In an undated letter, attached in an email to Kim Lucas, DDOT’s Capital Bikeshare program manager, the Executive Office of the President requested the bike rack’s removal “as soon as possible.”

The “United States Secret Service has deemed the bike rack a security concern,” wrote Sierra L. Bedregal, special projects and programs manager in the Executive Officer of the President.

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DDOT responded to the letter in late July and, last week, removed the nine-slot dock at the administration’s request.

The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it had determined the bike rack to be an issue, and if so, what the nature of the concern was, and why the dock suddenly posed a problem.

Lucas forwarded the White House letter to three DDOT officials and a senior operations manager for Capital Bikeshare on July 21, according to emails obtained through the records request. But it appeared from the emails that the administration had been pushing for the dock’s removal for at least two months prior.

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“I manage Capital Bikeshare for Washington, D.C., and was told that you wanted to discuss the potential removal of the Capital Bikeshare station that is on the grounds of the White House?” Lucas wrote to an administration official on May 23.

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The official responded:

“That is correct we want you to remove Capital Bikeshare station from the White House,” wrote Gelila A. Teshome, of the Executive Office of the President.

The correspondence appeared to pick back up in July.

DDOT said last week that bikes had been checked in and out of the stations 5,085 times since it was installed. There were 71 trips in July, the agency said.

DDOT directed inquiries on the correspondence and the bike rack’s removal to the Secret Service and The White House.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.