Be Prepared: Crowds, Closings

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Thursday, April 22, 1999; Page B6

Thousands of delegates begin arriving today for the NATO summit, which is expected to cause gridlock in much of downtown through Sunday. Here's a guide on what to expect, including some changes from previous announcements:

If I really have to get downtown, what is the best time to come? The worst time?

There are virtually nonstop events, and accompanying motorcades, from 9 a.m. into the night tomorrow and Saturday and continuing through late afternoon Sunday.

Is there anything to do besides watch the motorcades go by?

The presidential monuments, National Gallery of Art, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of American History, National Zoo, Freer Gallery, Sackler Gallery, Anacostia Museum and National Postal Museum will be open. There will be no food service on the Mall tomorrow, though, except at the National Gallery. Sports events and theater productions will go on at MCI Center, Warner Theater and other downtown venues.

Everything else on the Mall, as well as the National Portrait Gallery and National Museum of American Art, will close tomorrow but reopen Saturday. There will be no White House tours tomorrow and Saturday. The Old Post Office Pavilion tower will close today at 6 p.m. and reopen Monday. Tourmobile will offer only its Arlington Cemetery tour tomorrow, canceling its Mount Vernon, Mall and night tours. On Saturday and Sunday, it will operate only its Mall and Arlington National Cemetery tours.

The U.S. Capitol Rotunda will be closed beginning at 4 p.m. today. The closure will extend to the second and third floors tomorrow morning and expand to the entire Capitol at noon. Doors will reopen at 4:45 p.m. tomorrow.

I absolutely have to drive. What can I expect?

Because large parts of downtown will be closed to cars, traffic is likely to back up elsewhere. Some streets may close briefly for motorcades without warning; drivers must pull over, and pedestrians must stop. Even some streets that are open will have no-parking signs if NATO delegates are staying nearby. Some parking garages may close, so check in advance. Some slug lines for commuters are on streets that will be closed to vehicles, so they won't be available.

Are taxis affected by this?

Individual taxi drivers can choose for themselves whether to work. If they're not scared off by reports of gridlock, they are supposed to charge their usual rates, according to the D.C. Taxicab Commission.

What about buses?

A number of bus routes will be changed during the NATO summit. See map for details. Plan for buses to be slower than usual.

What about Metrorail?

Metrorail will open at 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, two hours earlier than usual. The Federal Triangle Station will be closed, and trains will not stop there. Additional trains and personnel will be provided during the summit. Metro is providing extra parking lots. See map for details.

How will this affect bicyclists?

D.C. police Cmdr. Michael Radzilowski said bicyclists will be treated like pedestrians and allowed anywhere pedestrians are allowed, but they may be asked to walk instead of ride.

Will I have to show ID to get into a pedestrian zone?

People with official business in the Federal Triangle area will have to show credentials issued by the Secret Service. Walkers in other pedestrian zones will not have to show identification, Radzilowski said, but they may be stopped briefly if NATO delegations are nearby.

I hear there will be protesters all over the place – where, exactly?

Protests will be held all day tomorrow northeast of the Washington Monument and at Lafayette Square and in the evening outside the Air and Space Museum. Saturday, there will be an all-day protest in Lafayette Square, a mid-day protest at 34th Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW and an early evening protest outside the National Building Museum at Fourth and F streets NW.

What's the story on getting to and from the airport?

Airport officials say that despite the crush of arrivals and departures – mainly today and Sunday in the late afternoon and early evening – there will be little impact on other passengers. But officials strongly advise taking Metrorail to and from Reagan National Airport because of likely backups on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Roads near airports may be closed briefly for motorcades.

Who has the day off?

All federal employees within a designated zone around Federal Triangle will have the day off, as will all but essential D.C. government employees. Some other employers are closing or operating with reduced work forces.

Is city government shutting down?

D.C. schools and facilities and most Catholic parish elementary schools will be closed, but the University of the District of Columbia will be open. Most of D.C. government will close, but essential police, fire, ambulance and trash pickup services will operate, as will clinics and hospitals. Meals and transportation services for the elderly will be provided except in the Federal Triangle area. There will be arraignments and lockups in D.C. courts, but no trials or jury duty. The Benjamin Franklin Post Office, at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, will be closed tomorrow. Citywide mail service may be slower than usual.

Compiled by D'Vera Cohn, with reports from Maria Elena Fernandez, Philip P. Pan, Alice Reid, Alan Sipress, Valerie Strauss and Linda Wheeler.