Inaugural Lock Down - parking & peds.

The Washington Convention Center Authority (WCCA) Advisory Committee Public Safety Subcommittee held a short informative meeting this evening concerning the inauguration activities starting next Friday.  They specifically limited the information and questions to the inauguration site and not the inauguration events.  There were over 100 people in attendance.  There was a power point presentation with one slide - a picture of the area around the convention center covered in yellow highlights on all streets and alleys forming a "lock-down" rectangle. 

No Parking Zone from Monday, Jan. 19, from 9 AM until Weds., Jan. 21 9 AM
The rectangular area starting from 10th and New York Ave, north to 10th Stand O Street, east to 6th and O St, south to 6th and Mass Ave, and west to New York and 10th St, will be in lock down mode.  On both sides of the street cars will not be allowed to park.  If cars are found to be in violation they will be towed far away, according to the Commander. 

Permitted Parking and Required Registration Papers
Only parking allowed within this zone are in private garages, privately assigned parking spaces, lots, etc.  Residents will be required to show their regisration statements showing they live here to get into and out of the "zone".  Only one of the people in the car needs to show their "papers". 

Pedestrians walking in the Zone
Pedstrians will also need to be able to show they live in the area and provide an explaination to why they are in the zone.  Any guests will be fine as long as they are accompanied by someone who lives within the zone.  Basically, the police may be stopping you and thus carry some identification and perhaps your voter registration or other materials to show you live in the area. 

Metro
The metro is going to be shutting down on Jan. 20th at 3 p.m. and the elevator access will shut down, I believe, at 7:30 p.m. (Uncertain about the elevator access part). 

More information Call...
District Department of Transportaion, 202-671-3490
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 202-962-1051
U.S. Capital Police, 202-224-1677
U.S. Park Police, 202-619-7163
U.S. Secret Service, 202-406-5608

There are 6 designated drop-off sites for the inauguration balls.  This info was rattled off very quickly thus was not able to get all of them but some include:  6th and K St, 10th and Mass, 7th and Mass, 9th and New York.  Unfortunately there was no new handouts besides copies of the info that was provided by the link Cary already posted. 

Laslty, to quote the commander, this is once out of every four years where the residents of this area will be disturbed for the president of the united states. He recommended we park our cars in Maryland or Virginia for the weekend and metro in.  He also said the security of the zone is under the direction of the secret service, yet they were not present at the meeting.  Many residents and business and community leaders asked quesions including how to get supplies to their business within the zone, a request for a special bus parking permit that was denied, whether there were going to be police at the drop off locations and indeed there will be and a memorable question on how aggressive the police will be in addressing parking violations in which the commander responded "the most aggressive".