On today’s Kojo Nnamdi show with Roger Lewis, at 23:14 into the segment a caller complains about bicyclists riding on the sidewalk and says that she’s “pretty sure” it’s illegal in DC. Lewis talked about how it’s often reasonable to ride on the sidewalk, but didn’t address the specific law.

A lot of people think riding on the sidewalk is illegal, but actually it’s not true. You are allowed to ride on sidewalks except in the central business district, which is basically everything between Mass Ave and the Mall.

A map from DDOT:

Riding on sidewalks is legal in DC outside the gray area.

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Tagged: bicycling, dc, sidewalk cycling

David Alpert created Greater Greater Washington in 2008 and was its executive director until 2020. He formerly worked in tech and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco Bay, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He lives with his wife and two children in Dupont Circle.