One of the worst things about July 4th on the Mall is leaving the Mall when it’s done. DC likes to use the exodus as an opportunity to experiment with its emergency evacuation traffic plans, so if you drive you’ll never know quite where you’re going to end up. And honestly, the Metro isn’t exactly head and shoulders above driving (consider that you’ll be packed in – shoulder to shoulder if you’re lucky, shoulder to head if you’re not – next to people who’ve spent alllll daay on the Mall.) So what to do? Ride down.
If you need help finding a path, Bike Washington has an excellent map of commuting trails (if you’re coming from VA, I’d suggest using the Roosevelt or 14th St. bridges – Memorial will be overrun with people). And what to do once you’re there? WashCycle tells us that :
WABA will be offering two free valet bike parking locations as a way to encourage more people to ride their bikes to the fireworks. The bike valets will be located at 15th and Independence Ave SW and on the south side of the Lincoln Memorial. Both valets will be in operation from 2pm to 10pm.
If you’re not really feeling the insanity of the Mall, but want to see the fireworks up close, ride over to the Iwo Jima Memorial (grab a space on the lawn by the Netherlands Carillon). You won’t be the only one there, but it’s much more manageable. Enjoy the day.