At noon on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, Barack H. Obama will be sworn in on the steps of the Capitol as the 56th President of the United States of America. The City of Alexandria is expecting a record number of
visitors, and preparations are underway for our guests and friends.
Jumbotron in Market Square
At the heart of Old Town is Market Square. Market Square is at the City Hall building, 301 King St. It is a brick courtyard and gathering point for city residents. The Presidential swearing-in ceremony and
parade will be on Jumbotron (a giant TV) live on Inauguration Day at Market Square from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Area Road Closures and Bridge Restrictions
The City of Alexandria states: "Road and bridge closures and security restrictions around the U.S. Capitol and the Inauguration parade route will make traveling by car directly from Northern Virginia to Washington, DC impossible beginning at 2 a.m. on January 20. The City urges residents---whether attending the Inauguration, going to work, or staying in Alexandria---to make plans and stay informed."
So far, the road closures and bridge restrictions generally begin at 2 AM on Tuesday January 20th (early on Inauguration Day). At around that time, personal vehicles will not be allowed to enter Washington
from Northern Virginia. Residents and visitors in Northern Virginia are urged to take public transit to the Inauguration activities. If you insist on driving, drivers will only be able to enter Washington by
driving in from designated Maryland routes. Road closures and detours:
- Traffic on I-395 traffic heading toward Washington will be diverted at the Springfield interchange (exits 170B and 170C) onto 1-495 North (Inner Loop) or I-495/95 East (Outer Loop). Southbound 395
remain open to traffic.
- The 14th Street Bridge, Roosevelt Bridge, and Key Bridge will be closed to general traffic. Only authorized vehicles will be allowed to cross these bridges. The Memorial Bridge and the Chain Bridge will be
open to pedestrians only.
- North Washington Street at Montgomery Street to Reagan National Airport will be closed.
- The George Washington Memorial Parkway will be closed in both directions from I-495 to the 14th Street Bridge.
I-95/395 HOV Schedule
HOV on I-95/395 will begin at 3 AM, after 5 AM only buses and authorized vehicles will be permitted to use the I-95/395 HOV lanes from Route 234/Dumfries to Washington. The HOV lanes will reverse at 8
PM with restrictions lasting until 9 pm or later.
Metro and VRE on Inauguration
As federal, state and local agencies continue to develop plans for the Inauguration, information on road closures may change. Please check this page for updates.
Alexandria VA and Washington DC are expecting record turnouts for the 46th Presidential Inauguration. The public is urged to use public transportation and to arrive early. The best way into Washington DC from Northern Virginia and Alexandria on Inauguration Day will be
Metrorail and
Virginia Railway Express.
Metro claims they will have public parking spaces available at all Northern Virginia Metro stations. It will be interesting to see how this is accomplished at some stations. For travel around the area on Inauguration Day, Metro is probably a good choice. To plan your trip via the Metrobus or Metrorail, use Metro’s Trip Planner; for bus travel within Alexandria, visit the
Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) system, or ride the
Free King Street Trolley, which runs from the Metrorail King Street Station to the City’s Waterfront.
For more detailed information please check the Secret Service Announces Security Information for the 2009 Presidential Inaugural (PDF)
For more travel options to, and within Washington, D.C., and other important information, please check out
CarlyleDistrict.com.
Walking
Persons walking from to the Inauguration from Alexandria have a number of options, including the
Mount Vernon Trail.
A less hearty walk would start at Arlington National Cemetary. You may wish to Metro to Arlington National Cemetary and walk the Memorial Bridge into DC. WMATA has produced and provided a commemorative walking guide and map.
Bicycling
The Washington Area Bicycle Association (WABA) will be operating two free bicycle valet parking areas on January 20, including one at the Jefferson Memorial. Visit WABA for more information including maps, bike rental information and valet tips. The City of Alexandria's
Online Bike Map can prove useful as can the
Regional Bike Path Route-Finder.
Bicycles will not be allowed on Metrorail all weekend long, beginning Saturday, January 17th. Bicycles
will be allowed on MetroBus throughout the Inaugural weekend.
Alexandria Events
Here's a list of other Alexandria Inauguration events.
I was born in Northern Virginia and have lived here most of my life, but I still find that there is no end of new things to do. When Christmas approaches in Northern Virginia, the Holiday Season is a great time to get out and see some of what the area has to offer. Julie and I have already started to enjoy some of the many sites of the season and I thought I'd share a bit with friends and soon to be friends who are considering moving to this area.
Just across the Potomac River from Alexandria VA is the National Convention Center at National Harbor. This recently developed area is home to many high-end shops and restaurants and makes a nice day-trip anytime. Julie and I visited ICE! a holiday display of ice sculptures. The attraction was billed as "a world unlike any other ... a winter wonderland made entirely of ice. We explored ten different holiday scenes made from two million pounds of ice, including a life-sized Santa's Workshop, a penguin village... and even ice slides that stood more than two stories tall! ICE! was created by a team of 40 artisans and sculptors.
The tunnel had white branches that were covered in ice. Inside the exhibit the air was a chilly 9 degrees Fahrenheit. All visitors wore special blue parkas over their coats that kept us nice and warm.
My son Stuart and I goofed around at the penguins near the glass-like ice igloo. National Harbor can be seen from Alexandria, but a few nights ago we took a short drive around the Beltway to the Washington, DC Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints, also known as the Mormon Temple.
The grounds of the Mormon Temple are open to all visitors during the Christmas season. This impressive church and its surrounding grounds shine brightly with nearly a half-million sparkling Christmas lights. Each night, a different local musical group performs a live concert in a state-of-the-art theater. Best of all: all events are free!
It's hard for my little picture to really catch the brilliance of the winter night, but in both of these pictures you can see a representative of the Star of David shining in the distance over a Nativity Scene near the visitors' center.
We grabbed some photos outside and walked the grounds. There were plenty of people there, but the crowds were very polite and nice. The Mormon ushers and parking attendants were very welcoming to all who approached.
It was a chilly night, so we came in the visitor's center to warm up. There were Christmas Trees from around the area, and I took Julie's picture near the Mount Vernon tree. I really liked the trees with contributions from nations around the world. Those trees were themed by continents so there was a tree themed with decorations from Africa, from South American, from Europe and from Asia.
Another great spot to check out is the National Christmas Tree near the lawn of the Whitehouse near the Ellipse in Washington DC.
We parked in front of the Washington Monument and then headed across the lawn toward the National Christmas Tree and National Menorah. On the way we passed an enormous Yule Log burning brightly to warm visitors. There is a parade of free entertainment and there are trees representing all the states and territories of the USA.
The National Christmas Tree is between the Washington Monument and the White House, but very close to the White House.
The marina has plenty of sailboats, canoes and kayaks for rent. They also offer lessons. Check out the spelling on the sign.
We had a great time on the Potomac. The winds were steady and fairly strong.
We were on the river until nearly sundown.
Even at 6 am the line to get on the train was long. For those who
were lucky enough to get a seat on the first train, there was a wait
for a half-hour or more before the train was underway. When the trains
arrived, you began to get an idea of just how big a number 2 million
is.
The crowd was pleasant, but the numbers were overwhelming. It took 45 minutes just to get out of the station.
Top side was like a jail break, as people were glad to finally see the light of day.
The masses of people were staggering, even if they were dwarfed by the touchstones of democracy like the Washington Monument.
This was one of the better view spots open to the public on
Inauguration day. In this picture, Obama is about a quarter of a pixel
high, so it's a little tough to make out his expression.
But the Jumbotron was there if you needed to see what was happening.
Then at the end of the day, it's a walk back to the Metro. Small price to pay to be a witness to history.