October 9, 2007
Should We Rename the Navy Yard Metro Stop?
WTOP's Adam Tuss asks an important question: When the new Nationals stadium opens in the spring, fans will head to the Navy Yard stop on the Green line -- even though the Stadium-Armory station on the Orange and Blue lines will be the only stop with the word "stadium" in it. Couldn't there be a lot of confusion on game days?
Apparently, WMATA hadn't thought of this until Tuss asked them about it. It does seem like it would be a good idea to rename the Navy Yard stop to indicate that it's where the Nationals stadium is -- though it would be pretty funny to watch visiting teams' fans end up at RFK. The main obstacle, of course, is cost: it runs the city about $200,000 to replace all of their signs and maps.
Do you think it's worth it to change the name of the Navy Yard stop?
Photo by {ryan}
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I say we wait until Eastern Motors gets the naming rights for the stadium and then make them pay for the signage change to Navy Yard-Your Job's Your Credit Field Station.
Simple Solution, have the Navy buy the stadium naming rights and name the stadium Navy Yard.
Or,
Make it “Blankity Blank Stadium at Navy Yard”
I think we should rename the area. There is so much new development down there, both commercial and residential. Navy Yard no longer seems an appropriate name to me.
Nobody mention this to Jim Graham, else he'll do a U Street number on it and go crazy with the slashes. Something like Navy Yard/Nationals Stadium/Historic Gay Bathhouse District.
Nobody mention this to Jim Graham, else he'll do a U Street number on it and go crazy with the slashes. Something like Navy Yard/Nationals Stadium/Historic Gay Bathhouse District.
As funny as it would be to have folks end up at an empty RFK, its a good way to make them swear off taking metro if it happens. The mistake would most costly for fans in the region who opt not to deal with the hassle of traffic and parking. Out-of-towners are usually coming by car anyways right?
On that note, we must change Stadium-Armory to RFK Stadium-Armory. We must prevent clueless tourists from their own incompetence.
I have always been a proponent of Metro stations having just one name. U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo? Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter?
"I say we meet at the U St. metro."
"No, I think Cardozo is actually closer."
These multiple names only make things more confusing. We should decide on one and go with it.
The Navy Yard was here first. The name should stay. I feel like it would be disrespectful to change the name just for the sake of sports fans.
(Disclaimer: I work for the Navy and hate baseball)
Agreed with “Blankity Blank Stadium at Navy Yard”
or how about Navy Yard/[Name] Stadium
On a similar note, all the maps at street level around the Chinatown/Gallery Place metro stop are several years old. The Convention Center is shown in the old location, not the new one. I assume this is an issue in many neighborhoods that are quickly changing.
Might be time for an * or all-around signage upgrade throughout the city.
These Metro names are getting as long as German words. They're already too Zusammensetzung-y for my tastes.
Navy Yard - Ballpark
Easy, still just three words, and doesn't need to be changed every two years when the company the buys the naming rights to the stadium gets bought.
Historically, I nearly flipped my lid when Washington National Airport was renamed Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport AND the metro station was renamed. Now truly how many national airports are there in this area?
I understand there are more idiots in the world than when I was young, but do we have to spoonfeed and dumb down every thing? I say keep it Navy Yards and at some point the yo-yo's will figure out where the stadium is.
p.s. so exactly where is the U Street metro station?!?!?!
Beyond,
Instead of word why not symbols next to the name of the stop:
Navy Yard- A Baseball
Gallery Place-Basketball/Hockystick
Stadium Armory-Soccer ball
Landover- Football or a diminutive power hunger man pick pocketing you while spending the money on overprice over the hill talent.
"These multiple names only make things more confusing. We should decide on one and go with it."
Agreed. The U Street station name reflects politics run amok. The African-American Civil War Museum is a great cultural resource in DC, but a major destination?
Hardly.
The name should be left alone. People will figure it out.
Navy Yard-Boondoggle Station fits perfectly.
Damn you, Reid! Now I can't get their jingle out of my head!
I hate baseball.
We renamed National Airport at the same expense, and nobody would have ever wondered which stop the airport was. That was just arrogance. This could genuinely be confusing. I say rename it.
The renaming of the airport was directed by congress somehow or another. I vaguely recall it was reported as a little blackmail number like rename-the-airport-station/stop-or-we'll-withhold-funding.
If the Navy Yard stop is renamed, the project cost can be underwritten by firing the numbskulls at WMATA who should have thought of this long ago.
Navy Yard is a good name. Do not change or append. It has character, and reflects the area's history.
For the love of God, don't let WMATA turn it into another superlong hyphenated monstrosity like USt/AACWM/C. Most recently they ruined the NY Ave station before it even opened by renaming it NY Ave/Florida Ave/Gallaudet U - blech.
A short name helps everyone, especially newcomers trying to read maps and follow the advice of their concierge.
Stations can still post local attractions in a smaller font below the name of the station, and the conductor can easily rattle off more info as they pull into the station. Like "Next stop: Navy Yard, home of the Washington Nationals baseball stadium."
Keep the Navy Yard name. It's the neighborhood and could be a great brand to promote for the area...just let's try not to copy cat our other neighbors by using (Company) Field at the Navy Yard....ring any bells? Try Oriole (sp?) Park at Camden Yards. I think maybe just a Navy Yard - Ballpark would suffice and phase it in as we print new maps and things, naturally go with the changes... and have the station signage at the navy yard station changed as part of the upgrades they are doing anyway... and change other signs as they need to be replaced usign the announcers to fill the gaps with a next stop is Navy Yard, home of the ball park. Just my two cents...
RJ, perfect suggestion - why not just a simple icon next to the station name on the map for the pro teams? It could even be added without too much expense, it would seem to me, with a sticker attached now.
Step 1. Think of someone black, preferably someone really obscure.
Step 2. Find the nearest business or museum catering to a minority group.
Step 3. Pick any other obscure landmark.
4. Connect the 3 with Hyphens.
You have your metro stop!
Racism is funny!
KR in DC-- it's not the African American Civil War Museum, but Memorial that's in the title of the U Street station name, which is the memorial at the corner of 10th and U. I think they were trying to make it a destination, like the Vietnam Memorial. How well it's worked is up for debate.
http://wdcist.nbdinz.com/issues/22_02/metroofficialsr.html