Planning on going to inauguration parade? Here’s all the logistics you need to know before you head downtown and nab the best spots.
What you need to know about the parade
The newly sworn-in president and vice president will make their way down Pennsylvania Avenue Jan. 21, leading a procession of ceremonial military regiments, citizens’ groups, marching bands and floats in the 2013 inaugural parade.
The procession will begin at the steps of the Capitol around 2:30 p.m. and will proceed along Pennsylvania Avenue past landmarks, including the Newseum, National Archives and the Treasury Department. The 1.5-mile route will conclude at the White House and is expected to take about two hours, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
The parade will feature marching bands from across the nation as well as representatives from each of the 50 states. Eight custom-designed floats, four representing the First Family and Second Family’s home states and four honoring significant figures and events that helped shape America’s recent history, will follow the procession.
This will include an almost full-size replica of a P-51 Mustang fighter plane as part of a float honoring the Tuskegee Airmen. A float will also honor Martin Luther King Jr. with an image of the civil rights leader, and another will be a tribute to the Civil Rights Movement for women, immigrants and other groups.
More than 1.8 million people attended the president’s first inauguration, which had record-breaking attendance for an event in the capitol, NPR reported. This year, Metro planners are expecting a crowd of up to 800,000 spectators, according to CNN.
What you need to know about transportation
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced that it will be running rush-hour-level train service from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Those planning on attending the parade will be allowed to line-up along the parade route beginning at 7 a.m., and public access will be restricted to 11 security checkpoints. These checkpoints will be located from 10th to 14th Street NW and E Street NW. Spectators can also enter the parade area from 7th to 12th Streets NW and Constitution Avenue NW.
Students who are taking the Metro to the parade should plan to arrive as early as possible and attempt to enter through the checkpoints located closest to the White House at John Marshall Park and 2nd Street NW and C Street NW. These will be farthest from the crowds still lingering at the Capitol following the inauguration ceremony.
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