Inaugural Bike Valet Stations Approved
According to Washington Area Bicyclist Association program assistant Henry Mesias, it's official: WABA will be setting up bike valet stations at the Capitol on Inauguration Day. "Locations are still TBA," he writes in an email, "but there will be designated bike valet areas north and south of the event."
The nonprofit had been waiting for approval from various government entities so that it could offer free bike parking (and guarding) on January 20.
Mesias says more info will be released later today, through the organization's Web site, www.waba.org, and WABA is "asking folks who think they may use the valet to RSVP on our website to help us get an idea of how many bikes to expect."
Update: Asked to confirm the District Department of Transportation will be working with WABA to place bike valet stations at the inaug, DDOT spokesman John Lisle doesn't give up the goods.
"I know they're working on it and today may be launching a page asking people to RSVP so they can get a sense of how many people might bike to the inauguration. From our standpoint, officially nothing's changed. We think it's a great idea to offer people an alternative way to get to the Inauguration and we're working with WABA on the logistics to try and make it happen."
Mesias says he isn't surprised DDOT is refusing to confirm. "I don't think DDOT will do a press release until all the exact details are pinned down." But, he assures, an email WABA received from the department says the bike stations are approved.
Photo courtesy of Washington Area Bicyclist Association
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11:01 pm
Ugh, WABA website appears be cratering under unprecedented viewership. At almost 11 PM on the Sunday between Xmas and New Year's, it took me 15 straight minutes of trying to get in. Sure hope DDOT will take that into account if they expect to be using WABA's website to gauge interest levels in bike valet stations...
I for one am desperately hoping they come up with a workable bike valet plan. I'm a recent DC expat and ardent Dem, so wild horses won't keep me from coming home for the inauguration---but I do have grave concerns about getting around town while I'm there. I lived in Atlanta during the 90s and their sad little subway system was a sardine-can nightmare while the Olympics were in town. Mass frottage with a train car full of tourists is not my idea of a good time.