If you've ever made the trek out to a Washington Commanders game at Northwest Stadium, you know exactly how much of a pain it is to get in and out of Landover.
Between the traffic, the long walk from the metro to the stadium, and the crumbling infrastructure, it's no surprise the stadium has been ranked among the worst in the league for years.
The team's return to D.C. and playing at the old RFK Stadium site was supposed to be a game-changer, becoming "the most transportation-friendly stadium in the country." But there are new roadblocks to make this dream a reality.
Currently, only 4,000 to 5,000 fans use Metro to get to games in Landover, according to WUSA9. That's partly because it's a roughly one-mile walk from the nearest station. Northwest Stadium also has around 22,000 parking spots, so most fans just drive.
Commanders' new stadium may acquire additional funding for transportation issues
The new stadium flips that equation on its head with only 8,000 parking spots for a 65,000-seat venue. WMATA expects between 26,000 and 38,000 people to arrive by bus or rail on game days.
If you've spent any time on the D.C. Metro, you already see where this is going.
You'd think a new stadium would be a similar experience to going to a Washington Wizards game in Chinatown or to a Washington Nationals game at the Navy Yard. Fans hop off the train, walk a few steps, and enter the arena.
Instead, WMATA has confirmed a new Metro station at the RFK site isn't feasible. It's estimated to cost $1 billion and cannot be completed before the stadium's projected 2030 opening.
The proposed solution is a combination of upgrades to the existing Stadium-Armory station, about a half-mile from the stadium, and the introduction of the Gold Line.
Don't let the name fool you, it's not as cool as it sounds.
It's essentially dedicated bus lanes running from Union Station to the stadium, a la the D.C. Streetcar, for anyone who remembers that. Although this proposal is less than half of the cost of building a new station, it is also currently largely unfunded.
Here's the part that should concern every Commanders fan: WMATA's own study found that without significant upgrades to Stadium-Armory, it could take more than two hours to clear the station after an event.
If so, options range from dealing with Uber surge pricing to waiting for the Gold Line or walking half a mile to the Metro station, only to wait for hours to hop on a train.
That's the Northwest Stadium experience, just with better views.
The new stadium looks like a dream. Now, it's up to WMATA to make sure commuting to and from the game isn't a nightmare.
Add us as a preferred source on Google