Transit, Roads in Washington Region to be Pushed To Capacity for Historic Event          
          
          
HANOVER, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley today provided an update on the development of Maryland’s transportation plan that will be in place for events surrounding the Inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2009.           
          
"We want people planning to attend the Inaugural festivities to have a positive experience as our nation celebrates this historic event,” said Governor O’Malley. “Key to making this a positive experience is planning ahead and having a full understanding of the transportation options available. It also is important to recognize the challenges such a large event will pose to our transportation network.”          
          
No matter what mode of transportation attendees may be planning to use, movement in and out of Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area on Inauguration Day is expected to be extremely challenging. The region’s transit systems will be operating at capacity, travel on the road network in and out of the Washington, D.C., area will be severely restricted, and parking will be very limited.           
          
In addition, those attending the events on Inauguration day should be aware of the following:           
          
• Charter buses will be the only vehicles allowed to park within walking distance of the event.           
          
• Due to the security restrictions in and around the National Mall, all the access roads into and around the Mall will be tightly controlled.           
          
• Passenger car and commercial vehicle traffic will be restricted in downtown Washington, D.C.           
          
• Many routes in the Washington region will only be open to buses and pedestrians.           
          
• Event organizers are warning of the potential of long waits at transit stations and security checkpoints.           
          
• Attendees must also be aware of weather conditions on the day of the event and plan accordingly.           
          
“Transit is the best alternative,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari. “It is important for everyone to understand that driving your personal car to Washington and finding a parking space will be like winning the lottery. The better option is MARC, our MTA commuter bus service and the Washington Metrorail system. The advice to all is: plan ahead, arrive early, be prepared to walk and be patient.”          
          
Special MARC commuter rail service and MTA commuter bus service will operate on Inauguration Day. The Metro system in Washington will operate a full schedule. Details are listed below:          
          
          
MARC          
          
• MARC will operate inbound trains from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and outbound trains from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.          
          
• Reserved tickets must be purchased in advance. No tickets will be sold on Inauguration Day.          
          
• Roughly 700 tickets remain on the Brunswick line.          
          
• MARC reserved tickets on the Penn and Camden lines are sold out.          
          
• Round trip tickets are $25.00          
          
• Advantage of MARC is that it drops you at Union Station, three blocks from the Capitol.          
          
• For ticket purchase information go to www.mtamaryland.com and click on the Inauguration icon. MTA Commuter Bus          
          
• MTA commuter buses will operate from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and then from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.          
          
• 9,000 tickets will be available on the day of the Inauguration for the commuter bus service.          
          
• MTA commuter buses will operate between park and ride lots at specified locations across the state and suburban Washington Metro stations.          
          
• Customers can then board Metro to the downtown Washington, D.C., area.          
          
• Tickets are $10 for a round trip on the bus. Metro fare will be additional at the Metro station.          
          
• Park and Ride lots offering MTA commuter bus service include:          
          
Frederick (Monocacy Park & Ride) to Shady Grove every 30 minutes          
Columbia (Broken Land Park & Ride) to Greenbelt every 30 minutes          
Scaggsville/Burtonsville to Silver Spring every 30 minutes          
Annapolis to New Carrollton every 30 minutes          
Kent Island to New Carrollton every 60 minutes          
Prince Frederick/Dunkirk to Branch Avenue every 30 minutes          
Upper Marlboro to Branch Avenue every 30 minutes          
Charlotte Hall to Branch Avenue every 30 minutes          
Waldorf (Blue Crabs Stadium) to Branch Avenue every 20 minutes          
          
• For more information on the commuter bus service, go to www.mtamaryland.com and click on the Inauguration icon.          
          
          
WMATA / Metrorail          
          
• 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 as a special national security event and due to security measures, the following stations will be closed on Inauguration Day:          
          
-Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter station on Metro's Green/Yellow Lines           
-Smithsonian station on the Blue and Orange Lines          
          
          
Metro Operations:          
          
• Metro will operate rush hour service for 17 consecutive hours from 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. then revert to normal evening service.          
          
• Metro will stay open for two extra hours until 2:00 a.m. (Jan 21)          
          
• Parking at all Metro facilities will be $4.00, cash only.          
          
• For fare information and additional details on Metro service in place for the Inauguration can be found at www.wmata.com.          
          
          
On Maryland roadways in the Washington region, heavy traffic is expected. The Maryland State Highway Administration and the Maryland State Police will be working to keep traffic moving and ensure safety on Maryland roads. Those who choose to drive on Inauguration Day should be aware of the following:          
          
          
Maryland State Highway Administration          
          
• Travel by personal vehicle is NOT recommended as the preferred travel option for those headed to Washington, D.C., on Inauguration Day.          
          
• Many roads will be closed and street parking will be severely restricted by law enforcement.           
          
• Parking close to the Mall will not be available.          
          
• The only general parking that will possibly be available is in outlying areas near Metro stations.          
          
• Parking at suburban Maryland Metro stations is expected to fill up early due to limited capacity and high demand.          
          
• Allow significant additional travel time to move around the Washington region.           
          
• Traffic delays throughout the day could far exceed those experienced during the region’s peak rush hours.          
          
• The State Highway Administration and the Maryland State Police will keep Maryland roads into Washington, D.C., open to the District line to serve the residents and businesses along those corridors.          
          
• Maryland’s High Occupancy Vehicle Lane (HOV) restrictions along I-270 and US 50 WILL BE in effect January 19th and 20th.          
          
• For safety reasons, SHA and the Maryland State Police will be prepared to close ramps from the Maryland’s portion of the Capital Beltway to local roads if traffic backs up onto freeways.          
          
• The Maryland State Police will tow immediately any abandoned or illegally parked vehicles along state and interstate routes.          
          
• SHA will have extra emergency traffic patrols throughout the region to assist motorists with disabled vehicles.           
          
• SHA will utilize its electronic highway sign network, highway advisory radio stations, its website at www.marylandroads/CHART and an aggressive communication outreach effort to local media outlets to provide up to date travel information for the Washington region.          
          
• Messages will be posted on electronic message signs throughout the I-95 corridor to the north and south of the Washington region to alert travelers not destined for Washington, D.C., to avoid the area and use alternative routes.          
          
• Alternative routes include: I-81 to the west and I-97, US 301 and US 13 to the east.           
          
          
Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport          
          
• Passengers arriving at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport destined for Washington, D.C., will have the ability to obtain transportation information from an army of volunteers that will be at information desks located throughout the terminal.           
          
• The airport’s regularly scheduled shuttle service operating between the terminal and the BWI Amtrak/MARC station will be increased to meet demand, if necessary.          
          
• Operations professionals at BWI Thurgood Marshall have been working with the Federal Aviation Administration, the airlines and general aviation interests to coordinate an expected increase in air traffic related to the Inauguration.          
          
          
For updated information on Maryland transportation plans for the 2009 Inaugural citizens can visit www.marylandtransportation.com and click on the Inauguration icon on the home page. Information and links to key web pages are available that will provide specific transportation information.          
          
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