Phew! We made it through President Barack Obama’s second inauguration ceremony, which attracted about 1 million visitors to Downtown on January 21. With the nation’s capital and the DowntownDC BID area on full display for the world to see, our Downtown Safety/Hospitality and Maintenance employees (SAMs) made the experience clean, safe, friendly and memorable for the masses.
On Inauguration Day, more than 75 SAMs were deployed as early as 5 a.m. and worked as late as 10 p.m. to attend to the massive business at hand. Members of the Safety/Hospitality Team were stationed prominently at key Metrorail stations (there are seven in Downtown), near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (801 Mount Vernon Place)—the site of two official Inaugural balls—and throughout the DowntownDC BID area to offer assistance. They even helped to manage crowd control after receiving timely and accurate updates about backlogs at security checkpoints and Metrorail stations.
All told, the Safety/Hospitality SAMs assisted close to 11,000 visitors at 11 Metrorail station entrances and eight security checkpoints. On a normal day, the SAMs assist, on average, 750 visitors. Besides doling out information, the SAMs helped disseminate special guides and pedestrian maps issued by our partnering agencies, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (600 5th Street) and the Presidential Inauguration Committee, and made available to people en route to the Inaugural parade on Pennsylvania Avenue, the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol.
After the Inauguration, Maintenance SAMs immediately set about returning Downtown to normalcy, sweeping and picking up trash and litter. They collected about 2,000 bags of debris and about 300 bags of recyclables, both more than triple the usual amounts. Even in the midst of restricted security zones and enormous crowds, they worked diligently to keep curb lines free of trash and fill compactors.
Of course, they couldn’t do it all alone. After much planning and collaboration with several government agencies, including the PIC, National Park Service, the D.C. Department of Public Works, the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service, and area military units, the SAMs were able to work efficiently and effectively to get the job done for the 57th Inauguration. In particular, DPW trucks and crews were strategically positioned within the BID, at the ready to collect huge amounts of refuse.
“There’s a reason we call our SAMs the eyes, ears and caretakers of Downtown,” said Bradley. “They are second to none when it comes to mobilizing in force to ensure that the visitor experience in the heart of the nation’s capital is a pleasant and engaging one. We’re very proud of the excellent job they did.”