“Dear PoPville,
I live next to the 9th Street cycle track in NW. The cycle track next to the convention center, between L and M street has been ripped up and turned into a bus loading zone for a military convention happening now. There is no signage up telling cyclists what to do.
Since living here, this is the second or third time this has happened, each time for some sort of military convention that lasts several days. Is this allowed?”
Update from WABA via a press release from EventsDC:
“The Walter E. Washington Convention Center will host the 2025 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting & Exposition from October 10 through October 15, 2025. The estimated attendance for the event is 30,000 people. For more information, visit https://meetings.ausa.org/annual/2025/.
2025 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting & Exposition dates:
Friday, October 10: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Registration & Ticket Pickup)
Saturday, October 11: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Registration & Ticket Pickup)
Sunday, October 12: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Registration & Ticket Pickup)
Monday, October 13: 6:30 AM – 8:15 PM
Tuesday, October 14: 7:00 AM – 7:30 PM
Wednesday, October 15: 7:00 AM – 9:30 PM
L Street will be closed to vehicular traffic during the hours of the event.
We anticipate an increase in WMATA ridership (particularly on the Yellow and Green lines at the Mount Vernon Square/Seventh Street Convention Center station) and greater demand for taxis/rideshares. This event will generate substantial vehicular and pedestrian activity in or near the Convention Center area (particularly Massachusetts Avenue, New York Avenue and Interstate 695/395).
There will be District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Traffic Control Officers (TCOs) posted to direct vehicular and pedestrian traffic during the hours of the event.
The TCOs will be posted at key intersections surrounding the exterior of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to facilitate the safe, efficient flow of pedestrian traffic. Events DC Transportation Services staff and officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will manage the taxi lane on Allen Y. Lew Place, NW as well as the pedestrian crosswalk on L Street, NW. Please note that the east side of Ninth Street, NW (outside the convention center) is down to one travel lane due to an added bike lane.
During this time, Events DC has requested heightened traffic monitoring and enforcement of parking regulations in the area surrounding the Convention Center.
Between Monday, October 6, 2025, and Sunday, October 12, 2025, there will be significant freight operations on the exterior of the Convention Center that will impact the bicycle lanes on Ninth Street between L and M Streets and M Street between Seventh and Ninth Streets. During this timeframe, large military apparatus (tanks, personnel carriers, etc.) will be moved into the Convention Center. Intermittent traffic congestion is anticipated. Bicycle lanes in this area will be temporarily closed.
Bicycle lanes will be open between Monday, October 13th and Wednesday, October 15th during the AUSA Conference. The bicycle lanes will be temporarily closed from the evening of Wednesday, October 15th to October 18th while AUSA moves out of the Convention Center. Thereafter, the bicycle lanes will operate as normal on Ninth Street between L and M Streets.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please join Events DC in welcoming the 2025 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting & Exposition attendees to our community!”