The Washington Nationals are back in the District with a chance to clinch the franchise’s first World Series title, and they’re bringing with them a whole lot of traffic around Nationals Park.
The three games are set for 8:07 p.m., on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Gates open at Nationals Park 2½ hours before the first pitch. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s office is encouraging fans to take Metro to the games, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Metro’s operating authority, will keep the Navy Yard-Ballpark Station open for 20 minutes after the end of the game with exclusively outbound trains.
For Games 3 and 4, those extensions might not apply, depending on how long the games run. Metro closes at 1 a.m., on Friday and Saturday nights. World Series games can take a long time — Game 2 in Houston lasted nearly four hours — but likely not long enough for Metro to extend service hours beyond 1 o’clock.
Sunday, though, Metro closes at 11 p.m., and Game 5 (played only if necessary) will probably last beyond that time, kicking the Metro service extension into effect.
Customers heading to Yellow, Blue, Orange or Silver line stations should transfer at L’Enfant Plaza. Customers transferring to the Red Line should transfer at Gallery Place.
Riders in line for a train within 20 minutes of the conclusion of a game will be permitted to board a train, according to a statement from the mayor’s office.
Fans driving to the game should secure a parking pass for a stadium parking garage or another facility nearby. Street parking is exceptionally limited and cars parked illegally on neighborhood streets may be ticketed or towed.
Police will restrict left turns at several locations on M Street and will not permit turns at the intersection of M and South Capital streets.
M Street traffic will be directed east to the 11th Street bridge or west to I-395. South Capitol Street drivers will be sent north to I-395 or south to I-295 or Suitland Parkway.
N Street will be closed from First Street to Van Street. Half Street will be closed from M Street to N Street.
Fans using ride-hailing services should request pickup at K and L streets, not M Street.
Bicyclists should have more flexibility around the ballpark. Capital Bikeshare staff will have a corral at N and First streets to check in bikes two hours before the game begins and to distribute bikes up to 30 minutes after the game concludes.
Nationals Park also offers a free bicycle valet at Garage C at the corner of N and First streets accessible two hours before first pitch and one hour after the game ends.
Read more World Series coverage:
Barry Svrluga: The Nationals are meeting the World Series moment, and the Astros are shrinking from it
Thomas Boswell: The Nationals’ bats won Game 2, but it was Stephen Strasburg’s grit that set the stage