National Mall to be open for Obama Inauguration

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: CNN

The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Thursday that the entire length of the National Mall will be open on Inauguration Day — the first time in history that expanse has been open to the public.

With anywhere from one to four million visitors expected to descend on the nation’s capital to view President-elect Barack Obama’s swearing in, authorities have wrestled with the task of finding enough viewing space. Just 240,000 tickets were expected to be issued for the event.

The National Mall, which has traditionally been a staging ground for the inaugural parade, can hold an estimated one million. The parade staging area has been moved elsewhere.

Space is still limited on Capitol grounds, site of the actual swearing in — Mall spectators will be able to view the proceedings on large TV screens set up by the PIC.

The PIC, which said further details would be released soon, did not say how admission to the Mall would be handled. Those hoping to camp out early to get a prime viewing spot are out of luck — the Secret Service has said they will need the Mall clear early on the morning of the inauguration in order to do a security sweep.

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/12/04/national-mall-to-be-open-for-obama-inauguration/

[ben_meyers]

1. Good thing its in January

Reid won't have to smell the rabbel.

[jpertello]

2. I hope it's an extremely thorough security sweep!

This "4 MIL PPL" makes me nervous for our President! Although I'd never venture near a crowd that large I wager many are planning on making a go of it. I imagine millions of people sitting in traffic on 495, 695 and all the other 95's.

[tomreedtoon]

3. So is the Mall going to have a sale?

Seems to me that a lot of the National Mall stores are already closed. And those gift cards are no good either.

Funny, the one time I went to Washington, I couldn't find an ordinary store of any kind, let alone a popular-priced restaurant. I had to eat in the cafeteria of the Smithsonian American museum. It was the only place I could afford to eat. I guess they hadn't built this National Mall back then.

[Mike Daniels]

4. If the projected 4 million show up each person's going to have 15 square inches of space - average

The local news in DC did a story on the Mall being opened up for the inauguration. If the mall is filled to capacity each person will end up with a total average space of 15 square inches.

Sorry, but all history aside, there's no way you would get me to subject myself to that type of mob/crowd environment. With the bars staying open till 5 you know you're going to have people there that are going to be intoxicated and all it will take is the slighest provocation for someone/somewhere to lose their cool.

I hope it goes off with a hitch but when you put that many people in a location and give them that little space to themselves there's a lot of potential for human nature to take a dark turn.

[supernova]

5. Four 4th of Julys

is what ID sounds like.

Normally, anywhere from about 700K to a million cram the Mall for July 4. Even then, unless you get there early and decide if you want to be close to the concert at the Capitol or closer to the Washington Monument to see the fireworks in regular fun size ( ;-) ) It's a pretty crammed affair for space.

I don't know what they are going to do with 4 mil people.