Saturday, January 3, 2009
Prep Your Car and Yourself for Inauguration Week January 2, 2009 - 6:00am
Kristi King, wtop.com
WASHINGTON - The week of the inauguration, traffic could lock down at any time and for any reason, leaving you stuck in your vehicle.
That prospect has police advising you to be prepared.
Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller offers these suggestions:
Top off your gas tank.
Get your car checked out and serviced.
Stock your vehicle with maps. Plan alternate routes.
Prepare to be stranded. Emergency supplies in your car should include a flashlight, blanket, snacks, water, warm clothes, walking shoes and a cell phone charger.
Geller says the state police will bring in extra troopers from around Virginia to help clear incidents from the highways quickly. Also, extra tow truck operators have been lined up to help the region move smoothly through inauguration week.
Just as important as having your car prepared is knowing whether your body can handle going to the inauguration. Be realistic.
Geller says you should be comfortable answering, yes, to these questions:
Can you stand possibly eight hours shoulder to shoulder in large crowds?
Do you have warm, dry, comfortable shoes?
Do you have appropriate clothes for extreme cold or wet weather?
Can you walk three to five miles between shuttle drop offs and Metro stops?
Inauguration planners also say you should give extra consideration before bringing small children, senior citizens and anyone who has a weakened immune system.
(Copyright 2009 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.) Kristi King, wtop.com
WASHINGTON - The week of the inauguration, traffic could lock down at any time and for any reason, leaving you stuck in your vehicle.
That prospect has police advising you to be prepared.
Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller offers these suggestions:
Top off your gas tank.
Get your car checked out and serviced.
Stock your vehicle with maps. Plan alternate routes.
Prepare to be stranded. Emergency supplies in your car should include a flashlight, blanket, snacks, water, warm clothes, walking shoes and a cell phone charger.
Geller says the state police will bring in extra troopers from around Virginia to help clear incidents from the highways quickly. Also, extra tow truck operators have been lined up to help the region move smoothly through inauguration week.
Just as important as having your car prepared is knowing whether your body can handle going to the inauguration. Be realistic.
Geller says you should be comfortable answering, yes, to these questions:
Can you stand possibly eight hours shoulder to shoulder in large crowds?
Do you have warm, dry, comfortable shoes?
Do you have appropriate clothes for extreme cold or wet weather?
Can you walk three to five miles between shuttle drop offs and Metro stops?
Inauguration planners also say you should give extra consideration before bringing small children, senior citizens and anyone who has a weakened immune system.
(Copyright 2009 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
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DC Metro Officials Expect Record Crowds To Use The Subway
DC Metro To Test Extra Subway Cars For Inauguration Friday, January 02, 2009WBAL Radio as reported by Robert Lang and Associated Press
Metro says it will test additional eight-car trains on certain lines next week as it gears up for Inauguration Day.
Officials say Metro typically uses six to eight-car trains on the red, orange and green lines.
On Monday and Tuesday, Metro will test extra eight-car trains during morning and afternoon rush hour on the blue and orange lines. Eight-car trains also will be used on those lines during off-peak hours.
The same process will occur Wednesday and Thursday on the red line, with additional eight-car trains running during peak times.
In addition, all trains will stop at the end of each station platform. Officials say riders should move to the far end of the platform to board.
DC Metro officials expect record crowds to use the subway on Inauguration Day.
The previous one day record was 854,000 riders for Bill Clinton's first inauguration in 1993.
Parking lots at the Greenbelt station, which is most commonly used by Baltimore area residents heading to Washington, will be reserved for charter buses.
Metro officials tell the Baltimore Sun that Marylanders can park at the New Carollton, Glenmont, or Largo stations.
Metro says it will test additional eight-car trains on certain lines next week as it gears up for Inauguration Day.
Officials say Metro typically uses six to eight-car trains on the red, orange and green lines.
On Monday and Tuesday, Metro will test extra eight-car trains during morning and afternoon rush hour on the blue and orange lines. Eight-car trains also will be used on those lines during off-peak hours.
The same process will occur Wednesday and Thursday on the red line, with additional eight-car trains running during peak times.
In addition, all trains will stop at the end of each station platform. Officials say riders should move to the far end of the platform to board.
DC Metro officials expect record crowds to use the subway on Inauguration Day.
The previous one day record was 854,000 riders for Bill Clinton's first inauguration in 1993.
Parking lots at the Greenbelt station, which is most commonly used by Baltimore area residents heading to Washington, will be reserved for charter buses.
Metro officials tell the Baltimore Sun that Marylanders can park at the New Carollton, Glenmont, or Largo stations.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Washington Post's Dr. Gridlock Offers Up Good Travel Info
New Advice on Inauguration Day Travel
As Jan. 20 approaches, we'll get more specific advice from planners about the conditions that will prevail downtown. Some previously announced details may change, as they did last week when the charter bus parking plan was revised.
But this isn't changing: The planners consistently warn that travel for everyone, whether they're commuters or people planning to watch the swearing-in and parade, will be extremely difficult.
Monday's announcement from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies highlighted that. The announcement dealt with the difficulties of attending the swearing-in at the Capitol.
"In addition to the 240,000 ticketed guests, a million or more people are expected to view the inauguration from the National Mall between 4th Street and the Lincoln Memorial, along with hundreds of thousands of others who plan on watching the Inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue," the committee said in its statement.
Okay, if you know that, what do you know? It's not your fault, but you're going to have a tough day and need to have a plan.
Here's how the committee statement put it:
"We recommend planning ahead, but also caution that any plans made in advance should be double-checked in the days and hours prior to the event in case of changes to transportation schedules, street and other closures, and other factors that may impact your travel plans."
And have a backup plan in the likely event that Plan A goes astray because of some problem you didn't anticipate. Remember, we don't get to practice this. It's not like working out a plan to get to Nationals Park or FedEx Field after the first bad experience. We get one chance at Inauguration Day.
The latest logistical information from the committee is consistent with what we've been hearing:
"A security perimeter will be established around the U.S. Capitol and the parade route on or before January 20, 2009. Subway stations, bus stops, and streets within that perimeter will be closed. Street closures throughout Washington, D.C., will make traveling by car or taxi very difficult. Bridges from Virginia crossing the Potomac River into Washington, D.C., as well as major roadways from Maryland into Washington, D.C., may be closed to all but bus traffic."
Then the committee goes on to recommend how to get to the swearing-in at the Capitol. If you're thinking about being part of history, weigh these not-so-fun parts of the day. And if you're just heading for work, consider what this implies about your ability to get around:
"For those people who will be staying within 2 Miles of the U.S. Capitol, walking to the swearing-in ceremony will be the most reliable method of reaching the ticketed seated and standing areas. Be sure to carefully plan your return trip as well - it won't be possible to cross the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route, except at designated points and Metro will be extremely crowded."
Beyond 2 Miles of the U.S. Capitol: Use public transportation to get you as close as possible to the U.S. Capitol and walk from there.
This is a good bookmark: As plans develop, we post all the lastest news at Inauguration Central.
As Jan. 20 approaches, we'll get more specific advice from planners about the conditions that will prevail downtown. Some previously announced details may change, as they did last week when the charter bus parking plan was revised.
But this isn't changing: The planners consistently warn that travel for everyone, whether they're commuters or people planning to watch the swearing-in and parade, will be extremely difficult.
Monday's announcement from the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies highlighted that. The announcement dealt with the difficulties of attending the swearing-in at the Capitol.
"In addition to the 240,000 ticketed guests, a million or more people are expected to view the inauguration from the National Mall between 4th Street and the Lincoln Memorial, along with hundreds of thousands of others who plan on watching the Inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue," the committee said in its statement.
Okay, if you know that, what do you know? It's not your fault, but you're going to have a tough day and need to have a plan.
Here's how the committee statement put it:
"We recommend planning ahead, but also caution that any plans made in advance should be double-checked in the days and hours prior to the event in case of changes to transportation schedules, street and other closures, and other factors that may impact your travel plans."
And have a backup plan in the likely event that Plan A goes astray because of some problem you didn't anticipate. Remember, we don't get to practice this. It's not like working out a plan to get to Nationals Park or FedEx Field after the first bad experience. We get one chance at Inauguration Day.
The latest logistical information from the committee is consistent with what we've been hearing:
"A security perimeter will be established around the U.S. Capitol and the parade route on or before January 20, 2009. Subway stations, bus stops, and streets within that perimeter will be closed. Street closures throughout Washington, D.C., will make traveling by car or taxi very difficult. Bridges from Virginia crossing the Potomac River into Washington, D.C., as well as major roadways from Maryland into Washington, D.C., may be closed to all but bus traffic."
Then the committee goes on to recommend how to get to the swearing-in at the Capitol. If you're thinking about being part of history, weigh these not-so-fun parts of the day. And if you're just heading for work, consider what this implies about your ability to get around:
"For those people who will be staying within 2 Miles of the U.S. Capitol, walking to the swearing-in ceremony will be the most reliable method of reaching the ticketed seated and standing areas. Be sure to carefully plan your return trip as well - it won't be possible to cross the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route, except at designated points and Metro will be extremely crowded."
Beyond 2 Miles of the U.S. Capitol: Use public transportation to get you as close as possible to the U.S. Capitol and walk from there.
This is a good bookmark: As plans develop, we post all the lastest news at Inauguration Central.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Welcome to Innauguration Day Weather and Traffic
On Tuesday,January 20,2009 Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. Crowd estimates for the inauguration are in the million plus range. It is brutal to get around the DC area on any normal weekday. On Jan.20th, street closures,gridlock,and massive amounts of out of towners will create the ultimate traffic hell. Add the potentional of frozen precip to the equation... stay tuned!
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