Yellow Police Tape across bollards at 15th Cycletrack near White House?

[Justin Antos]

Has anyone else encountered yellow police tape strung up across the tops of the bollards at the little gatehouse along the 15th St. Cycletrack? This is at E Executive Ave NW and H St. NW by a little gatehouse. This is right near a key link in the “thru” route of the 15th St. Cycletrack – right about…. here

We used to be able to sail right between the bollards. Now we have to either a) stop, dismount, and portage around it, or b) ride on the sidewalk illegally. Why is the tape there? What should we as cyclists do?

http://tinyurl.com/62oqjpo

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[jrenaut]

It’s been like that for a few weeks. At first I thought it was left over from something, but now I think it’s intentional to keep cyclists from going through. I’ve been riding up the sidewalk. I wish they’d sign the trail a little better – if there’s a particular place I’m supposed to ride when making that connection, I’ll do it. But without more specific signs, I’m taking the more or less the shortest route.

[kyleg]

This is on my (and my wife’s) daily commute. It’s been up for nearly two months now. I asked one of the guards on the afternoon shift (Secret Service, I believe?) if it was temporary. He shrugged his shoulders and said that somebody on another shift just started putting up the tape. Now many cyclists choose to ride the whole length of the block on the sidewalk while I prefer to beat up my wheels by hopping the curbs (panniers and all) right next to the guardhouse. Either way, it’s a lose-lose for cyclists. I’m not sure if there was an incident with a cyclist getting injured on one of the moving bollards or if the guards just felt like closing the entrance, but I’m tempted to race to the finish line and break the tape with my hands raised one of these days!

In any case, this needs to be addressed since it is right on the VERY busy 15th Street Cycle Track. The tape causes more harm than good by forcing cyclists to ride (illegally) on the crowded sidewalk. I wonder if WABA or DDOT have raised the issue with the Secret Service?

[DCLiz]

I just recently started occasionally commuting to work, and noticed the tape soon after I started. I assumed it meant we were supposed to go on the sidewalk, since this is part of the 15th Street Cycle Track. I’ve been riding on the sidewalk, being careful to yield to pedestrians.

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