Photo by afagen
The Washington Nationals will begin selling playoff tickets Friday, and their “magic number” for clinching a postseason berth down to three, the team’s chances of playing deep into October for the first time in its history are nearly a reality.
So, too, is the potential nightmare of figuring out how to keep Metrorail open late for Nationals fans leaving playoff games that end past the systems normal closing time. Ever since an August 20, when a game against the Atlanta Braves went 13 innings and stretched into the wee hours of August 21 and left departing fans stranded in Navy Yard, Nationals observers have worried about repeat episodes. The chances of another incident like that are much higher in the playoffs, when some games start as late as 8:37 p.m., all but guaranteeing a finish time after the Green Line’s weeknight cutoff of 11 p.m.
And though the Nationals continue to say they will not pay to keep the trains running at a cost of $29,500 an hour, with the average playoff game running more than three hours and 30 minutes, it is almost a certainty that some fans will be leaving Nationals Park after 11. Still, nothing material has been offered to put Metro-riding baseball fans at ease.
But Nationals season ticket holder and D.C. Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) says not to worry, because he is sure that Metro will stay open late when the Nationals’ playoff games run late. In an interview with The Washington Examiner, Evans said he is “working on it.”
“I am confident that Metro will be open if a game runs late and get everyone home,” Evans told the Examiner.
The Nationals, meanwhile, are no closer to offering to put up the money, the Examiner reports:
The team declined to say whether it would pay for late-night trains for the playoffs. “There are a number of parties involved in these discussions, and we are looking into all options, which is typical of any organization that is beginning to plan for a potentially large event that can positively impact the city,” Nationals spokeswoman Lara Potter said.
Evans, however, did not provide any specifics of how he plans to ensure that Metro stays open, let alone get the transit agency to reconfigure an extensive work schedule for that part of the Green Line that overlaps with the Nationals likely playoff schedule.
