FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts
Nationals Fans Urged to Plan Ahead for Opening Day Thursday, March 28
(Washington, DC) – The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) urges fans to plan ahead and consider public transportation to access Nationals Stadium for Opening Day and all home games.The Nationals season home opener against the New York Mets is Thursday, March 28, 2019, at 1:05 p.m.
Nationals fans should allow extra time to reach their destinations. Due to ongoing construction in the area, some roads and sidewalks are closed. Below are transportation options to Nationals Park. For further information on the ballpark, please visit the Washington Nationals website.
DC Circulator
DC Circulator is now connecting you to baseball free of charge! Experience an added convenience this summer on the Eastern Market – L’Enfant Plaza (EMLP) route which stops a block away from Nationals Stadium via M St. & Half St. SE. Service hours on this route extend until midnight for all Washington Nationals home games beginning 6:00 p.m. or later, Monday through Saturday. For Sunday home games, this route runs 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The EMLP route connects to Metrorail at
- L’Enfant Plaza – Connect to Orange, Blue, Silver, and Green lines outside of L’Enfant Plaza Metro (D St & 7th St NW.)
- Eastern Market – Connect to Orange, Blue and Silver lines at the top of the escalators at Eastern Market Metrorail Station (Pennsylvania Ave. & 8th St. SE)
If any changes to the Nationals’ schedule occur, service will be adjusted as needed and announcements will be posted to the DC Circulator website, Twitter and Facebook.
Capital Bikeshare
The nearest Capital Bikeshare stations to the stadium are located at the following:
- 1st and M Streets, SE
- 1st and N Streets, SE
- 1st and K Streets, SE
- M Street and New Jersey Avenue, SE
- 3rd and Tingey Streets, SE
- Potomac Ave and Half St, SW
Capital Bikeshare will be offering unlimited drop offs at the Capital Bikeshare Corral for the Nationals season opener at the 1st Street and N Street, SE, station. The service will begin at 12:05 pm and conclude 30 minutes after the game is over. For additional information on Bikeshare, please visit Capital Bikeshare.
Bike Racks
There are more than 250 bike racks around the ballpark and Nationals Park offers a free bike valet located in Garage C at the corner of N Street, SE and 1st Street, SE.
Metrorail/Metrobuses
Take the Green Line to the Navy Yard Station. The Navy Yard Ballpark exit is half a block away from the ballpark. There are three main transfer stations to the Green Line: Gallery Place/Chinatown, L'Enfant Plaza and Fort Totten. Orange, Blue and Silver Line customers may take these trains to Eastern Market and transfer to the DC Circulator Navy Yard route for an additional $0.50. Alternatively, Orange, Blue and Silver Line customers can walk to Nationals Park from the Capital South Station, a distance of approximately 8/10 of a mile.
The following Metrobus routes serve the ballpark: A9 Limited* and V1* (*rush hours only), V4, 74 and P6. For weekday and evening games, the A9 is a fast and inexpensive ride to the Ballpark boarding from McPherson Square NW. This Limited-Stop bus runs every 15 minutes and drops you off minutes away from the Ballpark entrance. For more information, visit wmata.
Driving/Parking
Fans who plan to drive to the game are encouraged to carpool and visit the Nationals’ website for information about preferred parking lots. Heavy traffic and delays are to be expected around the ballpark and on busy routes such as I-295, I-695, I-395, and the Southeast/Southwest Freeway. Construction on the Capitol Crossing Project in the Third Street Tunnel may cause some delays. Drivers can also expect additional parking restrictions to be in place on N Place east of First Street, SE, due to security concerns.
The following streets adjacent to the ballpark will be closed three hours before the start of each home game and may remain closed up to three hours after a game ends:
- N Street, SE, between Van Street and 1st Street, SE
- Half Street, SE, between M Street and N Street, SE
Traffic control personnel will be deployed at all key intersections before and after games to promote safety for all road users and Nationals fans.
Motorists are also reminded to pay close attention to signs, particularly the No Left Turn restrictions at M Street and First Street, SE. Additionally, on residential streets around the ballpark, parking is reserved for residents only on one side of the street, and limited to two-hour parking for non-residents on the other side of the street. Parking will be enforced and Nationals fans are encouraged to avoid parking in the residential area around the Ballpark. Parking will also be enforced on Sundays and holidays.
DDOT is implementing Ballpark Performance Parking meter rates on days with Nationals Park events. The rates will be in effect for the entire day for all days with stadium events. The rates will be $2.30 for the first hour and $8 per hour for each subsequent hour. There will be no restrictions on parking duration.
Taxi and Other For-Hire Services
After the game, a Taxi staging area will be designated on the west curb of Cushing Place between L Street and M Street to facilitate taxi flow into the M Street taxi stand. Nationals fans are reminded to pay attention to the wayfinding signs to locate the taxi stands. For more information, visit the taxi section of the Washington National’s website.
DDOT has collaborated with Transportation Network Companies, along with the Department of For Hire Vehicles (DFHV) to prevent pick-ups and drop-offs on South Capitol Street between the SE/SW freeway and the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge; M Street between 5th Street SE and Delaware Avenue SW; as well as any street closed to all traffic. Rideshare passengers are encouraged to consult TNC apps for more information.
Traffic control personnel will be deployed at all key intersections before and after games to promote safety for all road users and Nationals fans.
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The mission of the District of Columbia government's Department of Transportation (DDOT) is to enhance the quality of life for District residents and visitors by ensuring that people, goods, and information move efficiently and safely with minimal adverse impact on residents and the environment.
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