Get to Camden Yards Without a Car By Gene Park Special to washingtonpost.com Thursday, August 1, 2002

	Make a pitch for public transportation. (Photo by Heather Hall/AFP)
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While Oriole Park is a hit, there's still the problem of actually getting to it. Baseball fans in the District as well as Northern Virginia have to navigate through local traffic at rush hour before spending 45 minutes on congested Interstate 95. And all of this comes before whatever parking troubles and related expenses await the driver. Then there's leaving the park after the game.

But there is a way to get to Camden Yards without a car. The solution is by no means a quick route, but it is affordable and comfortably sidesteps all the driving-to-Baltimore-and-back difficulties.

For weekday games, the Maryland Transit Authority's public commuter rail, the MARC, transports passengers from Gate A at Union Station to Camden Yards down the Camden Line on its normal route. Weekday games at Oriole Park always begin at 7:05 p.m. Since the travel time between Union Station and Camden Station on the MARC is typically between 60 and 70 minutes, it's a good idea to leave Washington an hour and a half before the game starts. Currently, the MARC departs Union Station in the afternoon at 4:13, 4:39, 5:18 and 5:51. Hopping the train at 5:18 should allow just enough time for fans to comfortably find their seats and buy a hot dog and beer. The stadium is visible from Camden Station, right across the street.

Unfortunately, the last train to Union Station leaves Camden Yards at 6:30 p.m.; there is no train that runs back to Washington after the game. The only forms of public transportation available are the 701 MTA buses that travel to the MARC station in Savage, the Greenbelt Metro station and Union Station. No prior reservations are necessary to board one of the three buses. Located on the stadium's parking lot facing Howard Street and the train station, the buses leave 20 minutes after the game ends. The bus drivers always know when to depart because apparently the job's biggest perk is a free seat at Oriole Park.

The bus seats are about as cushy as those on a Metrobus, fine for the 50-minute ride on I-95. Just like at the games in Oriole Park, the Washington contingent that rides the bus is made up of mostly casual fans, as opposed to O's fanatics. So it's safe for a tourist to ride the bus and have a conversation with a local without knowing who Tony Batista and Scott Erickson are.

Cost: The one-way trip from Union Station to Camden Station is $5.75. With a valid MARC ticket, customers can ride the 701 bus back to Washington for free. Without a MARC ticket, the ride costs $5 and requires exact change.

For weekend games, the only choice is to take the 703 MTA buses that leave the Greenbelt Metro station. As you exit the Metro train platform, the buses to Camden Yards are to your right, near the Kiss-and-Ride area in front of the station. Three buses leave Greenbelt one, one-and-a-half and two hours before the game starts. They travel directly to the parking lot of Oriole Park on the Howard Street side near the MARC station.

Weekend games tend to attract more crowds, and the MTA buses traveling to a recent Sunday afternoon game filled every seat; but no one had to stand.

Passengers can also take the same buses back to Greenbelt Metro Station. Similar to the weekday rides, the buses depart the stadium 20 minutes after the game is over.

Cost: A round-trip ticket on the 703 bus is $9. Exact fare is required.