As the wheels roll out for the DC Bike Ride this weekend, folks in and around the District of Columbia and Virginia will need to brace for a host of street closures and parking restrictions. According to a traffic advisory from the Metropolitan Police Department, these disruptions will begin today and continue through tomorrow.
Starting at 6:00 p.m. today and continuing until 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, several streets, including Pennsylvania Avenue, NW from 3rd Street, NW to 7th Street, NW, and Constitution Avenue, NW from 3rd Street, NW to 7th Street, NW will become no-go zones for parking and vehicular traffic. These changes are intended to accommodate the large number of cyclists expected on the roads. Motorists who normally travel through these areas are advised to begin planning alternative routes.
In addition to the aforementioned closures, the MPD advisory highlights more streets that will be closed tomorrow, from the early hours of 2:30 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. This includes a stretch of Constitution Avenue, NW reaching from 14th Street, NW to 7th Street, NW, and several intersecting roads. Those planning an early weekend commute or a trip to the grocery store are advised to adjust their schedules, either by leaving earlier or delaying their plans.
Vehicles will also find a swath of streets such as 14th Street, NW from Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to the 14th Street Bridge, and the Arlington Memorial Bridge completely inaccessible to traffic from 2:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., tomorrow. For those who live or work along these routes, the event will bring a pause from regular traffic.
Amid the cycling activity, emergency vehicles will still be given access through the closed streets as needed, and motorists and pedestrians are advised to remain alert.
