Washington awakens with inauguration buzz

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Washington awoke Tuesday crowded and excited with the inauguration of a new president that's only a few hours away.

As many as 2 million people are expected to crowd into the area between the Capitol, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial as Barack Obama takes the oath of office at noon.

Some will be more than a mile from the swearing-in ceremony, watching on giant TV screens erected along the National Mall.

Thousands arrived before daylight Tuesday in standing-room-only trains. They carried blankets and wore Obama scarves to ward off the wind chills below 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Suburban Washington train stations were jammed. A four-story parking deck at the Springfield, Virginia, station was filled at 5 a.m., CNN's Barbara Starr reported. But trains rolling into the stop about 15 miles south of the Capitol had no room for the hundreds on the platform, Starr reported.

"It is going to take a good, long while for people to get downtown," Starr said.

But just being among the crowd is good enough for many.

Lari Taylor of Middletown, New Jersey, was one of those who headed to the capital without a ticket to get into events and will be one of hundreds of thousands on the mall. Taylor on Monday said she came to Washington "hoping to hear that message of hope and change."

"Every time Obama speaks, it's inspiring. We're just so excited about the change," she said.

As one walked through the Mall on the eve of the inauguration, there was a buzz of anticipation. Visitors wandered around the Mall snapping pictures and shooting video of the Capitol and the monuments.

The scene around Lafayette Square was almost chaotic, with cars turning around in the street as they were confronted with newly erected barriers to closed-off areas and clots of pedestrians crossing streets against the light, snarling traffic in other areas.

The visitors' excitement rubbed off on some of the jaded locals, one of whom said D.C. residents were "cynical of government."

"The energy on the streets is something I've never seen before," said Nancy Wigal, a 45-year-old technical writer who lives in the Mount Vernon Square area. "People are walking lighter, standing taller and are reaching out to one another. It feels like hope. It feels like shared happiness."
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The morning began at 4 a.m. for many as those without tickets made a land grab on the Mall, rushing to stake out positions for the ceremony.

After Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden take their oaths of office on the western front of the Capitol, Obama will deliver a highly anticipated inaugural address, which Obama aides say will emphasize that America is entering a new era of responsibility.

Obama will say America has been hurt by a "me-first" mentality that contributed to the current economic crisis, aides say, and he will call on individuals -- as well as corporations and businesses -- to take responsibility for their actions in the approximately 20-minute speech.

After a formal farewell to President George W. Bush and lunch with congressional leaders, Obama will head up Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House, where he and his family will watch the inauguration parade from a specially built reviewing stand. The parade begins at 3:45 p.m. ET.

The new president and first lady will then close the night by attending 10 official inaugural balls.

Estimates of 1 million to 2 million people have been given for people at the various events, but officials have said they really don't know how many will show up.

Organizers have said about 280,000 people can fit into the secure zones around the Capitol and roughly 300,000 into the area around the parade. A mere 28,000 seats are available on Capitol grounds.

Those lucky enough to have tickets to the inauguration will undergo tight screening, including passing through magnetometers, when they enter the seating area in front of the Capitol.

Spectators without tickets will be routed to the Mall, which, for the first time, will be open from end to end for an inauguration. Security there will be less stringent.

Jeri Pickett of Rochester, New York, was one of the fortunate few who got a ticket.

"I'd just like to see the inspiration of America," said Pickett, when asked what he was expecting from Inauguration Day. "There's so much warmth here now and excitement -- rejuvenation.

"There's a real hope for America. It's the spark that everybody needed," he added.

Washington transportation officials say they will run subway trains on rush-hour schedules starting at 4 a.m. as well as extra buses. The area's rail system, Metro, expects more than 1 million riders.

Inauguration events have already drawn record crowds. A crowd attending an inauguration concert Sunday was estimated between 300,000 and 400,000 and stretched from the Lincoln Memorial all the way to the Washington Monument, which stands at the midpoint of the Mall.

While Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan told CNN on Monday that there was "no credible threat" to the inauguration events, security is extremely tight. A security cordon has been put in place around the city's core, turning much of downtown Washington into pedestrian-only.

In addition to the Secret Service, the security effort will involve 8,000 police officers from the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions, 10,000 National Guard troops, about 1,000 FBI personnel, and hundreds of others from the Department of Homeland Security, the National Park Service and U.S. Capitol Police.
Another 20,000 members of the National Guard are ready to respond if there is an emergency, according to outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

source:CNN