This FAQ contains critical logistical information and helpful tips to make the Evanston WMW Rallybus trip memorable and comfortable for all of us.
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL
Review the Rallybus website for relevant info including terms & conditions:
rallybus.net/Terms#Refunds
If you need to cancel your trip? You may cancel with Rallybus without penalty up until December 24. After that, you will lose your fare. Please cancel ASAP as everyone’s seat price is determined by a full bus.
How early should I get to ETHS?
Our Rallybus will leave promptly at 4:13pm; arrive no less than 30 minutes earlier.
We strongly encourage riders to carpool to ETHS or to arrange for a friend to drop you off. The goal is to limit the number of cars parked at ETHS over the weekend. It will be cold on January 20th; please arrange for the person who drives you to ETHS to wait until you have boarded the bus in case you need to sit in the car until boarding commences. For those leaving their cars at ETHS over the weekend, see Parking below.
What is allowed on board?
Every passenger can carry on two small items (like bags and coolers), and store two larger items in the undercarriage. Carry-on baggage must fit in the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you. Rallybus welcomes food and drinks on the bus, but can’t allow glass containers for safety purposes. Rallybus asks that you clean up your seat area before you leave the bus.
Should I tip the bus driver?
Per Rallybus: “Yes, please! Our drivers go the extra mile to make the trip almost as awesome as the event itself. If you appreciate their work — and we think you will — they’d certainly appreciate a small token of your thanks.”
BOARDING
What is the procedure for boarding the bus? You must check in at the registration table in the Bacon entrance vestibule on the west side of the building adjacent to Lot 1, where you will see the buses parked.
Do I have to board the bus in a certain order?
Rallybus does not assign seat numbers or bus numbers to registered passengers so you can take any seat available on any bus. Priority one is for parents to sit with their children. We understand friends want to sit together, but we can not guarantee that large groups can be accomoadated together. Remember this journey is an opportunity to meet new Evanstonian friends as well.
Our buses have been sold to FULL capacity to keep seat prices as low as possible. There will be no room to spread belongings around.
PARKING AT ETHS
For those leaving their cars at ETHS over the weekend, you must complete the ETHS required parking form that can be filled out and submitted here:
docs.google.com/a/eths202.org/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqOHUhpISdt9QMJoOQNGEkPpvhU4HSt-51ciq34SVAI-1E3A/viewform
If you do not complete this form you will not be permitted to park at the school and run the risk being towed if you do.
Please note, ETHS is not responsible for damage to or theft of their vehicles.
Know that Mr. Driscoll, ETHS security head, will ensure that the parking lot is cleared of snow and drivable when we arrive back on Sunday morning.
Again, we recommend that riders carpool and/or be dropped off.
DURING YOUR BUS TRIP
What kind of features can I expect once I board the bus? (Wi-fi & outlets are NOT likely)
How much time do I have at a bus stop when the bus takes a break? At this point, it is unclear how often our buses will stop for breaks. Our goal is to stop three to four hours after departure from ERHS for a comfort/food break. The length of time we stop depends on whether the bus needs to re-fuel. You should have time to stretch your legs, use the restroom or grab a snack. By the way, there will be two bus drivers assigned to each bus on our route due to the trip’s length.
How can I make my trip more comfortable?
NOTE: We are planning about 60 to 90 minutes of programming about topics relevant to Evanston in terms of community bridge-building during the Friday evening of our trip.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE MARCH/RALLY
What to wear and bring with you to the March/Rally
Metro Pocket Guide English www.wmata.com/schedules/maps/upload/english.pdf
Metro Pocket Guide Spanish www.wmata.com/schedules/maps/upload/spanish.pdf
DC Bus Maps www.wmata.com/schedules/maps/upload/WEB_DC-Metrobus-System-Map-FINAL.pdf
Is there a certain color of shirt we Evanstonians should wear? We are encouraginf everyone to wear attire that reflects the causes and orgianzations you want to represent at the march. A great group of Evanston knitters are, as we speak, creating pink hats for us to wear. PUSSYHAT PROJECT We can’t guarantee that all 220 of us (4 busloads of 55) will get a pink hat, but we will do our best to distribute them fairly. We will have Evanston specific buttons and scarves for sale. Scarves will be $6 each, cash only, exact change, on sale the day of departure at the check-in table. Keep checking the website wmwevanston.weebly.com for details.
Will there be a meet-up point and should we have banners and signs? Our buses will caravan together. Rallybus will drop us off and pick us up near the Stadium Armory Metro Train Station. See the map on our Updates page (wmwevanston.weebly.com/updates.html) and in the logistics email you should have received. It is our understanding that thirty thousand posters and nine large banners will be produced and available free of charge to participants in the march. An option we have is joining the Illinois contingent which is expected to be strong. We are in close contact with the leaders of the WMW-IL and we will make sure we know their plans as they develop.
Our bus arrives at 6am in DC and departs at 9pm. The WMW is scheduled from 10am to 5pm.
What do we do before the WMW and after the WMW?
That is a good question! By the way, we patterned our itinerary after the WMW-IL Rallybuses. They have numerous buses leaving all over Illinois with the same time frames.
Saturday morning: The plan is to arrive at 6am, but that arrival time could be impacted by weather or traffic. The Stadium Armory Metro Station, where we will be dropped, is only a ten minute train ride to the Federal Central Station which is a three minute walk to the March's starting point, Independence Avenue at Third Street SW. Now that we know the bus's drop-off point, we encourage you to investigate where you might want to grab a bite to eat before the March. We are in communication with WMW-IL to determine the best meeting place to gather before the march. Details to follow. Keep in mind, we may not be able to provide the specific information until we are on the buses.
Saturday evening: The rally is scheduled to end at 5pm leaving us 4 hours to grab some dinner and get back to the bus. We suggest you research dinner spots near the WMW or the pick-up point and if possible make a reservation.
Can I leave items on the bus Saturday during the day when I am at the Rally?
Yes. You’ll take the same bus there and back. Our buses are locked up during the event, but Rallybus can’t be responsible for anything lost.
Official Links & Contacts
Click on the links below to be connected to the official WMW National and Illinois pages:
National website: www.womensmarch.com
National twitter: twitter.com/womensmarch
National Sign-up page to track who is going: www.eventbrite.com/e/womens-march-on-washington-official-tickets-29428287801
Illinois WMW FB page: www.facebook.com/events/1270986692942913/1278773898830859/?notif_t=admin_plan_mall_activity¬if_id=1479365320666167
If your question isn’t answered...
Please contact [email protected] or go to our website wmwevanston.weebly.com if you have additional questions. We appreciate your support as we roll out more details as they become available.
Thank you for being a part of this movement and let’s make history together!
Your Faithful Organizers,
Evan Finamore
Nina Kavin
Kathleen Long
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL
Review the Rallybus website for relevant info including terms & conditions:
rallybus.net/Terms#Refunds
If you need to cancel your trip? You may cancel with Rallybus without penalty up until December 24. After that, you will lose your fare. Please cancel ASAP as everyone’s seat price is determined by a full bus.
How early should I get to ETHS?
Our Rallybus will leave promptly at 4:13pm; arrive no less than 30 minutes earlier.
We strongly encourage riders to carpool to ETHS or to arrange for a friend to drop you off. The goal is to limit the number of cars parked at ETHS over the weekend. It will be cold on January 20th; please arrange for the person who drives you to ETHS to wait until you have boarded the bus in case you need to sit in the car until boarding commences. For those leaving their cars at ETHS over the weekend, see Parking below.
What is allowed on board?
Every passenger can carry on two small items (like bags and coolers), and store two larger items in the undercarriage. Carry-on baggage must fit in the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you. Rallybus welcomes food and drinks on the bus, but can’t allow glass containers for safety purposes. Rallybus asks that you clean up your seat area before you leave the bus.
Should I tip the bus driver?
Per Rallybus: “Yes, please! Our drivers go the extra mile to make the trip almost as awesome as the event itself. If you appreciate their work — and we think you will — they’d certainly appreciate a small token of your thanks.”
BOARDING
What is the procedure for boarding the bus? You must check in at the registration table in the Bacon entrance vestibule on the west side of the building adjacent to Lot 1, where you will see the buses parked.
Do I have to board the bus in a certain order?
Rallybus does not assign seat numbers or bus numbers to registered passengers so you can take any seat available on any bus. Priority one is for parents to sit with their children. We understand friends want to sit together, but we can not guarantee that large groups can be accomoadated together. Remember this journey is an opportunity to meet new Evanstonian friends as well.
Our buses have been sold to FULL capacity to keep seat prices as low as possible. There will be no room to spread belongings around.
PARKING AT ETHS
For those leaving their cars at ETHS over the weekend, you must complete the ETHS required parking form that can be filled out and submitted here:
docs.google.com/a/eths202.org/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqOHUhpISdt9QMJoOQNGEkPpvhU4HSt-51ciq34SVAI-1E3A/viewform
If you do not complete this form you will not be permitted to park at the school and run the risk being towed if you do.
Please note, ETHS is not responsible for damage to or theft of their vehicles.
Know that Mr. Driscoll, ETHS security head, will ensure that the parking lot is cleared of snow and drivable when we arrive back on Sunday morning.
Again, we recommend that riders carpool and/or be dropped off.
DURING YOUR BUS TRIP
What kind of features can I expect once I board the bus? (Wi-fi & outlets are NOT likely)
- On-board restroom
- Overhead storage
- Intercom for driver to communicate
- TV monitor and DVD (for whole bus use only)
How much time do I have at a bus stop when the bus takes a break? At this point, it is unclear how often our buses will stop for breaks. Our goal is to stop three to four hours after departure from ERHS for a comfort/food break. The length of time we stop depends on whether the bus needs to re-fuel. You should have time to stretch your legs, use the restroom or grab a snack. By the way, there will be two bus drivers assigned to each bus on our route due to the trip’s length.
How can I make my trip more comfortable?
- Bring books, movies, and apps you might enjoy.
- Bring chargers for your electronics.
- Bring a light blanket, shawl or poncho as your own temperature control tool.
- Bring a DC map and the train/bus maps, to prepare for the rally.
- Remember your earplugs and eye mask if you are a light sleeper.
- Bring a neck pillow.
- Bring handiwipes for clean-up.
- Stock up on food & drinks before boarding. Alcohol is allowed, but no glass containers. Bring small change for vending machines at rest stops. You are welcime to bring meals in a small cooler.
NOTE: We are planning about 60 to 90 minutes of programming about topics relevant to Evanston in terms of community bridge-building during the Friday evening of our trip.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE MARCH/RALLY
What to wear and bring with you to the March/Rally
- Dress warmly for January weather in DC. Average temp on January 21: 43 high, 28 low. Check out this article for some helpful tips: What to Wear to a Protest March - Wardrobe Oxygen
- Read about the weather in DC on Inauguration weekend: www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/washington-dc-presidential-inauguration-weather-history/2013/01/16/5def1200-5ff3-11e2-b05a-605528f6b712_blog.html?utm_term=.058a51bd8d97
- Wear comfortable shoes/boots
- Food & water: Brown bag it. Bring food & snacks on the bus that you can also use at the march/rally. We don't know if there will be vendors selling food or if there are free water stations or how crowded they will be.
- Cell Phone: Bring a charger
- Carry a paper backup of Rallybus pick-up point and map of DC because cell coverage may be spotty as crowd get large. We will provide the Rallybus DC drop-off and pick- up point as soon as possible via our website.
- Metro train maps: carry a metro map. www.wmata.com
Metro Pocket Guide English www.wmata.com/schedules/maps/upload/english.pdf
Metro Pocket Guide Spanish www.wmata.com/schedules/maps/upload/spanish.pdf
DC Bus Maps www.wmata.com/schedules/maps/upload/WEB_DC-Metrobus-System-Map-FINAL.pdf
Is there a certain color of shirt we Evanstonians should wear? We are encouraginf everyone to wear attire that reflects the causes and orgianzations you want to represent at the march. A great group of Evanston knitters are, as we speak, creating pink hats for us to wear. PUSSYHAT PROJECT We can’t guarantee that all 220 of us (4 busloads of 55) will get a pink hat, but we will do our best to distribute them fairly. We will have Evanston specific buttons and scarves for sale. Scarves will be $6 each, cash only, exact change, on sale the day of departure at the check-in table. Keep checking the website wmwevanston.weebly.com for details.
Will there be a meet-up point and should we have banners and signs? Our buses will caravan together. Rallybus will drop us off and pick us up near the Stadium Armory Metro Train Station. See the map on our Updates page (wmwevanston.weebly.com/updates.html) and in the logistics email you should have received. It is our understanding that thirty thousand posters and nine large banners will be produced and available free of charge to participants in the march. An option we have is joining the Illinois contingent which is expected to be strong. We are in close contact with the leaders of the WMW-IL and we will make sure we know their plans as they develop.
Our bus arrives at 6am in DC and departs at 9pm. The WMW is scheduled from 10am to 5pm.
What do we do before the WMW and after the WMW?
That is a good question! By the way, we patterned our itinerary after the WMW-IL Rallybuses. They have numerous buses leaving all over Illinois with the same time frames.
Saturday morning: The plan is to arrive at 6am, but that arrival time could be impacted by weather or traffic. The Stadium Armory Metro Station, where we will be dropped, is only a ten minute train ride to the Federal Central Station which is a three minute walk to the March's starting point, Independence Avenue at Third Street SW. Now that we know the bus's drop-off point, we encourage you to investigate where you might want to grab a bite to eat before the March. We are in communication with WMW-IL to determine the best meeting place to gather before the march. Details to follow. Keep in mind, we may not be able to provide the specific information until we are on the buses.
Saturday evening: The rally is scheduled to end at 5pm leaving us 4 hours to grab some dinner and get back to the bus. We suggest you research dinner spots near the WMW or the pick-up point and if possible make a reservation.
Can I leave items on the bus Saturday during the day when I am at the Rally?
Yes. You’ll take the same bus there and back. Our buses are locked up during the event, but Rallybus can’t be responsible for anything lost.
Official Links & Contacts
Click on the links below to be connected to the official WMW National and Illinois pages:
National website: www.womensmarch.com
National twitter: twitter.com/womensmarch
National Sign-up page to track who is going: www.eventbrite.com/e/womens-march-on-washington-official-tickets-29428287801
Illinois WMW FB page: www.facebook.com/events/1270986692942913/1278773898830859/?notif_t=admin_plan_mall_activity¬if_id=1479365320666167
If your question isn’t answered...
Please contact [email protected] or go to our website wmwevanston.weebly.com if you have additional questions. We appreciate your support as we roll out more details as they become available.
Thank you for being a part of this movement and let’s make history together!
Your Faithful Organizers,
Evan Finamore
Nina Kavin
Kathleen Long