D.C. Council approves up to $305 million for Metro and bus work tied to new stadium

The Council of the District of Columbia on Tuesday, Oct. 6, approved up to $305 million in transportation spending meant to move crowds to and from the planned Washington Commanders stadium at the former RFK Stadium site, according to the Council’s own summary of the meeting and reporting by NBC4 and WJLA.

Both measures passed as emergency legislation, WJLA reported. The package has two parts. Up to $300 million will go to Metro to add capacity at the Stadium-Armory station, with work planned at the street, mezzanine and platform levels. A separate $5 million will pay for planning, environmental review and community outreach for the first phase of a proposed bus rapid transit route that officials call the Gold Line.

Why the station needs work

As NBC4 reported, the station today has a single elevator, located at the end of the platform farthest from the stadium site, and its entrance on the stadium side has three escalators. The station overhaul could involve a new entrance and new escalators, the station reported.

The new stadium, planned with nearly 65,000 seats, is expected to open for the 2030 NFL season, according to WJLA. The District agreed to pay for transportation improvements as part of the deal that is bringing the team back to the city from Prince George’s County, and Metro is overseeing the projects, WJLA reported.

The Gold Line

The planned bus line would initially run between Union Station and the stadium along H Street and Benning Road. The Council’s summary says the route could later be extended east along Benning Road and west beyond Union Station. The $5 million approved this month covers study and design only, not construction. Because the line’s full cost is not yet known, WJLA reported, the Council will likely be asked for more money later.

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, who chairs the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, backed the funding. He has argued that the bus line should run in dedicated lanes down the center of the street so it does not get stuck in traffic, as the now-closed D.C. Streetcar often did. Allen told WJLA that work on the station needs to start soon to be ready for the 2030 season.

Metro said it appreciated the Council’s support; it told WJLA it is focused on securing construction funding.

Questions about cost

Neither NBC4 nor WJLA reported organized opposition on the dais, and neither outlet reported a vote tally. NBC4 noted that the possibility of cost overruns did not appear to come up during the discussion. A sports economist interviewed by the station questioned whether the money would do more good elsewhere.

What comes next

Metro must now move from planning to design and construction at Stadium-Armory, which Allen has described as a complex job. Final design of the Gold Line’s first phase will continue, and any construction money for the bus line will require future action by the Council.