Obama The Magic President Has Already Increased Train Ridership

Well, sorta. The Herald reports that Amtrak is increasing service from Boston (among other cities) to DC for Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20, and many airlines plan to offer additional flights to the capital for the festivities as well. So that makes it seem kind of like Obama has made us all reconsider our addiction to cars, but that isn't quite the case—plus the increased train and plane usage is probably not that great for the environment anyway. Regardless, increasing train service for the day is better than having thousands of folks drive their cars into DC, create massive traffic, and attempt to park in nonexistent spaces, so kudos to Amtrak for making at least one smart (and lucrative) decision in its history.

If you're heading to DC on Amtrak or another way, you might want to check the Metro website to get some DC public transport tips for the big day—not to mention a commemorative Obama SmarTrip card (pictured). Where are our commemorative Obama Charlie Cards, MBTA?! Don't steal the joy of another special celebration from us!