INTRODUCTION Other Transportation Documents This report is a TMP (Transportation Management Plan) for the This TMP is just one of several transportation new DC United Stadium in the Buzzard Point neighborhood of efforts/reports that will be performed for the new DC Washington, D.C. This TMP was prepared in coordination with a United Stadium. Other efforts will include a partnership between the District of Columbia government, Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) presented via an including the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT), and Environmental Mitigation Study (EMS) and a the ownership of the DC United professional soccer club. Transportation Operations Plan (TOP). This TMP document is a planning-level report that summarizes The TIA will contain a detailed technical review of the travel characteristics of Stadium patrons, reviews intersection capacity, as well as impacts to other modes of travel on game-days. It is intended to identify comparable stadiums, and outlines recommendations for each the amount of additional transportation activity mode of transportation for accommodating game-day expected during game-days and will recommend transportation needs. It is intended to be the guiding document mitigation measures to alleviate concerns. This will be that outlines transportation strategies that other included in the EMS for the new Stadium. This TMP transportation efforts and actions follow. As such, it will be document will be coordinated with the TIA by providing updated several times prior to the expected inaugural season in information on patron travel characteristics and strategies to manage demand. 2017. The TOP, prepared closer to the stadium’s opening, This report is written assuming that the new DC United Stadium acts as an operations “how to” manual. It details will accommodate 20,000 patrons, although the Stadium has special measures on game days, including signs, special yet to be designed; current estimates of the Stadium’s capacity traffic operations, and traffic control officer locations range from 18,000 to 20,000. In addition, this study assumes and duties. It is a detailed list of operational measures the Stadium begins operations in the Spring of 2017, in time for that happen on game-days. The TOP is intended to be a the Major League Soccer (MLS) season. Overall, this study aims living document, so it always reflects current Stadium conditions. As future projects and developments, such to provide all patrons with a positive game-day experience by as the South Capitol Street improvements are minimizing vehicular impacts, promoting transit as an attractive completed and future transit service is added, the TOP mode of transportation, and providing a safe and effective bike will be revised to reflect the changes to the area. In and pedestrian environment, all while minimizing the impacts addition, transportation operations at the new Stadium to surrounding neighborhoods. will be monitored by DDOT and DC United over the first several seasons and changes will be made to the TOP This TMP is broken into the following sections: based on these findings. Site Review: This section reviews the site location, In addition to the transportation documents prepared specifically for the DC United Stadium, the District identifying the advantages and disadvantages it offers. recently completed the SE/SW Special Events Study, Included in this section is a list of planned developments which reviewed the long-term impacts of the new and District infrastructure projects in the area, as well as soccer stadium in conjunction with other large event projected site conditions in 2017 and beyond. venues (Nationals Park and Wharf Hall) for the year Comparables Review: This section provides background on 2035. The Study found that if there were simultaneous Major League Soccer (MLS) and the other stadium facilities events on weeknights at all of the venues, the throughout the league. It contains a list of MLS stadia roadways and transit systems would be over capacity. However, if events were to occur individually they transportation features and draws conclusions on how would generate a manageable amount of elements from these venues could be brought to the DC transportation activity with the use of Traffic Control United Stadium. Officer (TCOs) stationed at critical intersections. Event Patron Profile: This section reviews existing data from soccer games at RFK and the proposed list of events at the new Stadium. Using the data, this section also 1 derives a projected game-day travel profile for the new These existing facilities can aid significantly in accommodating Stadium. These projections will drive the development of patrons of the new Stadium. solutions to accommodate patrons by mode. Also incorporated into this section is a review of how often SITE CONCERNS soccer and baseball games overlapped between RFK and Although Buzzard Point has quality regional transportation Nationals’ Park in the last few seasons. access, reaching the proposed site within Buzzard Point is not Management Plan Concepts: This section reviews each as direct. Figure 2 summarizes some concerns regarding the mode of travel and presents solutions to accommodate site. demand on game-days. Recommendations are split between high- and low-priority, and within three First, the roadways in the area south of M Street SW and west categories: (1) infrastructure, (2) operations, and (3) of South Capitol Street have been developed in a manner that marketing. The section begins with a discussion of general deters traffic from entering. These traffic measures include strategies that overarch each mode and then provides signs indicating that only local traffic should enter the area sections on parking, vehicular routing, transit, pedestrian, from the north and prohibiting left turns while traveling and bicycles. northbound on South Capitol Street. The objectives of these Marketing Opportunities: This section summarizes all of deterrents are to protect the residential community that exists the marketing recommendations presented so far and north of the proposed site and minimize cut-through traffic identifies opportunities to work with new technologies, from regional commuters. including tablet/phone apps and website strategies. Next Steps and Implementation: The TMP ends with a Approach and departure routes to parking locations will need summary of thoughts on how each of the strategies to be planned carefully to minimize disruptions to the contained within this report should be implemented over residential community. This will become less difficult once the next several years. Site Review construction of the proposed South Capitol Street and Potomac Avenue traffic oval is completed (details presented below), as This section reviews the site location, identifying the that will become a proper gateway to the Buzzard Point site advantages and disadvantages it offers. Included in this section that does not require travel through the residential community. is a list of planned developments and District infrastructure In addition, the Navy Yard Metrorail Station is the preferred projects in the area. This section also projects site conditions in transit portal because walking routes between the Waterfront 2017 and beyond. Metrorail station and the proposed site will be primarily along residential streets. EXISTING FEATURES Several major transportation facilities surround Buzzard Point, Second, the major transportation features in near providing many high quality connections between the site area Southeast/Southwest, such as the parking lots serving and regional destinations. Figure 1 contains a summary of Nationals’ Park and the Metrorail station portals, are mostly these facilities. These include the Navy Yard and Waterfront within a 10-15 minute walk from the proposed site, about 5 Metrorail stations, served by the Green Line, and several minutes longer than the walk between RFK and the highways, such as the SE/SW Freeway, I-395, I-295, and Stadium/Armory Metrorail station. A significant proportion of Suitland Parkway. Through these facilities, Buzzard Point is event patrons can and will walk these distances, but in order to regionally accessible and has many of the positive benefits of a provide a quality game-day experience, it will be necessary to centralized urban location. implement operational solutions to improve accessibility to the Stadium. Walking routes across South Capitol Street will need In addition to these facilities, the location of the Stadium within to be reviewed to ensure pedestrians can safely and easily an urban setting and the proximity of Nationals’ Park provide make the crossings before and after events. Finally, helping several advantages. Notably, (1) the improvements to the Navy create a pedestrian-friendly walking route, with a quality arrival Yard Metrorail portal that allow for greater flow of riders in and sequence to the Stadium, can help reduce the perceived out of the station on game days and (2) the numerous parking walking time. lots that serve office space and/or events at Nationals’ Park. 2 Figure 1: Major Transportation Facilities 3 Figure 2: Summary of Concerns 4 BUZZARD POINT BACKGROUND the vision on the opposite side of South Capitol Street. In the The area known as Buzzard Point is generally considered to be past 10 years, there has been significant interest in the District bordered by M Street SW to the north, South Capitol Street to regarding major office tenants or mixed-use development the east, the Anacostia