The Downtown Cluster of Congregations is pushing for a spring cleanup of abandoned bicycles chained to parking meters, lamp posts and racks across the District of Columbia.

Terry Lynch, executive director for the Downtown Cluster, which represents places of worship across the District, has identified a list of bicycles, or the parts that remain — often a tire or only a frame — after thieves have stripped them, and asked District officials to remove them.

“They’re an eyesore,” Lynch said. “They’re a bit of a nuisance in that they impede people coming in and out of their cars.”

The District has a hard time determining who owns the bicycles, and although the Metropolitan Police Department offers owners the chance to register them, many do not.

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The District Department of Transportation tags about five bicycles per week for removal by the Department of Public Works. Once a bicycle is tagged, owners have 10 days to remove it before the city does, said Jim Sebastian, who administers the city’s bicycle programs for DDOT.

“When it comes to old locks and frames, they’re basically trash at that point,” Sebastian said. “More often that not, they’re abandoned.”

DPW spokeswoman Linda Grant said the department does not keep track of how many bicycles it removes across the city, but Lynch said he has seen some bikes remain for years, chained up to racks or posts.

“It’s public space,” Lynch said. “We can do a better job that we’re currently doing.”

cmabeus@dcexaminer.com