Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Barack Obama

Obama Becomes First Prez to Walk Down a Bike Lane on Inauguration Day

false

The networks were busy tripping over themselves trying to point out all the "firsts" during yesterday's inauguration ceremonies. But when Barack and Michelle Obama stepped out of the presidential motorcade to greet well wishers on Pennsylvania Avenue, they missed a huge one: Obama is now the first U.S. president to walk down a bike lane during his inauguration.

The center-median, two-way bicycle lane down Pennsylvania was implemented by DDOT back in summer 2010, so this is the first inauguration to feature the new look. Check out this clip from ABC News that shows the president stepping out of his limo and almost right on top of a bike stencil...

We've done some Streetfilms featuring some great bicycling from the capital.  Check out this Streetfilm on DC's Capital BikeShare and this one from the 2011 National Bike Summit, which features many scenes of the Pennsylvania Ave bike lane in action.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Masters of Deflection: Congestion Pricing Foes Stoke Fear of Subway Crime

Opponents of congestion pricing are trying to claim the tolling scheme unfairly forces New Yorkers onto a dangerous subway system, but it's more complicated.

January 14, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Lest We Forget Edition

Ninth Street should be safer, say Brooklyn residents as they mourned one of their own last week. Plus other news.

January 14, 2025

IT’S WORKING: Initial Data Show Congestion Pricing Has Stemmed The Tide of Years of Increasing Traffic

Travel times are down an average of 34 percent across the eight bridges and tunnels into the Central Business District, which saw a 7.5-percent drop in overall traffic, according to MTA figures.

January 14, 2025

Fighting Crime Without Cops: New Report Shows Key Role of Streetscape

An ounce of preemptive streetscape improvements is worth a pound of cops.

January 13, 2025

Albany’s Power Brokers Are Trying To Break Your Subway

Top pols in the state capital need only look in the mirror to see who's responsible for the MTA's continuing need for investment.

January 13, 2025
See all posts