2006 CWL #3 - Speaker Pelosi, tear down this sign

When L'Enfant mapped out the city in 1791, he set the Capitol building as the hub with several major Boulevards projecting from it as spokes. So it's only natural that numerous cyclists traversing the city should pass through it's grounds. Those approaching from the traffic circle at 1st St SW and Maryland Avenue are greeted by this lovely sign. This sign is probably the easiest thing on the CWL to fix. 15 minutes with a screwdriver should just about do it. So why did such a small thing make the list?

Well, for starters, I can't even confirm that biking on the Capitol grounds or through this gate is against the rules. It's not against DC's laws. If it is against rules created by the Architect of the Capitol I couldn't find it on their website. I couldn't find any policy about bicycling - but there are bike racks inside the perimeter, which would be a tacit approval of bicycle use.

If it is against the rules, it certainly isn't enforced (or, from my experience, followed) so what's the point of the sign? It can't even be a legal liability issue. [A lawyer can better explain this, but I believe if people are trespassing on your property, and you know about it but do nothing to stop it, you're still responsible for making it safe]

Also, if it's against the rules, it shouldn't be. As a transportation centerpoint, a major destination and a quasi-park, cycling should be encouraged on the Capitol Grounds, not outlawed.

So the sign serves no purpose and shouldn't serve the purpose for which it was designed. But I also think it does harm. It sits right next to the Capitol Guide service kiosk, where tourists first line up to tour the Capitol (for now at least). Millions of people come through, see that sign and get a small advertisement that says, "Bikes don't belong." Is it particularly harmful? Not sure. But the harm to cost ratio is high enough that it made the list.  

Comments

[Kevin]

US Capitol Police do chase cyclists off the capitol grounds. It's happened to me a couple of times, but I really don't have much idea of the consistency, and I have no idea if it's legal or not.

[Charles]

I have noticed this sign as well. My commute takes me on the Senate side of the Hill, where there aren't any "no biking" signs. Maybe because there is less traffic?

The only time when I've been asked to turn around was when President Bush was making a visit to the Capitol and the entire grounds were off limits.

[Contrarian]

When home rule was created, the Congress reserved a "zone of federal control" around the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court where the Federal Government has exclusive control. This creates a murky situation, as regulations pertaining to the zone are not well-promulgated, and there is no marking of the boundaries.

The Capitol Hill police are hard on pedestrians as well as cyclists. I had a Hill staffer explain it to me once. It would be very bad for the CHP for a member of Congress to have a car accident, at-fault or not. But the CHP are powerless to control the members of Congress, so their only available tactic is to keep everyone else away from the Congressmen's cars.

[iconoclasst]

If we take the icon literally, it appears to be saying "No Track Bikes Allowed."

Seriously, though, what's with the detailed graphic in place of the usual stickman? Strange...

I say, RIY (remove it yourself). It's your civic duty.

[w]

Biking around the Capitol can be either seamless - that is- if you are ignored by the cops- or it can be very frustrating. The Capitol police run the gamut from totally apathetic to downright hostile. Ive been biking around the Capitol since about 1968, and I can say that it has gotten a lot worse.One thing that could be done would be for the Congress to emphasize to their workers to take Metro or live nearby instead of driving to work. The march of parking lots and demolition of buildings for parking is one consistent thing Ive noticed over the years. I bet that there is more surface parking around the US Capitol than any place in the entire city. This shows to the world that the USA does not care at alll about energy conservation , other transportation, or rationality in general. They need to infill these areas with quality housing and incentivize Congressional/ Hill workers to move there instead of driving. With less cars we will have an easier time on the bicycles.

[locus]

Has anyone considered that the sign (posted at the bottom of the Hill on the south, i.e. House, side) may be there to deter cyclists from going the wrong way on a one-way street?

[Washcycle]

Well then, why wouldn't the Do Not Enter sign be sufficient?

[Contrarian]

Well then, why wouldn't the Do Not Enter sign be sufficient?

That's crazy talk. Everyone knows the rules don't apply to cyclists...

[Washcycle]

Are there cyclists out there who will disregard one sign, but not two?

[Mark]

I used to ride by that sign every day, but I always assumed it meant no speeding bicycles since the rider in the sign is clearly racing. I, of course, ignored the "Do not Enter" sign...