WASHINGTON (7News) — The Washington Commanders are coming home to D.C. in 2030, but before the stadium is built, city leaders are trying to figure out how to get fans to the new RFK complex.
7News Reporter Victoria Sanchez sat in on Wednesday’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment, which focused on transit planning for the stadium redevelopment.
Before the first kick off, the RFK stadium neighborhood needs a massive overhaul for public transportation.
Imagine a Sunday in the District with 65,000 burgundy and gold fans flocking to Ward 7.
“This is the equivalent of a small city,” said Councilmember Charles Allen.
Current infrastructure is not ready for the crowds in a neighborhood that is already plagued with parking problems.
Ward 7 ANC Commissioner Ashley Renee Ruff described the situation during Wednesday’s meeting.
“It’s a war, it’s a nightmare. How are you going to fix that situation, especially with millions of people coming in from different states, out of town, and you’re already saying we basically don’t have capacity to fit all these people down at Stadium-Armory,” she said.
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The Stadium-Armory metro stop does not have the capacity as it stands right now, but WMATA is looking into options.
“Do we need another station? If so, where? Do we need another entrance? If so, where? We believe heavily that we need a better bus rapid transit between Union Station and Benning Road,” WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke told reporters after his testimony.
“In addition to integration with high-capacity transit, so both bus and rail, we also need to make sure that there is very walkable, urban setting and that we have multi-modal opportunities,” said Sharon Kershbaum, director of DDOT.
A representative from the Commanders said the organization is working to tackle the transportation issues before the team takes the field.
“The mixed-use development is critical to the success of what we’re trying to build up. This is a unique opportunity for the district, for the team to be able to make the biggest economic development project in the country at the moment,” said Kirtan Mehta, vice president of public affairs for the Washington Commanders.
As far as a timeline, Clarke said his team should have a better idea of feasible public transit options by March of 2026.
