Inaugural Traffic

[MindCage]

Are there gonna be any special metro hours? Considering bars and what not will be open til 5? Ive been wondering this but have yet to research

From what I've seen/read the answer is no. They're not equipped to run 24 hours with all the track maintenance they do. Now, from what I've heard, they might extend it to weekend hours.

[DeathFromAbove1979]

Will getting to RNR Hotel on Monday night from Springfield possible?

I don't doubt it will, but will it be a gigantic pain in the ass.... that's the real question.

[chaz]

Will getting to RNR Hotel on Monday night from Springfield possible?

I don't doubt it will, but will it be a gigantic pain in the ass.... that's the real question.

Beltway into MD and then into town that way. 

[Bags]

Metrorail will operate rush hour service for 17 consecutive hours on January 20, from 4
a.m. to 9 p.m., and will operate on a non-rush hour schedule for two extra hours until 2
a.m. As Metrorail will be operating rush-hour service, it will charge peak fares
throughout the day. Due to security measures, the Archives-Navy Memorial/Penn
Quarter Metrorail station on Metro's Green and Yellow Lines and the Smithsonian
Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines, will be closed all day on Inauguration
Day, Tuesday, January 20.

Metro?s commemorative One-Day Pass with a special Inauguration design is currently
being sold for $10 online or $7.80 at Metro sales offices and fare vending machines. The
cost of the passes will be $10 at all sales locations on January 20. People should
purchase their farecards, One-Day Passes or SmarTrip cards in advance of Inauguration
Day if possible to avoid the lines.

Metro has about 60,000 parking spaces in 29 lots and 22 garages throughout the
Washington region for private motorists to park on Inauguration Day. Metro will charge
$4 cash only for motorists as they pull in to park in its lots. The Minnesota Avenue
Metrorail station parking lot is closed to the public and is only available for Metro
employees who will be working on Inauguration Day.

[hemisphire]

FYI, the bridge closures are Tuesday morning at 3AM, not Monday afternoon at 3PM so getting to a show Monday night should be ok (plus it's a holiday).

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

there's a good article in today's Washington Post by a columnist recounting his participation in President Eisenhower's inauguration in 1953.    It's striking how much more open and less fearful this society was in those days -- there is no question that the terrorists have won.   On the other hand, the DC police marching band is no longer likely to parade by the reviewing stand playing "Dixie," so we are still a better society in many ways.

[RatBastard]

Are people already lining up for the good spots?

[eltee]

For what it's worth, my mom mentioned traffic should be fine through the weekend. (i.e., no specific road closures she's aware of yet, so you don't have to rely on metro / buses just yet and visitors to the area seem to be coming in on Saturday [if Friday arrival will be in the evening/night]...she's not the expert, but she's coordinating events for her office, so she's pretty up to speed. Yet, if you run into problems please don't blame Mama Tee and her predictions!;))

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

Traffic has been pretty hideous in DC for the last week -- in addition to blocking off H Street because of Obama's Dubya-forced hotel stay, there seems to be way more people in town already.  Plus there's a lot of random stuff going on that couldn't have been worse-timed, like the closing of the 12th Street Tunnel for repairs.

[HoyaSaxa03]

and the closure of 16th all the way from M to the White House this morning ... i love walking to work 

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

Hoya, sounds like we have the same commute -- at least that part of it...

[Venerable Bede]

there's a good article in today's Washington Post by a columnist recounting his participation in President Eisenhower's inauguration in 1953.    It's striking how much more open and less fearful this society was in those days -- there is no question that the terrorists have won.   On the other hand, the DC police marching band is no longer likely to parade by the reviewing stand playing "Dixie," so we are still a better society in many ways.

ahh yes. . .getting rid of dixie. . .once more, showing your progressive intolerance. . .

what's wrong with dixie?  i mean, it was one of abraham lincoln's favorite songs, and was written by a guy from Ohio.

i bet you'd support cleaning up "huck finn" because of all those racist slurs. . .how dare mark twain write in the vernacular of the time; shouldn't he have known that 50 years later those terms would be considered racist.  i mean, come on.......

also, i bet eisenhower neved had to deal with spoiled rich kids throwing eggs at him because he wasn't riddled by white guilt.

[godsshoeshine]

man, youre easily offended

[chaz]

Oil, meet Water!

[vansmack]

what's wrong with dixie? 

There is the whole blackface thing, which has run its course....

But I can see why you would want to protect your cultured southern heritage (of South San Jose?) by claiming that it no longer represents the blackface minstrels it was once written for and now represents the heritage of the south in the Civil War which should not be forgotten.

I would argue that if you want to sing Dixie, don't lose the war next time, but I think I'm in the minority by holding that view, so instead folks argue on behalf of political correctness...