RFK transit proposal skips new Metro station, focuses on upgrades

RFK transit proposal skips new Metro station, focuses on upgrades

Metro is proposing hundreds of millions in transit upgrades for the RFK Stadium site, including improvements at Stadium-Armory and a rapid bus line to Union Station. The plan does not include a new Metro station, though some officials had pushed for one. FOX 5 D.C.'s Bob Barnard has the latest. 

WASHINGTON - Metro is proposing hundreds of millions in transit upgrades for the RFK Stadium site, including major improvements at Stadium-Armory and a new rapid bus line to Union Station, according to the transit authority. 

The findings were released Tuesday as part of a new transit study examining how to handle crowds expected at a future NFL stadium and surrounding development planned for the RFK campus.

What we know:

The study estimates roughly $300 million to $400 million in infrastructure improvements would be needed to support the project and urges Metro leaders to move quickly on the recommendations.

Among the proposed upgrades are new escalators, elevators and stairs at the Stadium-Armory Metro station, along with expanded mezzanines and improvements to the station’s north entrance, according to the study.

The report also calls for dedicated bus lanes along Benning Road and H Street Northeast for a proposed new "Gold Line" bus rapid transit route linking the RFK campus with Union Station. Plans include a new transit center at the RFK site as part of the corridor.

No new Metro station 

What they're saying:

"It’s fast, it’s reliable, it’s frequent," D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen, chair of the council’s transportation committee, told FOX 5 D.C. "You’re going to see that it now connects the Red Line at Union Station with our Orange, Blue and Silver at Stadium-Armory. And that is a huge missing connection in our system."

Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Allen also pointed to transit access at Capital One Arena as a model for the stadium project.

"People take transit. That’s because we built transit, and we made sure it was a transit-accessible, first-and-foremost type of venue," Allen said. "You’ve got to build the transit first."

The current plans do not include a new Metro rail station at the RFK campus, an idea some officials had pushed for, official planning documents show.

Metro says a new station would cost billions of dollars, would be too complex to build and could not be completed before the target opening of the stadium in 2030.

Allen called that decision a "missed opportunity," arguing a new station could help drive long-term development similar to what happened around the NoMa-Gallaudet station area.

"I don’t think we should be thinking about the new station simply in the context of a stadium," Allen said. "It’s got to be bigger than that."

What's next:

The study’s findings are expected to be presented to the Metro Board on Thursday morning.