The 15th St Bike Lane has been saved for now, as a judge ruled that the Trump regime’s attempt to remove it was “arbitrary and capricious.” They sought to destroy the lane between Constitution Avenue and the Jefferson Memorial.
This section of the bike lane is one of the prettiest in the country, as it crosses the National Mall and features views of the Washington Monument, the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial. Built in 2021 by the National Park Service, it’s a two-way, partially protected lane that runs on the southbound side of the street.
But it’s not just the views that make it special. North of Constitution Avenue, it connects to the city-owned section of the 15th St bike lane that runs all the way to the top of Malcom X Park.
It’s the spine of bike traffic in this city. I use it nearly every day and I see recreational riders, commuters, tourists, parents, kids – every kind of person. The lane makes it possible to get around DC without another car clogging the roads.
Despite this, someone in the Trump administration wanted to kill it. The original filing said it was to improve traffic flow during cherry blossom season, which is laughable. Traffic is always gridlock then. The National Park Service even discouraged people from driving to the blossoms and to find alternative means of getting there, like bikes! (A fact cited by the judge in her decision.)
When You Fight, You Win
When rumors began to circulate that the regime intended to destroy the bike lane, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association got to work. They formed a legal team, started petitions and organized rallies to demonstrate public support.
In March, they filed a lawsuit, arguing that the administration had failed to follow applicable regulations or conduct an environmental review.
They fought, unlike Mayor Bowser who surrendered when Trump ordered the destruction of Black Lives Matter Plaza.
Can’t win if you don’t fight.
The DOJ is Incompetent
WABA had lawyers from Covington and Burling on their team, one of the most prestigious law firms in the country.
The Department of Justice had whoever was left after the department had been purged of anyone insufficiently loyal to Dear Leader.
This was the gang that couldn’t even convict Sandwich Guy, who was caught on video throwing a sandwich at a federal officer.
I talked to someone close to the case and they said that the government was represented by a junior lawyer supervised by a more senior one.
Which is almost identical to how they have handled the Metro Hair Toucher case, which I have followed closely. In the last hearing I watched, the judge got so frustrated with the junior lawyer that he ordered him to approach the bench. “You need to read this,” the judge said, holding out a law book.
Free DC!
MAGA loves to criticize Washington, DC.
But the fact is that the people of Washington do not control what happens here. Congress can overrule any law passed by the City Council. America was founded on checks and balances but there is no check on the power of Congress. They can do what they like to the Nation’s Capital.
This is why Mayor Bowser is so reticent to defy Trump; she can be overruled.
“No taxation without representation” is another American credo violated by Congress when it comes to their management of DC. With a population of 700,000, we have more people than Wyoming. They have two Senators and a Representative while DC has no voting rights in Congress.
Republicans love to wrap themselves in the Constitution while they deny representation to their fellow Americans.
The 700,000 people of DC deserve a vote in Congress. Free DC!
The 15th St Bike Lane Was a Test Case
The “Make America Healthy Again” crowd wants Americans to give up vaccines and exercise more. But they also want to destroy the places to exercise.
The regime has canceled grants for bike lanes and trails deemed “hostile” to cars.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants you in your car, stuck in gridlock, without a bike, bus or train alternative. They want you burning the gasoline that has led to forever wars in the Middle East.
Thousands of tourists experience the 15th St Bike Lane every year, glimpsing, for a moment what America would be like if we didn’t pave over every square inch of this country. It shows what is possible if we devoted a tiny sliver of a few select roads to non-car alternatives.
If they can destroy it here, they can destroy it anywhere.
The good news is that that WABA victory over the regime demonstrates that you can fight back and win. Organize. Demonstrate. And, most importantly, get good lawyers.
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