Avoiding Stadium Traffic if You're Not Going to the Game

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Hudson told me he's most concerned about getting from his home to the Kennedy Center for Saturday night concerts. He's used to leaving Bowie about 7 p.m. for an 8 p.m. concert. His route includes the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge up South Capitol Street to the Southeast-Southwest Freeway. The Nats' first Saturday night home game starts at 7:10 p.m. April 26, and 10 more are scheduled after that. (There are 53 weekday evening games, starting at either 7:10 or 7:35.)

I suggest leaving home earlier on a game night and finding an alternative route to the Kennedy Center that avoids the northbound side of South Capitol, at least till fans and planners get used to dealing with a 42,000-seat stadium. Perhaps instead of taking the Douglass Bridge from the Anacostia Freeway, swing around and head back north to the 11th Street Bridge? What other ideas do readers have for avoiding South Capitol Street?

Parking for Games

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I expect to attend several games at the new Nationals stadium this season. Not being a season-ticket holder, I understand that my best options are either to take Metro to the Navy Yard Station or to drive and park free at RFK Stadium and take a shuttle to the new stadium.

I can drive to the West Falls Church or Vienna Metro stations. Parking at these stations for weekend and holiday games will not be a problem. However, I'm concerned that the parking garages at these stations will be filled by commuters' cars on weekday late afternoons when fans like myself are looking for parking.

Also, driving to Nats games at RFK over the past three years, I used the access road from the Southeast-Southwest Freeway directly into Lot 8. It is the most direct route to the stadium from the Virginia suburbs. Its use should be encouraged.

Harvey Hamel

Ashburn