WASHINGTON — There are three major events taking place within a few blocks of each other in D.C. on Thursday that could cause a lot of headaches on the commute home.
“All signs point to Thursday evening being a really bad commute in the District of Columbia,” said WTOP Traffic Reporter Dave Dildine.
The first is the grand opening of The Wharf.
“We’ve been gearing up for a bad traffic day with the grand opening for months,” Dildine said. “But now with Game 5 coinciding, we’re likely to go from bad to worse.”
The grand opening alone is expected to bring in nearly 20,000 visitors, and some people who live in the area are already concerned there won’t be enough buses to accommodate everyone.
“Basically you should be able to count on the bus arriving every 10-15 minutes tops,” said Councilman Charles Allen, D-Ward 6. “And right now, you’re waiting about 30 minutes.”
One of the centerpieces of The Wharf is a new concert venue, The Anthem, which will be playing host to a sold-out concert for the Foo Fighters on Thursday. Doors open for the concert at 6:30 p.m.
Just a little more than a mile away from The Wharf, the Nationals will be taking on the Cubs in a winner-take-all Game 5 of the National League Division Series.
First pitch isn’t until 8:08 p.m., meaning the game could end after Metro shuts down for the night.
“Ride-sharing apps will need to go into overdrive to compensate for Metro’s hours,” Dildine said. “It’s not the worst-case scenario, but it’s pretty close.”
Even though the game might end late, the gates open at 6 p.m. and a lot of people are expected to flock to the ballpark to see if the Nationals can finally get past the first round of the playoffs.
“Had the game been scheduled a few hours earlier, there would be little recourse for the average commuter,” Dildine said. “Since it’s not until after 8 p.m., the sooner you can head outbound and home-bound, the better.”
You can see a map of the area affected below.
