Plans for Inauguration Day

Only 4 days until Inauguration Day - January 20, 2009.

[+] Expand All [-] Collapse All

Metro Plans for Inauguration Day

Metrorail will operate rush hour service for 17 consecutive hours (4 a.m. to 9 p.m.), will stay open for two extra hours (until 2 a.m.), charge $4 for parking at its facilities and will be one important transportation alternative for people who are planning to attend the Inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

Metro officials expect extremely crowded conditions on Inauguration Day. Metrorail stations and trains will be packed as people head to the Inauguration, and expect to see even tighter conditions afterward. Expect the crowds to be huge with hundreds of thousands of people expected to be in the nation's capital not only for Inauguration Day, but for the days preceding it as well.

The U.S. Secret Service has deemed the Inauguration a special national security event and due to security measures, the Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter station on Metro's Green/Yellow Lines and the Smithsonian station on the Blue/Orange Lines, will be closed on Inauguration Day, Tuesday, January 20. They will open after the parade, approximately at 6:30 p.m. Judiciary Square station on the Red Line will close at 4 p.m. and Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center station on the Green/Yellow Lines will close at 7:30 a.m. due to their proximity to locations hosting Inaugural Balls. Both stations are scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, January 21.

You can use the online Trip Planner to get you to Inauguration events.

Inauguration Weekend Frequently Asked Questions
Commemorative Fare Media

Metro has designed commemorative farecards, One Day Passes, and SmarTrip® cards that riders will be able to purchase and use in the days leading up to, during, and after the Inauguration.
The commemorative farecards are replacing the regular farecards in the vending machines. The $10 & $20 commemorative SmarTrip® cards are available for purchase online and at Metro sales offices.

Metro's commemorative One-Day Pass with a special Inauguration design is being sold for $10 online and $7.80 at Metro sales offices and fare vending machines. The cost of the passes will be $10 at all sales locations Jan. 20.

Metrorail Travel

In anticipation of crowded trains, Metrorail will operate continuous rush hour service from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m., on Inauguration Day, Tuesday, January 20, and will charge peak fares between these times. Metro will have extra personnel on hand to help patrons get to and from the events.

Several downtown Metrorail stations entrances will be designated as exit-only or entry-only, to move as many people as possible into and out of the Metrorail system on Inauguration Day.
View the list of stations

Dates	Metrorail Hours	Special Metrorail Service	Parking
Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009	7 am to 3 am	Regular Saturday Schedule	Free
Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009	7 am to midnight	Regular Sunday Schedule	Free
Monday, Jan. 19, 2009 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday)	5 am to 2 am	Saturday Holiday Service	Free
Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 (Inauguration Day)	4 am to 2 am	Rush Hour Service Through 9 pm	$4 (cash only)

On Inauguration Day, all Metrorail station restrooms will be closed, and bicycles will not be permitted in the Metrorail system.

Metrobus Travel

Metrobus will be operating on a "modified" Saturday schedule from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Inauguration Day. However, with the anticipated street closures around the Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue for the parade, all Metrobuses will be prepared for last minute changes. Bus customers are encouraged to plan significant extra time to travel through these areas. Metro is running 23 special rapid bus corridors to carry thousands of people heading to the National Mall on Inauguration Day. Extra bus service to airports is planned for Inauguration Weekend.

View Presidential Corridor Bus Routes
View Map of Bus Corridors (PDF, 2.19 MB)
View Map of Core DC Bus Corridors (PDF)

Dates	Special Metrobus Service
Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009	Regular Saturday Schedule
Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009	Regular Sunday Schedule
Monday, Jan. 19, 2009 (Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday)	Regular Weekday Service
Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 (Inauguration Day)	Modified Saturday Service from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.(expect major delays downtown)

MetroAccess Travel

MetroAccess will operate identical hours to Metrorail and Metrobus over the Inauguration Weekend and through Inauguration Day. MetroAccess customers are encouraged to plan significant extra time to travel due to increased traffic throughout the service area. With the anticipated street closures around the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue for the parade on Inauguration Day, all MetroAccess users should be prepared for detours. MetroAccess customers are reminded to reserve their trip by 4:30 p.m. the day prior to travel.

View notice about MetroAccess service on Inauguration Day. (PDF)
Parking

Metrorail parking facilities will open at 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20. Metro will charge $4 (cash only) per automobile for parking on Inauguration Day at all Metrorail lots and garages. Parking will be free at all Metrorail facilities from Saturday, January 17 to Monday, January 19, 2009. Metro has about 60,000 parking spaces in 29 lots and 22 garages throughout the Washington region. Reserved parking rules will not be in effect. For safety reasons, no passenger vehicle with more than 15 people will be permitted to drop off passengers at any Metrorail station.

Automobiles will not be permitted to enter Metro parking lots after 11 p.m. on Monday, January 19. Those who park between 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, risk being ticketed and towed. Metro's parking lots will reopen at 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20.

The Minnesota Avenue station parking lot, which has 333 spaces, will be closed to provide parking for Metro employees working on Inauguration Day.

See more parking information.
Security

Station Closures Due To Security
To accommodate security precautions related to the inauguration, the parade, and inaugural balls on Inauguration Day, the following Metrorail stations will be closed:
Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (Green/Yellow Line) station.
Smithsonian (Blue/Orange Line) station.
Both stations are scheduled to open after the parade, approximately at 6:30 p.m.

The Judiciary Square station (Red Line) will close at 4 p.m. and the Mt Vernon Sq 7th St-Convention Center station (Green/Yellow Line) will close at 7:30 a.m. on Inauguration Day. Both stations are scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m., on Wednesday, January 21.

Metro Transit Police Security Initiatives
The Metro Transit Police Department and the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are collaborating to enhance security at Metrorail stations and on trains and buses during Inauguration Weekend. The TSA will provide Metro with additional teams of TSA officers with canines to patrol stations and trains to supplement Metro's team of explosive ordnance detection officers and canines.

The Metro Transit Police strongly recommend that customers bring as little as possible with them when traveling through the Metrorail system to cut down on the possibility that items are left behind, resulting in the need for Metro or TSA officers to respond to reports of unattended items.

On Inauguration Day, all Metrorail station restrooms will be closed for security reasons.

Customers are encouraged to report any suspicious behavior, unusual activity or unattended items to a uniformed Metro employee or police officer or by calling the Metro Transit Police at 202-962-2121.
Travel Tips

For at-a-glance information by day, see Metro Travel Tips & Information.
Bus Parking

Please help determine the regional parking needs for buses for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. Groups arriving by motor coach must register their information. Due to the high security and number of attendees coming to see the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, access to the National Mall and available bus parking in the region will be tightly managed. Charter bus parking both inside the city of Washington, DC and in the outlying regional areas will be released to registered groups as parking lot assignments become available. Detailed plans on transportation routes and parking locations will be available within the next few weeks.

Upon parking at RFK Stadium, passengers arriving for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration should board Metrorail at the Stadium-Armory station adjacent to the stadium and ride the Blue or Orange line to the L'Enfant Plaza station. Metrorail passes should be purchased in advance.

Bus Trip Permits
Motor carriers, chartered buses (including chartered shuttle buses), and other vehicles that fall under the definition of apportionable vehicles but are not apportioned or fully registered in the District of Columbia, may obtain a trip permit for a $50 fee. The Trip Permit is valid for six (6) days of travel within the District of Columbia. It must be maintained on the vehicle throughout the duration of travel in the District of Columbia. The trip permit is only to be used for the vehicle listed on the front of the permit.
Other Inauguration Websites

The District of Columbia's Inauguration website includes what you need to know if you are from out of town and are planning to visit for the festivities. For detailed information about planning for your trip, see the Getting There: Know Before You Go section of their website.

The Official Presidential Inaugural Committee website includes information on how to get tickets to events, how to become a volunteer for various events, and even how to get a temporary job working during the Inauguration.

The U.S. Secret Service website includes information on what you can expect on Inauguration Day and inludes a list of items that will be prohibited and allowed into the security areas.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies website provides information on the ceremonies, ticketing, and related events.

The U.S. Armed Forces Inaugural Committee website informs visitors about the military ceremonial support for the Inauguration.

The Maryland MTA website provides information on special MARC Train and Commuter Bus services for events on the Martin Luther King Holiday and Inauguration Day.