The United States Capitol Police is threatening to “limit” sledding on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol this weekend, despite a new law that lifts a ban on the activity.
Officials warned in a memo that police will be monitoring sledding and other snow activities on the Capitol grounds and could intervene if things begin to look dangerous.
The memo comes after Congress voted last year to lift the sledding ban, which had irked residents seeking to use the long slope on the West Front as a place to safely use their sleds.
“Given the direction of Congress, the USCP will be monitoring any weather-related activity on the Capitol Grounds and also monitoring conditions to ensure a positive and safe experience for the young sledders in our D.C. community,” police officials said in the memo. “Please note that if the conditions are unsafe for the public and/or the congressional community, USCP officers will limit the amount of sledding in the best interest of the public.”
The weather forecast is calling for blizzard conditions in Washington, D.C., on Friday night and into Saturday that may produce up to 30 inches of snow. Sledders are expected to show up in droves on the Capitol’s West Front now that the ban has been lifted.
Members of Congress, primarily D.C.’s non-voting Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, have been battling Capitol Hill Police to lift the sledding ban, and finally achieved the goal by inserting a provision in the 2016 spending bill passed in December.
