After. Via a tipster.

As D.C. struggles to keep up with demand for bike parking, an on-street corral was removed from the area of D and 8th streets NW, near the National Archives, over a concern about its effect on the “historic viewshed.”

A tipster who works in the area sent DCist the above photo, which shows the space previously occupied by bike racks being used for motorcycle parking. A spokesperson for the District Department of Transportation said the racks were removed at the request of a member of the Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association, who said it was “blocking a historic viewshed.”

“However, we are adding other racks nearby to make up for the lost spaces,” the spokesperson said.

The bike corral was located on a section of 8th street NW with views of the National Gallery of Art and National Archives building. As our tipster pointed out, motorcycles are still parking in the area formerly occupied by the bike rack: “I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.”

Before. Via Google Maps.