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Articles
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| Baseball parking |
VOICE writes, "
BY BEN WEINSTEIN
City transportation and Washington Nationals officials this week said parking, street-route and mass-transit plans will be ready in time to handle stadium traffic by spring, but neighborhood activists worry that opening day will mark the beginning of a chaotic era for Southwest.
Officials predicted that increased game-day capacity on Metro, new street-parking restrictions and campaigns to minimize car traffic will mean more than half of fans won't drive to games.
"This has got to be a transit-oriented ballpark," said Gregory McCarthy, senior director of operations for the Nationals, adding that there will be stadium-area brochures, “limited edition” Nationals Metrorail fare cards and ballpark ambassadors to help direct fans to the stadium. "
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McCarthy also said the Nationals will encourage fans who don't live or work by Metrorail or Metrobus stops to park in Metro lots and ride to games. "There are about 17,000 spaces at Metro stations," he said.
"For all the rest ... we'll instruct people on parking near the stadium," McCarthy said. "There's a right way and a wrong way to get to these various parking garages," he added, saying the team will put up a Web site and send mailings detailing the "right way.”
Street and sidewalk work is on schedule, and the Navy Yard Metrorail station will be ready to use, but possibly unfinished, by opening day, said Ken Laden, the Transportation Department's associate director for transportation policy and planning. Laden also said the agency is working with Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells on new street-parking regulations that would discourage on-street parking during games.
"We'll definitely have everything in place by opening day," Laden said.
But some Southwest residents, at a Nov. 28 meeting on stadium transportation issues, said the plans were insufficient.
On opening day, "it's going to be total chaos," said Southwest advisory neighborhood commissioner Andy Litsky, adding that the Transportation Department has not kept the community informed on ballpark-related streetscape projects.
Resident Ron Drake agreed, adding that the agency has not answered his questions. Drake said he has been inconvenienced when streets are closed because of ballpark construction, and when he calls to complain, "I don't get any response."
"We appreciate that I, G, P, and 4th Streets in SW will not be used as arteries for directing traffic to the new Stadium but this is not enough," Southwest commissioners Ron McBee and Rhonda Hamilton said in a draft letter on traffic and pedestrian-safety recommendations.
"Our citizens are dependent on walking and using public transportation of Metro and the WMATA bus system," the letter continues. "For many in our community, this is the only source of transportation."
McBee and Hamilton said the Southwest street grid cannot accommodate as much traffic or parking as RFK Stadium's Hill East neighborhood. "Metro service, not private vehicles and parking, should be the major focus of getting patrons to Stadium events," their letter said, adding that Metro should consider discounted fares for stadium-goers.
McCarthy said the Nationals will tell fans, "Don't come here and try to find parking," adding that the team will also promote using car-sharing vehicles and bicycling to games.
The D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission will host a few more community meetings before opening day. The next meeting is scheduled on Dec. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Southeastern University.
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Posted on Dec 07, 2007 08:19am.
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