The new Washington Commanders stadium is expected to bring tens of thousands of people into the redeveloped RFK Stadium campus. However, Metro is warning that it’s not quite ready for that.
Metro is out with a study on what will be needed for the new Commanders stadium project and it pointed to some big changes, while also taking some early ideas off the table.
How people get in and out of the stadium is quickly becoming one of the biggest hurdles in determining if the entire redevelopment actually works.
Metro is planning for a major shift, with more than half of the 65,000 fans expected to take Metro trains or buses to games. But the agency said the current system just can’t handle that kind of volume.
Right now, the Stadium-Armory Metro Station can move about 14,000 people an hour. That means without changes, it could take more than two hours to clear crowds after an event.
So instead of building something entirely new, the plan focuses on upgrading what’s already there. Metro is calling for bigger station entrances, more escalators and elevators and expanded space inside the station to move riders more quickly and safely.
The proposal also leans heavily on buses. Metro is recommending a new bus rapid transit line, called the Gold Line, with dedicated lanes along H Street NW and Benning Road NE to connect the stadium to Union Station. That would include setting aside and even painting red bus lanes to keep buses moving and out of traffic. A new transit center near the stadium would serve as a hub to handle large crowds and connect riders.
On top of that, Metro said it would use crowd-control measures which include metering customers into the station after games and adding more staff to keep people moving to prevent bottlenecks.
There are concerns about what happens if those upgrades don’t move forward.
Officials have warned of overcrowding, delays and potential safety issues not just at Stadium-Armory, but across the whole transit system.
One idea that’s not recommended is one talked about during the D.C. Council debate on whether to approve the stadium deal and the building of a new Metro station.
Metro said with a more than $1 billion price tag, it would be too expensive, too complex and wouldn’t be ready in time for opening day. Building a new station would lead to additional maintenance costs and the benefit from it would be marginal, as it would also connect to the same tracks as Stadium-Armory — the Blue, Orange and Silver lines.
The study is set to be presented to Metro’s board Thursday.
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