The federal government is expected to begin removing bike lanes around the National Mall on Monday, just a few years after they were constructed, according to two District Department of Transportation staffers and two local bicycle advocacy groups.
The National Park Service hasn’t publicly confirmed the removal and did not respond to a question about it from The Washington Post.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is expected to begin construction Monday to remove the portion of the 15th Street NW bike lane that goes through the National Mall, which falls under the federal government’s jurisdiction via the Park Service, according to the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.
The anticipated removal has raised safety concerns among residents since reports show the bike lanes were effective at reducing congestion.
A Park Service spokesperson did not respond to specific questions about the 15th Street bike lane removal but spoke in general terms about decisions officials are making.
“With the upcoming National Cherry Blossom Festival and preparations underway for America’s 250th anniversary, ensuring safe access for residents, commuters, visitors, and emergency services is a shared priority,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “These nationally significant events draw substantial visitation and require coordinated infrastructure planning to support mobility, security, and a positive experience for all.”
The Interior Department, which also did not respond to specific questions about the bike lane removal, sent the same statement as the Park Service.
When asked about the issue, the FHWA said the change was about returning “common sense into city planning.”
“As part of the President’s initiative to revitalize Washington, D.C., we are collaborating with the Department of the Interior to restore common sense into city planning,” FHWA spokeswoman Melissa Braid said in an emailed statement.
“With major events approaching — including the National Cherry Blossom Festival and Freedom250 celebrations — it is essential to improve traffic flow for the hundreds of thousands of tourists expected in D.C. this year. Bike lane placements must complement normal road activities, not compete with them,” Braid added.
The Trump administration has previously said grants that include “reducing lane capacity for vehicles” with bike lanes or pedestrian infrastructure are “hostile” to cars and “counter” to the Department of Transportation’s “priority of preserving or increasing roadway capacity for motor vehicles.”
Most of the bike lanes on 15th Street fall under the jurisdiction of the District Department of Transportation, but the affected portion is on federal land. The bike lane is one of the most popular in the District. In late February, about 100 cyclists gathered in Washington to protest the potential removal of bike lanes in Washington.
In an emailed statement, a DDOT spokesperson said that since the 15th Street protected bike lane south of Constitution Avenue is on federal land, “decisions regarding changes or removal of this segment are not within the authority of the District Department of Transportation.”
The agency “remains fully committed to the development of our bicycle network and has no plans for the removal of the 15th Street Protected Bike Lane north of Constitution Avenue,” the spokesperson added.
The protected bike lanes along the 15th Street corridor were constructed to improve safety along the busy transit route, according to Kalli Krumpos, advocacy director at the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. About one mile of the 15th Street bike lanes fall under federal control around the National Mall, according to Krumpos, who said she wasn’t sure which specific portions were under threat of removal.
“The National Mall is a highlight for people in the region and from across the country, but it was a dangerous location for people driving, for people walking, for people biking,” Krumpos said.
Braid said the 15th Street bike lanes “have dramatically reduced roadway capacity.” A 2026 DDOT study on the bike lane’s impact presents a different picture.
After the project was installed, all roadway crashes along the corridor decreased by 46 percent, and bicycle injury crashes decreased by 91 percent, according to the study. The DDOT spokesperson called those statistics “a tremendous testament” to the safety impact of protected bike lanes.
The 15th Street bikes lanes also improved the flow of traffic. After the project was installed, speeds increased by 17 percent, with peak northbound travel time decreasing by 36 seconds and peak southbound travel time decreasing by 40 seconds on the corridor, according to the study.
“This project is doing all the right things,” Krumpos said. “The data shows that the project is working and that there is not a negative impact for people driving.”
Krumpos said she believes the decision to remove the lanes was a political one.
“This is a demonstration of power. D.C.’s lack of statehood makes it really difficult for us to stand up for ourselves,” she said. “This is a project that clearly was implemented for safety reasons. The results show that it had safety impacts, but we believe it’s being taken out because of political reasons.”
Jeremiah Lowery, founder of the Bike, Walk and Bus PAC, which advocates for sustainable transportation in Washington, said he separately confirmed the impending bike lane removal with DDOT staffers. Lowery said he was frustrated by the lack of public communication from the Park Service about the bike lane removal. “It’s another misguided decision by the Trump administration, with no public input, with no concrete rationale,” Lowery said.
Advisory neighborhood commissioner Matthew Holden agreed: “That just shows that they know it’s an unpopular decision, and they want to do it because they can.”
Before the bike lanes were constructed around the National Mall, Holden said, “it would be just a mess” to ride his bike through the area in the morning to work. After the bike lanes were constructed, “it’s a night-and-day difference.”
Even if the bike lanes are removed, it doesn’t mean people will stop riding their bikes there — which has Krumpos worried about an increase in crashes.
“It’s one of the busiest corridors across the region. People are still going to be biking there. We are really worried about cherry blossom season,” Krumpos said. “It’s going to be confusing for people trying to get around. They’re going to be less safe.”
Washington’s cherry blossoms are an economic driver for the city: According to 2024 data, the festival brought in $202 million in visitor spending.
“If there’s a reputation that it’s harder and harder to visit the Cherry Blossom Festival, because cars are choking the roads, and it makes it an unpleasant experience visiting the Mall,” Holden said, “I think that people might decide not to come.”
Rachel Weiner and Kendall Staton contributed to this report.
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