I hope most people who don’t know DC are aware of the problems, and that they might not get the best view. Some outfit in the local paper here was advertising some sort of escorted bus tour. They are lodging in Lancaster, PA! Not exactly close to DC. I guess the bus leaves Lancaster early on the morning of the 20th for DC. For the inaugural, it says something like bus drops you off at Metro. View the ceremony at the national mall. Not exactly first class VIP treatment, sounds like.
Two million people would fill the Mall, end to end, and cover Independence and Constitution Avenues.
Three million people will fill all the open space between State Department, the Potomac River, I Street and the Capital front.
Four million will create panic. I don't think they could actually get five million in and out in under 2 or 3 days.
The one at Archives-Navy Memorial is just as steep, if not more so.
I once saw someone run up the down escalator at Roslyn—and he made it to the top!
Rosslyn is also across the river in Virginia, with no good way from there to DC by foot. Methinks they’re talking the downtown stations. . .
I can't comment on the specifics because I have no clue about that...what I do know is that many stations have escalators right next to the tracks that take you from the entrance down to the train. It wouldn't make much sense to have a "people mover" pushing people OUT at the bottom near the tracks while the people at the top blissfully add themselves to the queue. Once the waiting area at the train is filled...the escalator will push people into the only available space...the tracks.
I suspect it will only be the down escalators that will be turned off.