Navy Yard–Ballpark station

Navy Yard–Ballpark
Location	200 M Street SE Washington, DC 20003
Owned by	WMATA
Line(s)	Green Line
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Metrobus: A9, P6, V1, V4 DC Circulator MTA Maryland Commuter Bus OmniRide Commuter
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Bicycle facilities	12 racks
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	F05
History
Opened	December 28, 1991
Previous names	Navy Yard (1991–2011)
Traffic
Passengers (2015)	10569 daily [1]  0.52%
Services
Preceding station   Washington Metro   Following station Anacostia toward Branch Avenue Green Line Waterfront toward Greenbelt

Navy Yard–Ballpark is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C. on the Green Line. The station is located in the Navy Yard/Near Southeast neighborhood of Southeast, with entrances on M Street at Half Street and New Jersey Avenue.

Station layout

G	Street Level	Exit/ Entrance
M	Mezzanine	One-way faregates, ticket machines, station agent
P Platform level	Northbound	← Green Line toward Greenbelt (Waterfront)
	Island platform, doors will open on the left
	Southbound	→ Green Line toward Branch Avenue (Anacostia) →

Navy Yard–Ballpark uses the island platform layout with two tracks. Track F1 is used by trains to Greenbelt while Branch Avenue-bound trains use track F2.^[2]

History

A station serving the Navy Yard area existed in original plans for Metro; however, the routing of the Green Line below proved controversial. In 1976, the original routing was rejected as too costly and disruptive. A new study proposed a more westerly path which would move the Anacostia station west, replace the Good Hope Road station with one at Congress Heights, and terminate at a station (named "Rosecroft" in plans and Metro maps) near Brinkley Avenue and Rosecroft Drive in Fort Washington instead of Branch Avenue in Suitland. During December 1977 public hearings, this route was criticized as disserving poorer landowners in the area, but Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) approved the western route in 1980, scheduled to open in 1986. Supporters of the Branch Avenue route then took the case to the U.S. District Court.

New Jersey Avenue entrance to the Navy Yard–Ballpark Metro station

The court ruled in February 1981 that the 1977 hearings were invalid, as insufficient public notice had been given, and issued an injunction halting construction below the Waterfront station. New hearings were held in June 1982, but the court again ruled against WMATA in October 1983. A third set of hearings in July 1984 selected the present route, allowing construction to commence.^[3] Service to the station began on December 28, 1991, with the extension of the Green Line to Anacostia's station.

Naming

Navy Yard–Ballpark station after a Washington Nationals game

Originally named simply Navy Yard for the nearby Washington Navy Yard, the station was renamed Navy Yard–Ballpark on November 3, 2011, reflecting the 2008 opening of Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball team.^[4] The construction of the USDoT office complex and the US$600 million Nationals Park have spurred rapid growth in the neighborhood.^[5] Most of the neighborhood's land and businesses have been purchased by companies and is currently being developed into commercial and residential projects.^[6] The area plans to contain 12,000,000 to 15,000,000 square feet (1,400,000 m²) of office space, 9,000 residential units, 1,200 hospitality rooms, 800,000 square feet (74,000 m²) of retail space, four public parks, and an Anacostia Riverwalk trail system.^[7]

Nationals Park

Due to the construction of the Washington Nationals' new stadium and other building projects, the Navy Yard–Ballpark station underwent a major expansion to serve game-day crowds and expected increase in daily traffic from new residents and workers.^[8][9] WMATA announced that it carried 21,492 people to the inaugural game on March 31, 2008, over half the total crowd; it was considered a success.^[10]

Passengers exit the station near the park's center field entrance; the stadium's main entrance is on the other side of South Capitol Street, SE.

The Navy Yard station will also be used by D.C. United fans wishing to reach the team's new stadium, to be built a few blocks away from Nationals Park.

Location

The Navy Yard/Near Southeast neighborhood has been undergoing significant gentrification both residentially and commercially. Nationals Park is possibly the biggest catalyst for redevelopment at the present time and is only located one block south of the station with easy access using the Half Street, SE exit.^[11] The headquarters of the United States Department of Transportation (USDoT) are also near the station, across the street from the New Jersey Avenue, SE exit.^[11]

References

1. "Metrorail Average Weekday Passenger Boardings" (PDF). WMATA. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
2. Track Maps, by John R. Cambron, Retrieved September 11, 2008
3. Metrorail Branch Avenue Route Completion
4. "Station names updated for new map" (Press release). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 2011-11-03. Archived from the original on 2011-11-05. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
5. Contesting a Stadium's Power, by Dana Hedgpeth, The Washington Post, February 19, 2006
6. A Transformed Neighborhood Awaits New Stadium, The Washington Post, August 14, 2005
7. Capitol Riverfront BID - Neighborhood Dynamic
8. Monument Realty Ballpark District Projects
9. Riding Metro to the Washington Nationals Games, WMATA, Retrieved September 13, 2008
10. Metro carries more than 21,000 to the opening game at Nationals Park, WMATA, Retrieved September 14, 2008
11. Navy Yard station: Half and M Streets exit, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Retrieved January 23, 2009

External links

• WMATA: Navy Yard–Ballpark Station
• StationMasters Online: Navy Yard–Ballpark Station
• Half Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• New Jersey Avenue entrance from Google Map Street View

Coordinates: 38°52′36″N 77°00′16″W / 38.8766703°N 77.004523°W