Valet Bike Parking is On For Inauguration

With Metro authorities expecting an overload of passengers and bridges being shut down during the inauguration, a bicycle might be the best way to get around town next week. Now the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is making your decision to ride on two wheels even easier by offering valet bike parking on Inauguration Day. And here's a bonus: It's free.

The service, which will run from 7 AM to 5 PM on January 20, will be offered at two locations: The south side of the Jefferson Memorial and on 16th Street between I and K streets. WABA expects to handle more than 2,000 bikes.

According to a statement released yesterday by the Department of Transportation, the service will operate exactly like a car valet. “You simply ride up to the valet, a volunteer will attach one half of a claim ticket to your bike and hand you the other half,” said Henry Mesias, the project manager at WABA. “The volunteer will then park the bike in a safe enclosure while you head off to enjoy the Inauguration. When you want to leave, you show us your half of the claim check and we get you your bike and you ride off. It’s quite simple.”

Though it's not required to use the valet service, WABA is taking RSVPs here to help determine how many bike racks they'll need. In the event of heavy rain or snow, valets will be closed, but the bike racks will still be available for use.

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Emily Leaman