Who Is Working United States Thanksgiving XII? (2024 Christmas Creep Edition)

[1995hoo]

Interesting coincidence: The inauguration for the 47th president will occur on MLK Day this year. I would think this would lessen traffic impacts, unless Inauguration Day is already a federal holiday the way the gubernatorial inauguration day is in Kentucky.

That certainly won't lessen the traffic impacts, unless by lessen you mean just counter the typical trend.

Traffic volumes will obviously be much greater in DC, but I'm not sure there will be real impact anywhere else.

Traffic volumes on January 20 will be much decreased in DC because of all the street closures. Almost all of downtown is cordoned off and some of the subway stations are closed as well.

For the closed streets specifically, yes - but everyone attending the inauguration has to come from somewhere, so from a regional perspective the traffic flows into DC before the event and outbound afterwards would be greater than normal.

You'd be surprised. The increased volumes generally occur only on the Metrorail. It's really striking how few people are foolish enough to attempt to drive into the District—or, at least, anywhere close to downtown, anyway—on Inauguration Day. (This year I wouldn't be surprised if you see more people than usual driving to the National Zoo to see the new pandas, but that can be done without going near the secured zone.) For the last two inaugurations, VDOT even agreed to close the I-395 reversible carriageway between the Beltway and the 14th Street Bridge to allow for easier movement of motorcades.

[webny99]

Traffic volumes on January 20 will be much decreased in DC because of all the street closures. Almost all of downtown is cordoned off and some of the subway stations are closed as well.

For the closed streets specifically, yes - but everyone attending the inauguration has to come from somewhere, so from a regional perspective the traffic flows into DC before the event and outbound afterwards would be greater than normal.

You'd be surprised. The increased volumes generally occur only on the Metrorail. It's really striking how few people are foolish enough to attempt to drive into the District—or, at least, anywhere close to downtown, anyway—on Inauguration Day. (This year I wouldn't be surprised if you see more people than usual driving to the National Zoo to see the new pandas, but that can be done without going near the secured zone.) For the last two inaugurations, VDOT even agreed to close the I-395 reversible carriageway between the Beltway and the 14th Street Bridge to allow for easier movement of motorcades.

Now I find that interesting. I wonder if this is because a majority of attendees are coming from a short distance away, or if it's common to park somewhere at a distance and work out another means of transport to get into downtown, or if those attending from a distance travel on earlier/later days rather than making a same-day trip. Or perhaps most likely, some combination of all three.