also taking the lane) and then a right onto the 15th cycletrack.

Whenever I have to take the lane, I take it like I OWN it and it works well.

@huskerdont 141493 wrote:

Short answer: no.

I’m going the other way, and often end up fighting with buses on Constitution.

When the WH is closed, I usually just take 15th street down to Maine (Maine? Down to the tidal basin) and follow that around to 14th Street Bridge. It adds maybe two miles and it’s a nice change of pace and an excuse for a bike pic at the Jefferson. My mom enjoys those.

[scorchedearth]

All I can suggest is to take the lane otherwise, walk the block on the sidewalk with your bike. It’s a pain however those are the options you have.

[ginacico]

So, this was posted today about a public meeting that……. was today.

Just blocks from the White House… new bike and bus lanes?

[dasgeh]

When they close PA Ave in front of the WH but not the Ellipse, then using the Ellipse to head west is a good option. Doesn’t help as much if you’re going north, but maybe you can use 18th to get to the L St cycletrack to get back to 15th?

When the Ellipse is closed, it’s all a clusterf**k.

It would be better, however, if one could know when they’re at the western end of the Capital spur of PA Ave whether the piece in front of the WH is closed. When this was my commute, I pleaded with Secret Service to no avail. But maybe others would have more luck. Maybe grab a screen shot of the scary traffic on I and your bike, then tweet at the secret service that you wouldn’t be there if they would let people know. Or write to WABA to get them to prioritize this in discussion with the SS and/or the city….

[Mariner]

Knowing when the Ellipse and the Park are closed would help a lot. Unfortunately, closure happens quickly and firmly, and as far as I know, there are no Tweets or anything about it (not that I am following Twitter while riding). So I don’t see that as happening anytime soon.

Better to have a regular permanent WH bypass on H and I.

[Author]

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