Cycling in Arlington

Here is interesting news from the East. It seems they have found an admirable solution which safeguards the very special nature of the space, and the wish of cyclists to use a safe route. Note also that Arlington is an active cemetery with many burials every day, whereas Los Angeles is closed now and only has about 15 interments a month. 
Mark Wigfield writes 
With the exception of a few days after 9/11, Arlington Cemetery and Fort Meyer have remained open to cyclists, with some limitations. Fort Meyer is the entry point to the cemetery, and is itself a route when the cemetery is closed. While the access is not perfect, the access policy has preserved a quiet, safe, clean, direct and, it should be said, beautiful and inspiring route into the city that includes daily contemplation of the meaning of the cemetery [...]. It's true that cyclists must show a driver's license before entering Fort Meyer, but this is generally a short transaction, and cyclists are not required to wait in the line of cars from the western (Hatfield) gate, but are checked separately in the curb lane.  There are some idiosyncracies: Cyclists can enter the Cemetery from Fort Meyer descending east into DC, but may not enter the Cemetery ascending west. Instead, they must go through Fort Meyer at the bottom gate (the Wright Gate), which is only a minor inconvenience. Most guards are trained in the process of clearing cyclists, but there can be some confusion in non-rush hours. Cemetery also doesn't open until 8 am, but cyclists may descend through Fort Meyer before then. The bottom gate on the east (Wright) closes at 9 pm.  [...]

It would be a great loss to cyclists -- for many reasons -- if access were closed.

Randy Swart from the Bicycle Helmet Institute adds this: 
Bicycle access to Arlington Cemetery has a long history. I am familiar with it as a user of that route since the early 1970's, and had heard stories going back further.  
Our cemetery borders Fort Myer, so they are linked for us. The cemetery sites astride the safest route to DC for central Arlington riders, and before the opening of the Custis Trail when I-66 was constructed in the 1970's it was the preferred route for many in N. Arlington as well. Although there were fewer bike commuters in those days, they were a tenacious lot. The Cemetery attempted to shut down bicycle access at one point in the 1960's and the cyclists went to Congressman Joe Fisher, then our representative and a senior member of the Military Appropriations subcommittee, for help. He made inquiries, and the route was reopened.

In the 1970's there were no restrictions on where a bicycle could go in the cemetery. We rode the main route both ways, and many used a route to the south of the main road that had gentler slopes and was somewhat shorter, but passed through throngs of tourists. [...] After repeated complaints from the tourists, the cemetery designated the main route through as the only bicycle route, closing off the other areas to bike traffic or touring. They painted a stripe on the main route and guards told bikes to follow the stripe. This change didn't affect access. I was able to lead bike club rides through other parts of the cemetery by sending a letter to the Superintendent with a map showing that we would not be using the main tourist route to the Kennedy grave or the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Superintendent would issue a permit for the ride to show to the surprised guards.

In the early 1980's the cemetery noted that bikes were breaking the speed limit downhill on the main route. Their guards hid behind trees and checked speed with radar guns. They issued the first ticket to a scruffy-looking, long-haired . . . lawyer. When they got to court he had three defenses ready, based on jurisdictions, signage, etc, but the judge threw the case out based on the first one. That was the last time I know of that they actually issued a ticket. [...]
Fort Myer has been open to bicycle use for almost all of the years that I have been using the cemetery route. After 9/11 they did close for a time, but it was based on security concerns as opposed to just bicyclephobia, and we did not protest. The cemetery route was inaccessible at that time as well, since the Ft Myer link was closed. The Fort reopened the route to bikes, checking our panniers carefully for a time. With rare exceptions it has been open, and is open now. The guards always ask for a "government ID" and are satisfied with a Virginia drivers license. They generally record the entry in a book. There is no check when you exit. [...] I have made it a point to let the base commanders know that we are grateful for the access and that it solves a safety problem for us.

At present, March 2010, the Ft. Myer route is open to bicycles in both directions 7 days a week. I think there is a 10pm night limit. But the cemetery can only be used in the downhill direction going in to DC. Ft. Myer does not post guards at the cemetery gate at the top (Chapel gate) except during funerals, and are unwilling to accept screening by the cemetery guards down below. 


(photo courtesy thewashcycle.com)