Washington DC transport system prepares for inauguration

The transit system in and around Washington D.C. is preparing for record numbers of riders on Inauguration Day in January, and is warning passengers in advance that they should expect very long lines and packed buses and trains.

Hotels in Washington filled up quickly and those in states as far away as Pennsylvania and West Virginia as getting busy as well, as people from around the country make plans to attend the historic swearing in of Barack Obama as president of the U.S. on January 20. The role of public transport will be critical in moving visitors to and from the nation’s capital, transit officials have said.

“We recognize the eyes of the world will be on us,” said D.C.’s Metro chief, John Catoe. “Will it be the largest crowd ever? We think so.”

The mayor of Washington D.C., Adrian M. Fenty, has suggested that the turnout for the Obama inauguration could conceivably be as many as 3-5 million people. Others have estimated crowds of around 1.5 million.

Catoe commented that the Metro’s plan calls for doubling ridership capacity on that day. Typically, the Metro sees around 750,000 rail riders and 450,000 on buses on a normal weekday.

In January of 1993, at Bill Clinton’s first inauguration, the Metrorail system experienced its highest inauguration ridership – of approximately 811,000. It expects to see hundreds of thousands more riders this time.

Other area transit systems serving the nation’s capital are also preparing for large increases in passenger numbers.

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