Biking down I-395 in 2009.

During the 2009 inauguration, crowd control went horribly wrong and hundreds of people were stuck in the purple tunnel of doom for hours. To avoid a repeat, inauguration planners have decided to close the Third Street Tunnel to everyone this year, instead of just cars.

Obviously avoiding another doom tunnel fiasco is good news, but closing the tunnel for bikes and peds also makes me a little sad.

In 2009 I made my way down to the inauguration before the crowds got really intense. To get there, I biked down the middle of I-395. For a transportation nerd, biking down an empty interstate was one of the most fun experiences of the season.

So I can understand the decision to close the tunnel completely this year, but I’ll still miss the experience.