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Today's WAPost online has an interesting reader poll. Some poll results to date: 

48% of inauguration attendees will fly in.

32% say they will spend more than $1000 on the trip (no surprise there).

85% say they plan to watch the inauguration events from the National Mall.

32% plan on being in DC for five days or more.

82% say they are looking forward most to the swearing in.

According to the NY Daily News the Presidential Inaugural Committee is asking 50K for packages including four tickets to the swearing in and parade.

The package also includes a nightclub performance on Jan. 17 and brunch the next morning, plus nighttime VIP seating at a concert that probably will take place at the Lincoln Memorial.The fun on Jan. 19 includes candlelight dinners around town with members of Congress and drop-ins by the Obamas. The Inauguration Day agenda includes four tickets to one of the 10 official balls in addition to tickets for the swearing-in and parade seating.

The Secret Service is recommending times for viewers to come to the Mall to watch the Obama Inauguration. Washington Post reporter Nikita Stewart writes that:

Federal and District government officials urged people not to come to the National Mall until 4 a.m. on Jan. 20, the day of President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in. Although the Mall grounds are open 24 hours a day to the public, officials said that they would prefer that people wait until 4 a.m., which matched the hours that the Metro provides train service.

At a news conference today organized by the Secret Service, officials said the parade route along Pennsylvania Ave. will open at 7 a.m., and people will not be allowed to camp out overnight on that route.

People without tickets to the inaugural who intend to watch from the Mall can bring chairs, coolers, strollers, backpacks and food, the officials said. That is a more lenient rule than the rule for ticket-holders, who will get to watch from a reserved area near the Capitol, but who are not allowed to bring those items past security.
For those who will go past the security check-points "less is more," said Bill Line, spokesman for the National Park Service.

Meantime, with between 1 million and 4 million people expected for the inaugural swearing-in ceremony and parade, a crisis management subcommittee is developing a massive evacuation plan in case of an emergency, said Malcolm D. Wiley Sr. of the Secret Service. Jo'Ellen Countee, spokeswoman for the D.C. Emergency Management Agency, said the city is looking at how to notify people by loud speaker if an emergency occurs.

Wiley said there has been no official estimate that concludes there will be 4 million on the mall, even though that figure has been cited by D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D). The Senate committe that is planning the swearing-in has "an internal number," Wiley said, but the figure will not be released publicly. The Secret Service, he added, is preparing for all scenarios.

Karyn LeBlanc, spokeswoman for the D.C. Department of Transportation, said the agency has a pedestrian walkout plan that will shut down streets specifically for pedestrians. Some bridges and streets will also be limited to buses and emergency vehicles, LeBlanc said.

City Council members are backpedaling fast on an earlier bill that would have extended bar hours in DC during the inauguration. Council members are working on changes after community groups, U.S. Senate members and others questioned the extended bar hours.

DC bars will still be open later than usual during inauguration weekend, but the proposed 5AM closing time in the original bill is likely to be changed.

City Council member Tommy Wells is proposing a that would accomplish the following:

* Roll back alcohol service from 5 AM to 4AM, the same as New Year’s Eve;
* Potentially exclude Sunday, Jan. 18, from the extended hours;
* Create a registration date and nominal fee for establishments interested in staying open later.That would give police a list of places to monitor and force owners to make a decision before inauguration week begins.

Stay tuned

DC community groups opposed to City Council passed approval of longer hours for bars during inaugural week have picked up some major support from two U.S. Senators, Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Robert Bennett (R-Utah).

Feinstein heads the Joint Committee on Presidential Inaugurations, and Bennett is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.

The Senators say  that they are "deeply concerned that the plan approved by the City Council could seriously strain law enforcement resources that need to be focused on the large crowds and security requirements of the Inaugural and its impact on the City." The full letter is below:

Dear Mayor Fenty and Council Chairman Gray:

We are writing today to urge that City Council and the Mayor reverse emergency legislation approved by the Council last week that permits nightclubs, bars and restaurants to sell alcoholic beverages until 5 a.m. for four nights during the Inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th President.

With projections as high as 4 million people planning to visit the city during this time period, we are deeply concerned that the plan approved by the City Council could seriously strain law enforcement resources that need to be focused on the large crowds and security requirements of the Inaugural and its impact on the City.

There is great cause for celebration at this historic event. But we believe that the benefits of this emergency legislation, passed with little public notice, are far outweighed by its possible consequences.

We understand the pressures you face from the different constituencies in your city. But we also know the importance of standing firm to ensure the safety of residents, workers and visitors who will be in Washington, D.C., participating in this historic event.”

Sincerely,

Robert F. Bennett Dianne Feinstein

Did anyone get tickets to the January 19th taping of Oprah's show at the Kennedy Center? I went to the website constantly to see when they would be available, the page always said tickets would be available starting this week, and now it opens to say they are all gone. Hope that at least some of you got tickets.  From Oprah's own web site: "We are no longer accepting reservation requests for the taping in Washington, D.C."

Some kids in Hempstead, NY have won approval to rename their school for the President-elect. Another NY school and one in Oregon are also moving to change their names.

Real estate agents are smiling. Incoming Obama team members are quietly checking the local housing market as they prepare to take over.

Aretha Franklin will headline a free performance at the Kennedy Center  on January 19 at 6 PM, in celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Also on the bill are the violin duo Nuttin’ but Stringz and the Let Freedom Ring choir directed by Reverend Nolan Williams, Jr. Tickets will be distributed on the day of the event beginning at 4 PM in front of the concert hall. One ticket will be given out per person. It's going to be crowded that day at the Kennedy Center, with Oprah also broadcasting live from there the same day.

Some blog readers had questions about getting into the Newseum to watch the Inauguration parade on January 20th. I forwarded the questions to Pam Galloway-Tabb, VP for General Services at the Newseum. Here is her email reply:

"If you buy a ticket, you are welcome to stay until 10 pm. Once you enter the building, you will not be able to exit back out on Pennsylvania Avenue. You will have to go out the group entrance and go back through security.
You will not have access to the outside terrace, but there are many wonderful views of Pennsylvania Avenue from various levels. Hope you can join us."
Pam

Destination DC says there are still hotel rooms available in outlying suburban Maryland and Virginia for inauguration attendees. However, many properties require a 4 to 5 night minimum stay and pre-payment. The other issue is that the available rooms can be rather out of the way. According to the Destination DC website, "Destination DC has located more than 1,400 hotel rooms within a 30-mile drive of DC that are available on the peak night of the inauguration period, January 19, plus hundreds of additional rooms located within 200 miles of the city." Local area residents know that means facing what is expected to be horrific traffic on the 19th and 20th of January. If you feel lucky, call Destination DC Monday through Friday, 8:30AM - 5PM EST at 1-800-422-8644.