Logistical woes, crowds leave some spectators stuck on the outside

WASHINGTON - Unprecedented security, massive crowds, and frigid temperatures at Barack Obama's inauguration made for long lines, major transit delays, and a frantic day for paramedics yesterday, while leaving some frustrated spectators - including some VIP ticket holders - unable to reach the National Mall or to find spots along the parade route.

But overall the US Secret Service, which mustered personnel from 58 federal, state, and local agencies, breathed a sigh of relief that the day's events went off without major injuries or security breaches, despite concerns that the inauguration might be the target of a little-known terrorist group based in Somalia. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin Monday night to law enforcement agencies warning that new intelligence suggested that a radical group called al-Shabaab, which is believed to have sympathizers in this country, might be planning an attack.

US counterterrorism officials stressed that the threats were not specific and that their credibility was in question, but nevertheless felt the need to warn law enforcement. Starting before dawn, Washington's subway system was overrun by incoming passengers who packed platforms miles away in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs, where train station parking lots were filled to capacity.

During the day, a passenger fell onto the tracks and was injured at a downtown train station, halting some service. The accident forced people to walk farther to reach the Mall, and message boards at stations warned of delays of up to two hours.

People swarmed into L'Enfant Plaza, one of the Metro subway stops closest to the Mall and Capitol at 7:30 a.m. Subway officials closed the exit gates, backing up the crowds streaming off the trains. Some of those waiting grew impatient at the standstill, yelling "Let us out!" Temperatures inside the station rose, and the crowd squeezed tighter as more trains deposited additional people. A woman with a baby strapped to her chest fainted, and several doctors and nurses in the crowd inched through the throngs to help her. Just before 8:30 a.m., subway workers opened the gates, but the escalators to the exit weren't working. Passengers were forced to trudge up 80 steep stairs. One elderly woman stopped halfway to catch her breath.

Obama aides tried to help supporters navigate the logistical headaches. At one point they sent text messages to tens of thousands of former campaign supporters, providing tips on how to get to the inauguration.

Even reaching the Mall, however, was not enough for some. Thousands of people streaming from adjacent neighborhoods in southeast Washington to catch the midday ceremonies found themselves turned back by the National Guard. Many trekked the overpasses of Interstate 395 on Capitol Hill to try to find their way to one of the large television screens placed along the Mall, while others, penned in by a series of fences and closed streets, gave up and sought warmth in the lobbies of nearby office buildings or drugstores.

Some visitors with tickets to the swearing-in arrived at the Mall at 6:30 a.m. but were turned away by security. In contrast, some others who did not have tickets but showed up several blocks away at 4:30 a.m. gained admittance.

After Obama was sworn in, law enforcement officials began turning away people seeking to snare spots on the parade route, saying the stretch along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House was at capacity.

Midwinter temperatures that hovered in the teens made for a busy day for emergency personnel. By 10 a.m. the Fire Department said it had responded to dozens of calls for help from the massive crowd on the Mall, with many elderly people or young children suffering from the cold.

"Obviously the crush of people downtown is making it very challenging," said Alan Etter, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C., Fire and EMS Department. "We're doing the best we can."

Megan Woolhouse of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Material from the Associated Press was also included.