The federal government’s planned removal of popular bike lanes along 15th Street near the National Mall has been delayed after cyclists filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to permanently stop the project, according to the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and D.C. officials.
The Federal Highway Administration was expected to begin construction to remove the lanes as soon as this week. The agency said in a statement to The Washington Post on Friday that it was seeking to return “common sense into city planning” and that it was “essential to improve traffic flow for the hundreds of thousands of tourists” expected to flock to D.C. for major events such as the National Cherry Blossom Festival and Freedom250 celebrations.
The bike lanes, which carry nearly 4,000 riders per day, have substantially reduced both congestion and traffic-related injuries along the busy 15th Street corridor, according to city data. And their anticipated removal outraged cyclists, dozens of whom have rallied since Friday to preserve them.
Elizabeth Kirker, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, said that after the group’s lawyers notified the Department of Justice of its intention to sue, they received written assurance that construction would not begin before March 30.
The D.C. Department of Transportation was also notified by federal officials that the “infrastructure changes” would not happen until “after peak bloom” of the cherry blossoms, which the National Park Service projects between March 29 and April 1.
“This has been a crucial investment, not only in how we get around, but how we get around safely,” Kirker said in an interview, noting that biking along this stretch used to be a “nightmare” until the lanes were installed by the federal government in 2021. “And so for that to be just removed without any public process at all, when studies by DDOT and others show the incredible safety and speed improvements on this corridor since the bike lane was installed, is insane.”
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment, including a question seeking confirmation the plans are being delayed. Nor did the Federal Highway Administration.
The 15th Street bike lanes stretch from the tidal basin to Columbia Heights, ferrying cyclists to key D.C. tourist hot spots, job centers and lively neighborhoods. While the D.C. Department of Transportation maintains the majority of the route, the portion south of Constitution Avenue and around the tidal basin — the areas affected by potential removal — is under federal control.
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) spoke out against the reported plans Friday, fearing that removing the bike lanes would “likely increase conflicts between pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles” during one of the busiest times of the year for tourism. She noted that her administration has found that since the bike lane was installed, crashes have dropped 46 percent and bicyclist injuries by 91 percent.
“Removing it would push cyclists into traffic or onto crowded sidewalks, creating new safety risks for everyone,” she said in a statement. “In addition to these safety improvements, the bike lane also enhanced traffic flow, reducing travel times in both the northbound and southbound directions. Keeping the bike lane in place helps manage high volumes safely and ensures a better experience for all who are visiting the District.”
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and other House Democrats called on the National Park Service on Friday to immediately halt the bike lane removal plans as well.
Kirker said her organization wanted to act quickly on litigation after seeing how fast the Trump administration can move when it wants something bulldozed. “We’ve seen the East Wing of the White House, and we don’t want 15th Street to have that happen,” she said.
The lawsuit, filed in D.C. federal district court, accuses the federal government of various administrative violations, saying agencies acted rashly without any of the formal reviews required.
The association is asking a judge to issue a restraining order halting the bike lanes’ removal.
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