A new congressional report blames poor planning for the chaos that led to some ticketholders missing President Obama's inauguration.
Thousands of people got stuck in slow moving lines as they attempted to access gates near the Capitol; many missed the inauguration altogether.
Other inauguration hopefuls were directed into the Third Street Tunnel, which they learned all too late would get them virtually nowhere. According to the report, the Third Street Tunnel was intended for use by emergency vehicles only. According to the report, "the people who entered this line were in a tunnel for several hours in a line that did not progress."
How did those people end up in the tunnel to nowhere in the first place? There were no signs or barricades, and police actually directed ticketholders into the tunnel, the congressional investigation determined.
The report calls for several changes before the next inauguration; among them, hiring civilians to help police with crowd control, earlier open times for ticket gates, and a separate committee to oversee all aspects of the planning process.
