WASHINGTON — A bicycle could be one way to get around the possible gridlock Pope Francis could produce next week.
He arrives 4 p.m., Sept. 22 and leaves 4 p.m., Sept. 24.
That’s why Derrick Harrigan plans to leave the car at home and skip Metro. He estimates a 17-mile trip each way from his home in Temple Hills to his office in downtown Bethesda.
“It’s a very big stress reliever,” Harrigan said. “The air is nice and crisp in the morning. I can think and just get some exercise in.”
If it rains, he’ll have to rethink those plans, or find ways to let the water roll off as he rides.
Still, there will be limits to the flexibility normally given to bike riders in the city. Colin Browne with the Washington Bicyclist Association said a number of popular routes will be affected.
“You definitely won’t be able to connect from the 15th Street NW protected bike lane to the protected bike lanes on Pennsylvania Avenue like you normally would,” Browne said. “You’d have to detour through downtown.”
The bike association has a list, including maps with road closures, with how cyclists might get around the congestion and closed roads.
Capital Bikeshare will operate without closing down any of its stations, said Kim Lucas, Bicycle Program Specialist with the D.C. Department of Transportation.
“We don’t want to shut down any part of the system, because there’s a chance that a road closure won’t impact a station,” Lucas said.
She advises users to keep tabs on Capital Bikeshare operations online. Updates will be made as conditions change.
For those wishing to attend papal events using the popular Bikeshare bikes, Lucas said there will be bike corrals set up.
“The corral is a staffed Bikeshare station, so you would not have to worry about parking your bike,” she said. “It will be able to accommodate unlimited bike parking.”
Unlike other major events — like the 4th of July — the papal event is taking place over a number of days. When domestic and foreign dignitaries travel in motorcades, routes can change at the last minute, so planning, flexibility and keeping up with the website and social media can help.
Even with the glitches that can inevitably arise during events that draw huge crowds, Lucas said riding a bike to get around may be your best bet.
“In most parts of the District and Virginia and Maryland, you can ride on the sidewalk, you can walk your bike,” she said. “It’ll give you more options … than many of the other alternatives.”
For maps, road closures, information on what Bikeshare stations may be affected and more, check here and here.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
