Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Increased Transport Hours for Inauguration

Despite predictions that turnout at Monday’s Presidential Inauguration will be much reduced from the crowds that overtook the nation’s capital in 2009, city officials have announced several modifications to public transport to accommodate hundreds of thousands of visitors.

According to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority spokesperson Philip Stewart, around 600,000 to 800,000 people will use public transportation, marking a significant decrease from 2009, when 1.1 million people rode the Metro trains and 400,000 took the bus.

“Second inaugurations tend to have lower attendance,” Stewart said.

In order to accommodate the expected increased traffic on Monday, trains will start running at 4 a.m. and remain open until 2 a.m., with rush hour services running from 4 a.m. through 9 p.m.

According to John Lisle, spokesperson for the District of Columbia Department of Transportation, DC Circulator buses will not operate along their normal routes Monday due to security perimeter and vehicle restrictions. Instead, the vehicles will operate as shuttles from the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium to the Inauguration site.

In light of these restrictions, Georgetown students may find that walking and biking are the best, most practical ways to reach the inauguration site, although the city’s bike-sharing infrastructure will also be compromised.

Two new bike corrals will be set up for Capital Bikeshare bikes from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Farragut Square and the USDA building, located at the intersection of 12th Street and Independence Avenue. In addition, DDOT will set up a biking station at 16th and I Streets, which will have racks equipped to accommodate hundreds of bicycles for those who will ride their own.However, all six CapitalBikeshare stations along the parade route have already been removed.

According to The Washington Post, a number of bridges and roads in and around the District will be closed for inaugural proceedings. While the Key and Chain Bridges will remain open as normal, traffic from the 14th Street, Roosevelt and Memorial Bridges, among others, will be diverted, and the latter bridge will be open only to pedestrians and authorized vehicles.

Among other closures, Pennsylvania Avenue NW will be closed from 18th Street NW to the U.S. Capitol, D through I Streets NW will be closed from 12th to 18th Streets NW, and D and E Streets will be closed from 6th to 18th Streets NW.

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