Good morning, everyone.

My name's Charles Allen.

I'm the Ward 6 Council Member and Chair of the Council's Committee on Transportation and the Environment.

Today I am excited to be joined by my award 7 colleague, Councilor Wendell Felder, who also chairs the subcommittee on small and local business development, and we are co-chairing today's hearing.

Today is Wednesday, July 1st, 2026, and the committees are meeting in room 412 of the John A.

Wilson building as well as over the Zoom virtual platform.

The time is now 10 09 a.m.

and I'm calling to order this joint public oversight round table of the committees.

The topic of today's round table is transit planning for the RFK campus redevelopment.

This is the second round table held on this topic as the Committee on Transportation and the Environment held a round table on the same topic on December 17, 2025.

For background, on September 17, 2025, the council gave final approval to the development financing agreement governing the RFK campus redevelopment project.

That agreement paves the way for the construction of a multipurpose stadium with seating for nearly 65,000 attendees.

While the stadium will primarily serve as the home venue for the Washington Commanders football team, the stadium will also be used to host other events throughout the year.

The planned development includes five to six thousand new homes as well as several hotels, with some estimating that nearly 20,000 people will ultimately reside on this campus.

In short, the stadium deal and the accompanying housing, commercial, and recreational development represents one of the most ambitious public-private partnerships in DC history.

The stadium and the surrounding development will have significant impact on the transportation needs and travel patterns near the stadium across the district and throughout the region.

Whether residents and visitors plan to travel to and from the stadium by public transit, personal vehicle, or active transportation modes, the district must plan for increased demand for transportation resulting from the stadium redevelopment to provide equitable and accessible transportation options for all residents and visitors.

As part of the financing agreement, the district will contribute over $350 million to support the construction of two parking garages.

Through those planning efforts, Wamada has identified upgrades to the existing Stadium Army Metro Station as is as its preferred path to accommodate increased travel demand resulting from the redevelopment rather than pursuing the construction of a new infill station closer to the stadium.

During the FY27 budget process, the council allocated 300 million dollars across the capital improvement plan to expand capacity at Stadium Armory Metro Station.

The council also approved a total of 5.2 million for the development of a crosstown bus route, which Wamada has tentatively branded as the gold line.

While the initial $2 million proposed by the mayor supported the development of a crosstown bus route planning that would connect Union Station and the RFK campus, the council identified an additional $3.2 million to extend that planning process for a route that would go further east to the Bending Road Metro Station and further west past Union Station.

The committees are convening this round table to hear from representatives from the Executive, Wamata, and the Washington Commanders about how they are working together to ensure the district is ready for the increased transportation needs resulting from the RFK campus redevelopment.

I'm hoping to learn more about the anticipated scope of the newly announced gold line, that timeline and cost for upgrades to the Stadium Armory Metro Station, on-site parking and transportation planning, and plans for a transit center to be cited on Kingman Island.

We had invited uh representatives to come join us for this round table.

Members of the public are able to submit written testimony if they'd like using the council's hearing management system at Limbs.dc Council.gov backslash hearings.

Before I turn to my co-chair, let me just make sure folks know.

We had invited Randy Clark, CEO and General Manager of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Ryan Hanlan, the RFK campus project executive, Sharon Kirschbaum, the director of the District Department of Transportation, and Kirta Meta, the Vice President of Public Affairs of the Washington Commanders.

We were told this morning that Director Hanlon was uh directed not to come to the hearing.

I am deeply disappointed in that, and having the project manager be able to help answer questions would be incredibly helpful.

Uh so I am a bit of a loss at words as to why our project lead would be told not to come to a hearing.

But I know that we'll be able to cover a lot of ground with the witnesses that are here, but it's deeply disappointing and disturbing that the executive would not have the project manager show up to a hearing on their project.

Uh but let me turn to my co-chair for an opening statement.

I want to note we've been joined by Councilmember Christina Henderson as well, and I believe we have other colleagues that will be joining us throughout the day, and we'll certainly turn to them for opening statements too.

Mr.

Coachair.

Good morning, everyone.

Thank you, Chairperson Allen, for your partnership and for co-hosting this morning's joint round table on transit planning for the RFK redevelopment.

Uh Director Kirschbaum, Mr.

Matter, and General Manager Clark is always good to see each and every one of you.

Today's hearing is much uh is about much more than roads, buses, or metro services.

It's about weather one of the largest redevelopment projects in the district's history is designed to move people safely, efficiently, and sustainably while protecting the neighborhoods that surrounds it.

Simply put, transportation will be one of the most deciding factors in whether this redevelopment succeeds.

Now, as the chair of the subcommittee on local business development, which oversees the redevelopment of the RFK campus, my responsibility is to help ensure that this transformative project serves district residents, support economic growth, and reflect responsible stewardships of public dollars.

As I approach this project, I have three primary goals.

First, we must protect the quality of life of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Redevelopment should improve the lives of residents, not create new burdens through avoidable traffic congestion or poor planning.

Second, I want to ensure that this project is truly transit oriented from the very beginning, not simply a stadium surrounded by transportation improvements, but a project whose design operations and investments are built around moving people efficiently through multiple transportation options.

Third, I want to ensure that this project is delivered on time and on budget.

Those priorities bring us to why we're here today.

Over the past several months, there has been significant work underway.

The Washington Commanders have conducted studies on how fans will travel to and from the stadium.

DDOT is evaluating roadways, bicycle, pedestrian and transit improvements.

Wamada is evaluating how the existing metro rail and metro bus system, including Stadium Armory Station and the surrounding stations can accommodate significant events, day travel demand, and other partners like the Office of Planning are mapping out land use design that are incorporated that also incorporate transportation and environmental concerns.

While I appreciate all of those individual efforts, I have not yet to see how all those efforts fit together.

Instead, it looks like transportation planning appears to be happening across multiple organizations and multiple projects.

What I believe is currently missing is a single comprehensive master transportation plan that ties all of those efforts together.

The master transportation plan should clearly identify every transportation project associated with the redevelopment.

Explain how each of the projects connect to one another, establish implementation timelines, clarify funding responsibilities, explain how agencies will coordinate their work and demonstrate how the entire transportation network will help move people safely and effectively before, during, and after major events.

Without the level of coordination and integration, we risk making significant investments that function independently rather than as one integrated transportation system.

That is why today's discussion is so important.

My hope is that we leave today's hearing with a greater understanding of how our agencies are coordinating.

My expectation is that this hearing begins a broader conversation about developing a unified transportation strategy for the entire RFK campus, because here's the truth people will not judge this redevelopment simply by the stadium that's being built.

They will judge it by whether they can get there safely, efficiently, and reliable, and whether the surrounding neighborhoods remain in place where residents can comfortably comfortably live, work, and travel.

As someone who lives in the neighborhood uh bordering the RFK campus, I understand many of the concerns raised by residents.

In fact, over the past several months, my office has heard from more than 1,000 residents throughout surveys, public meetings, neighborhood conversations, and stakeholder discussions.

And what we heard loud and clear is that transportation is one of the community's highest priorities.

Residents have expressed concerns about increased traffic congestion, cut through traffic on residential streets, neighborhood parking, over spillover, pedestrian safety, public uh parking garages, uh rider share operations, emergency vehicle access, uh bicycle access, and ensuring that residents can still get in and out of their own neighborhoods during major events.

And just to be clear, these are not concerns raised by people who oppose redevelopment.

They are concerns raised by people who want redevelopment done correctly.

Uh, they want a transportation system that works for visitors without disrupting the daily lives of the people who call those neighborhoods home, and that requires us to plan beyond the borders of the RFK campus.

Uh let me paint a picture in another way.

We are discussing a stadium expected to see approximately 65,000 people, while roughly 8,000 on uh site parking, transportation studies and recommendations modeled off the premise that the majority of the attendees will be using stadium armory, metro station, buses, rider shift services, and shuttle services to get to and from the stadium.

But let's face it, people will not always behave the way the models predict, they will behave the way people do, and that includes seeking ways to avoid large crowds and traffic.

Many visitors, including myself, will naturally search for alternative ways to access the site.

Those other alternatives will include using nearby metro stations such as Venn Road, Minnesota Avenue, and Capitol Heights.

They will use scooters and e-bikes, they will use surrounding park trails and get off of Pennsylvania Avenue and down Minnesota Avenue to get to the stadium.

Those realities should be incorporated into this planning and our investments, which means understanding how people will move through the entire transportation ecosystem, not only within RFK, but also across surrounding neighborhoods, metro stations, sidewalks, bike trails, uh river crossing, and uh ride share options.

If we truly intend for this to be a transit first development, then transit cannot merely um accommodate the project.

Transit must lead the project.

It means we must be intentional about creating safe and attractive pedestrian connections across the Anacostia River, improving access to the Anacosia Trail, supporting bike infrastructure, planning for water transportation opportunities where appropriate, and ensuring flexibility for future transportation technologies that may emerge in the coming decades.

It also means recognizing that this redevelopment represents far more than just a football stadium.

It is an opportunity to reconnect neighborhoods, improve transit mobility, expand access to parks and the Anacostia River, strengthen economic opportunities, and create a model for sustainable urban development that serves residents for generations to come.

The transportation decisions that we make today will shape our future.

So thank you again to all of you for being here.

I know this was a long-winded uh opening remarks, but this is a major project.

And uh before I pass it back to the chairman, I also want to go on record to of sharing my um disappointment when not having the PMO here to answer questions as well.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you very much.

Mr.

Coachair, let me turn to Council Mr.

Henderson for an opening statement.

Um thank you.

Um I don't have a prepared remarks.

I want to get to the conversation.

Um I'll just say the offset when um this project was first proposed, um, and I met with the commanders, I met with the NFL, we talked about how this needed to be a transit first oriented project because for many DC residents who attend our concerts, our sporting events, etc.

Um, already uh we are predisposed to figuring out um what is the car-free quickest um and hassle-free way to get in and out of a particular area that we know is going to have large crowds.

Um, and transit is part of that.

But as Councilmember Felder said, that's not just transit, it's biking, it's scooting, um, variety of different modes of transit.

Um, and frankly, for our not just for the stadium, but for the entire campus design, um, which a little bit of that has been rolled out in terms of the master plan with the apartments, the retail, the hotels, etc.

What we do on the transit side really matters to making this whole project tick and tick well in terms of the ease of access because we know that a lot of folks will avoid an area if they believe that it is not easy for them to get around.

Um, it's not easy for them to park, it's not easy for them to access what they're looking for.

Um so I'm excited and and glad that the chairman is holding this hearing that we can have these early check-ins as the project progresses.

Um, so look forward to hearing um plans in progress.

Thank you.

Excellent.

Thank you very much.

Uh, I do expect we might have a few other colleagues that are gonna join us throughout the day, and so we certainly welcome them to come in.

But right now we're gonna turn to our witnesses.

We have Randy Clark, who is the general manager of our Metro system, Wamata.

We have Kirta Meta, who is with the commanders, and we have Sharon Kirschbaum is our director of Department of Transportation.

What I might do from an order perspective is have General Manager Clark testify first, then Director Kirschbaum, then Mr.

Meta if that works for everybody.

Okay.

And then I know uh we have a couple extra folks that are at the table uh to help with technical answers, and so please uh just introduce them so they're on the record as well.

But uh Mr.

Clark, welcome, then I'll turn it over to you.

There we go.

Uh good morning.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman and Council members.

Uh great to be with you as always, uh super important topic.

Uh remind everyone to stay cool on metro air conditioning uh over the next few days.

Uh it's gonna be it's gonna be uh quite a week to to get through.

So uh you are I do have a few people with me.

I want to mention uh most people know Alison Davis sitting uh to my right.

She's our senior vice president of planning and program development.

Also want to mention that Katie Crystal, who is our head of government affairs and Ann Chisholm, who is our DC government affairs lead, are both with me as well.

Most people uh know uh Katie and Ann as well.

Uh, want to start and just really first say uh thank you for your recent work on the budget and uh the partnership with Metro, specifically around the the bus service topic.

Um while it's only seemingly only quote unquote a few million, it actually is very meaningful uh funding to ensure that we can deliver better bus service for DC residents on a daily basis.

So thank you for that.

Uh wanna also kind of acknowledge that the overall budget still looks after many of normal metro contributions and really look forward to working with the council um and the next mayor on DMV moves to try to finalize our DV moves uh funding and Chair Allen.

I know you know, really appreciate your leadership on that.

I think uh just for edification for the public at large and council, uh Virginia budget did take care of their portion of the DMB moves uh funding last uh week, and we have received a letter from Maryland from the speaker and the Senate president confirming that next year they will be looking after their portion of the DMB move funding.

So very much look forward to the next DC uh budget cycle to confirming that and ensuring that we don't uh go backwards on our capital state of good repair and safety uh programs.

Uh, want to also acknowledge the great work that you all did in relation to the RFK program uh as well, having this level of funding.

Um, you know, and this has been, I think we're all fair to say we're moving at a quick pace.

Um, and I really appreciate working with you all, uh, Chair Mendelssohn and uh obviously just such great partners here with our district uh partners, uh the mayor's office, city administrator, can't say enough about the collaboration always with our DDoW partner, not just on this topic, but on a daily basis.

Sometimes uh DDOT would probably love for us not to want so many things.

Uh, but uh uh Sharon and her team are just great partners, and I'm not gonna miss a moment to uh to thank her.

Uh regarding this program, uh, you know, it's great to see the excitement about the master plan that came out yesterday.

Um our team uh has been briefed on all that and coordinated on all that.

Um obviously the job's not done.

That's kind of in many ways the start in many ways, uh, but we're really excited about working with the district uh and the commanders on that.

We've had great conversations at executive level and the commanders and obviously uh with the district as well.

Um I think all of you highlighted this is a transit first, not only stadium, but uh addition to our community.

We're very excited about that.

It is transformational what could happen down there, and we remind everyone how it looks today was not how it will look.

And so everything from how how long a walk seems today will be dramatically different, how a walk will experience later.

Um, you know, we expect up to 38,000 people a day, or sorry, 38,000 people for an event could use Metro.

Just to give some context on that, that's like, you know, up to three NATS games, you know, all leaving at the same time.

And so, you know, for us, that is a serious amount of planning that we have to work through.

I will say we're very confident in our ability to move a lot of people.

It's what we perform really well at.

July 4th this week will be another good example.

Last weekend, Pride, very busy day.

We had our UFC match not too long ago.

We have an IndyCar race coming up in next month, which we probably expect maybe even bigger than the fourth in many ways.

This is what we do, and we do it really well.

What we need to work on is the collaboration, really about the surface level movement of pedestrians to flow into the station.

That's our number one thing that we need to work on, and Alison's team has taken the lead working commanders there in the district and the master development planning.

How people queue up, move is going to be very important for the safety and the overall experience of that.

The other thing I want to highlight here is while $300 million is a very significant amount of money.

And I think you all are very aware, but August 2030 for us is around the corner.

And one, it we have to do a public procurement.

First, we got to do design.

Well, actually, take it back.

First, we need to do an MOU, which we'll talk about in a second.

We got to get our design done.

Then we got to procure, then we got to do construction, and then we got to do safety certification and integration testing.

And we have to do that while our station remains open as possible because we have three metro lines go through there, and we average somewhere about a train every three and a half minutes during rush hour in each direction.

So we also have lots of other regional projects that, depending on where you're on the region, is also a priority.

We have a second entrance project at Balston.

We have a second entrance to Crystal City, we have a second entrance to Bethesda with a purple line integration.

We have a red line modernization project that's gonna transform the whole red line, and I can go on and on, and all of those have to get scheduled.

We also cannot do outages during big events like July 4th, like inauguration, like cherry blossoms, like homecomings, and on and on and on.

So our weekend windows and actual durations to do heavy construction are very limited.

We are actually going to be publishing a schedule uh probably in another month about our next year full look ahead.

We are into a five-year planning window right now of where we could slot all of these things.

So this is a big priority I know for the district.

Uh, it is a big priority for us, but it also the earlier we can get coordinated and organized around the constructibility, every one of the months at the front end causes pretty uh big deal on getting this accurate at the end or having a big problem at the end.

Because we just can't, we cannot do shutdowns as a good example during cherry blossom for this project.

I think everyone would understand that.

So uh all of this is organizing.

The last comment I make really is about the gold line.

Um I think it's pretty clear everyone is is aligned around the station improvements that need to happen.

Um, you know, and a lot of people probably wish it was a little less money, so do we.

It's just this is the reality of construction costs in the United States today for a variety of reasons.

It's not about transit, it's just everything.

Uh, but I can't say enough about the gold line.

Uh one, this has been talked about in this community for a long, long time.

Uh the streetcar attempted to solve this problem.

Um, and obviously with the shutdown, I think it's fair to say it didn't hit the mark totally, regardless of good intent.

Uh, we need to move a lot of people on H Street to this facility, especially during game and events, or we're gonna have some serious bottlenecks inside of the rail network.

And I the example I want to give is really about union station to the RFK campus.

While we want to have this as a full dedicated uh bus rapid transit across the entire district, ultimately from Roslin, probably to Minnesota and Benning, which is being called for, by the way, in the DMB moves task force that Chair Allen led as a priority corridor.

The first phase is critical to have done in our opinion for the opening of the of the stadium.

We need to catch people at Union Station that are coming in on the red line, or if they're coming in and mark in VRE service, which by 2030, the Long Bridge will be completed, so it's expected that more VRE trains would run for these events.

If we can get people to move from the red to the gold line, those are individuals that would not go from the red line at places like Metro Center to transfer to Blue Orange and Silver to get the Stadium Armory.

And if it's even 3,000 people, that 3,000 people is a significant amount of people to relieve that congestion, let alone then the congestion of those people trying to enter the system at Stadium Armory Station afterwards.

We also think it's going to be a faster, easier experience for them as well.

So and then all of that will mean a better 24-75 service for all the people that will live and visit RFK, but also as Councilmember Felder mentioned, east of the river and connected all the way through the H corridor, which a lot of promises have made for a long time, and then to have great service.

So put all that together.

We are very excited about this package of programs.

We want to work very closely with the council, the administration, the upcoming administration, and Metro's all in our partnership.

We appreciate the opportunity to be with you today.

Look forward to the conversation.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Next, let's turn to DID Director Sharon Kirchbaum.

Great, and good morning, Chairperson Allen, members of the committee and district residents.

I am joined this morning on my left by Preston Judy.

He's a senior transportation planner at DDOT dedicated to the RFK planning work.

Also with me today, Sandra Marks, D DOT's chief transportation planner, and Catherine Kaufman, acting manager of our policy and legislative affairs division.

My name is Sharon Kirschbaum.

I am the director of the Department of Transportation, commonly referred to as DDOT.

I'm here today to present testimony on behalf of Mayor Muriel Bowser regarding transit planning at the RFK development.

With the conclusion of the district's fiscal year 27 budget formulation process, this roundtable comes at an opportune time to ensure that the district and the WAMATA and WAMATA are unified in our vision to improve transit access to the new RFK stadium.

Mayor Bowser in her FY26 Grow DC budget included two million for WAMATA to conduct a transit study for the redevelopment.

DDOT and WAMAT are meeting bi-weekly to advance this study, which will evaluate transit access, service enhancements, and infrastructure needs to support the stadium and surrounding development.

Additionally, DDOT has been coordinating with WOMADA to ensure appropriate multimodal infrastructure is available to manage travel to and from the stadium during events, as well as managing bus priority within the RFK campus street network.

The RFK project management office, WAMATA and the commanders have been terrific partners, and we are all working to make this project a success, drawing from national international examples of stadiums integrated into urban settings with strong transit and bike access.

As part of that collaboration, DDOT is reviewing and aligning the commander's event day traffic analysis with a broader environmental review for the long-term campus redevelopment.

This analysis must move in step with the NEPA process, our federal mandate to evaluate the environmental impacts of major projects like this development.

Its findings will ultimately inform a robust transportation demand management program as part of a traffic operations and parking plan, otherwise known as a TOPP.

This TOPP will facilitate safe and efficient transportation operations in the surrounding area during activations of the RFK campus and will be developed in conjunction with local businesses and residents.

As part of the FY26 budget process, the council also allocated 250,000 in capital funding to DDOT with a purpose of developing a strategic vision for transit along H Street and Benning Road Northeast corridors.

For fiscal year 27, Mayor Bowser added two million to advance the design of the gold line bus rapid transit project, funding that was then augmented with 3.2 million as council marked up that budget.

DDOT has begun internal planning on this effort in coordination with WOMATA and plans to use these funds for consultant support services and DDOT staff labor to align with the opening of the stadium in 2030.

While DDOT works with the Office of Contracting and Procurement on the solicitation, DDOT staff have begun the transportation planning process.

We are exploring all options for improving transit access to the RFK campus along this corridor in coordination with WOMATA and are evaluating their planned gold line concept for BRT in this area.

We know that this corridor will be a key east-west access route to the stadium, and we'll work to provide a strategic vision that will best serve the activated RFK campus and its connectivity to the Red Line and the rest of the district.

Our agency is proud to lead the conversation on transportation planning for the RFK campus.

And I know that we will develop a strategic vision that allows our businesses to thrive, our streets to remain safe and accessible, and our residents to enjoy what will be an incredible destination.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

I'm available to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you very much, Director Kirschbaum.

And next let me turn to Mr.

Metta.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Uh Mr.

Chairman, Mr.

Chairman, Madam Councilmember, esteemed panelists.

Thank you for the opportunity to uh appear before you today, and I've appreciated the conversations that we've had, not just today, but in the past few uh several months.

Um thank you.

Let me start by saying thank you to the committee for your leadership uh to ensure that RFK campus development matches the needs and the priorities of district residents.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to provide a brief update on stadium construction and importantly the transportation and parking planning that will determine the long-term success of this project.

On construction, we continue to make steady progress in coordination with the district and other stakeholders.

Our focus remains on delivering a modern world-class facility that not only ensures DC is the sports capital of the country, but equally importantly supports economic development, enhances community access, and aligns with the long-term vision for the RFK campus.

As this committee and the council have rightly emphasized, the success of the project will depend not just on what we build, but how people are able to access it.

As many people have said here, we are committed to making this a transit-first stadium and campus.

To that end, we have been actively engaged with the district, with DDOT, with WAMATA, and other stakeholders to develop a comprehensive multimodal transportation strategy.

And as the director and general manager said, there's been a great partnership that will continue as we move forward.

With the district and DDOT, we are evaluating roadway improvements, traffic management, traffic management strategies, and pedestrian and bicycle connectivity.

We're also working through parking and neighborhood planning to ensure that the surrounding communities are respected, as Chairman Felder pointed out.

With WAMATA, our discussions have been particularly focused on how to move large volumes of people efficiently, reliably, and safely.

As the committee is aware, WMATA recently released a proposal outlining a series of potential transit improvements tied to the RFK development.

The proposal reflects the scale of the challenge and the opportunity before all of us.

It recognizes a core principle we share with the district that this must be a transit first campus with the majority of attendees relying on public transportation.

At the same time, these are complex decisions with long-term implications.

We are carefully evaluating the proposal, working closely with WAMATA and district partners to understand what is feasible, what can be delivered on schedule, and how these improvements can best integrate with broader infrastructure planning across the city.

Our goal is not simply to accommodate game day demand, but to create a transportation system that works every day for residents, workers, and visitors alike.

This is an ongoing collaborative process, and we remain committed to working closely with this committee, the mayor's office, DDOT, WAMATA, and community stakeholders as these plans continue to evolve.

Thank you again for your leadership and partnership.

I look forward to answering your questions.

Excellent.

Thank you very much.

Appreciate all of your testimony.

Also, I know that uh General Manager Clark has to leave at about 12, 12 15 for prior engagement.

So I'm going to probably focus some of my questions on WAMATA first.

And if we run out of time, I'll make sure I come back on some other issues too.

So let me dig in and start.

I'm gonna definitely move the gold line a little bit, but I want to start with Stadium Armory and the Metro Station there.

As I said throughout the debate last year, the possibilities are exciting about what can happen on this campus.

But if we don't lead as a transit-first stadium, a transit first neighborhood, we are really setting ourselves up for failure.

And in particular, as I think about other neighborhoods in Ward 6 that I've worked with, for example, Buzzer Point, where I have rivers and military bases and other ways that constrain in our transportation options.

You can see firsthand how challenging a lot of the transportation issues are if we're not really leading in transit first.

So the Stadium Army Metro Station today, basically in its current form, could accommodate approximately 14,000 customers per hour, which is not going to meet the mark to be able to hit what's got to have to happen.

Wamada laid out their proposals, kind of two different versions.

One that could get to about 85% of goals, one that could get reached to the 100% of goals.

As we think about what the anticipated mode share is gonna be, how confident are we that that projection is gonna hold for Stadium Armory?

What I mean by this is with the plans that Wamada has laid out to expand, modernize the station.

What is your confidence level of being able to meet the 100% levels of demand that we're trying to get into the station?

Yeah, thank you for the question, uh uh Chairman.

So I think like we have to think, we think through there's a big difference between big, big special events, the time of those events, and then day to day.

And obviously, none of that's monolithic.

So a good example might be Navy Yard on a daily basis.

There's a lot of people to go through it, and most people don't think much about it, but after a Nats game, feels very packed.

And sometimes for people having been doing a lot of NAS games or a big concert, they might get uh outside of the station and say, oh my, this this is crowded is massive, it's gonna take me forever.

But within about 10 minutes or so, they're actually on the platform and we get them on a train pretty quickly.

Um we know how to move people pretty well that way.

So there's gonna be a big difference, and I think you know, maybe the commanders will talk about this later, because I assume they'll want people at a one o'clock Sunday game to hang out for a while.

The idea is there's bars and restaurants.

That's going to be a lot different than a Sunday night game that ends at say 11:30 or something like that.

That's where we're gonna be the most constrained, where the break happens and almost everyone wants to leave at the same time.

So we don't we shouldn't overbuild the infrastructure for those one-offs, but at the same time, we need the infrastructure to work safely.

So a couple things we're really focused on.

Elevators are a really good example.

We do not have elevator capacity at Stadium Armory.

So one that is a deep accessibility issue, and it's also a safety issue.

And so that is part of this.

Um, just for context, though, to do an elevator shaft is stadium armory is about a hundred feet below ground.

That's how deep that station is.

And uh we are going through uh a new elevator at La Font Plaza right now, and a brand new elevator, depending where you're on the city, is probably about 25 plus million just for that elevator, just to give you an example.

So these things add up and they're much more complex than people may think.

Uh, we feel pretty pretty high confidence that we will move people very well if we can work with our partners to manage the flow of people, what we would call topside orderly into the stations.

So that could be on the surface, things like removable ballards.

So it's very disney esque where people feel like they're constantly moving without actually going too far, if you know what I mean.

And then we filter them where we need to go.

That is a good example of what we need to do at the surface.

So, one of our proposals, it's probably where we I think we're landing here, is this it's not really a new entrance, but a new element of that entrance that will funnel people two ways in into a different mezzanine structure, and we need the mezzanine to really help us distribute the crowd.

So a metro platform is 600 feet long, which is great.

We can run an eight-car train set, an eight-car train set could go in, swallow up a thousand people, move, a thousand people move, generally speaking.

So, again, I'm not worried about the trains, and especially when we eventually get into our new signaling system.

We'll be able to, right now, we can run a train every three minutes.

With our new signaling, we could the best in the world could get that down to about 90 seconds.

So I'm not worried about the train flow when we get eventually there.

What we need is the mezzanine to help distribute.

So if you've been to say, I use this a lot, Foggy Bottom Station, which is a very busy station, and that's a different issue because we need a second entrance there very badly from a safety point of view.

Uh, but the mezzanine goes halfway across the platform, and therefore people are spread to the the, if you will, the rear or the front of the train and the opposite.

That's one of the big improvements we need to make here at Stadium Armory, because right now it's all funneled straight down.

Most people stop, they take their time, and then the bottlenecks will be very catastrophic for us to move a lot of people.

So we feel a fair amount of confidence if we can get uh two things.

One, the coordination on the surface done right, and I see no indication we're not gonna do that, by the way.

I just, but it has to happen.

And two, and two uh, we have to maintain a schedule here to make sure this is done on time, um, which we are gonna commit to, but all the things have to work to get us all on time.

All right, you teed up my next question.

All right, on timeline.

Um, so we've got a July Wamata board meeting.

The board does not meet in August, I don't believe.

That's correct.

No, um so from the I mean they could, but we don't generally have a right but um what I'm getting at is to be able to have the Wamata board be able to approve whatever MOU and agreements are needed.

I mean, one of my concerns is you outlined how complex the timeline and schedule for these expansions and constructions are, and you have to keep a station open as as much as you possibly can.

You've got major events you've got to work through, so not just every month, every week, every day starts to decrease our ability to hit our 2030 delivery.

Um, and I absolutely believe the first couple of experiences that people have going to a commander's game, going to some of the first big events, is going to dictate how people feel about taking transit.

So we don't have an option to get it wrong.

We have to get it right.

So, where do we stand currently in the MOU and agreements that Wamada needs to be able to proceed and have whatever approvals your board needs to be able to give in July?

Yeah, thank you for the question.

So uh I think it's the 23rd, I think is our is our final board meeting for the summer at Metro.

Um, and so our board has you know is cued up for that.

We've been briefing the board on it.

Uh staff is working on it.

Uh again, compliment Sharon and her team.

Um Sandra is actually, I believe, the is her lead working heavily with Allison.

Uh, believe Allison is going to be sharing a draft MOA with uh the with the DC team today.

Uh, we do a lot of MOUs with the district, so uh we're you know we're not re-inventing the wheel here.

Uh we do multiple ones every year.

Everything from kids ride free to other reimbursable projects.

So the collaboration between the district and the metro is very good, very, very good on so many levels.

Um, but that draft, I think, uh, and and it's just more to start papering what everyone's been working on roles, responsibilities, timelines, things of that nature, uh laying out uh you know how we're moving forward on design and procurement and things of that nature.

So uh, you know, assuming we can turn that around here in the next few weeks, we'd love to have that on the July 23rd agenda.

Uh we really, you know, our construction team would would probably say that that means we're already behind by five months, but that's what construction, I'm sure you know the construction of the commanders would say the same thing, and DDO would say the same thing because construction teams want as much time as possible because there will be some stuff happen that none of us are anticipating right now.

Uh, could be bad weather that we lose a month here or there.

We, you know, there's a variety of things that can happen, and so we want to build as much early win in the process.

Uh but Metro is prepared to execute, uh, or certainly take to our board for consideration, but it all seems ready to execute an MOU with the district by the end of this month.

Um, and if we could do that, we'll be just by the end of the month by the 23rd.

By the 23rd, yes.

All right, so because my time is ticking here.

Uh Director Kirschbaum.

From your perspective, are we gonna hit July 23rd so that the WAMATA board is able to take their action and approve an MOU?

I yes, I mean, it's great having an action forcing event.

Um, and again, it is not about an alignment of the what.

I think it's more of the review process and administrative steps that are really the bigger risk.

Okay, the year feeling you're confident, we're hitting July 23rd.

That is our goal.

Yes, confident we will hit it.

That's what we needed.

Yeah, there we go.

Uh well, and of course, we need a few days before that to post.

But anyway, yeah, but I I have full confidence that the team is working closely together, appreciate the mayor's leadership on you know the whole administration.

It uh yeah, I've seen nothing to indicate that everyone is not aligned.

It's now you gotta paper it.

Oh, I agree.

There's not the lawyers in the I know there's lots of coordination, there's a lot of alignment, it's getting getting the signatures on the piece of paper and get it done.

Because if we miss a deadline, then it starts to roll.

And we have so many moving pieces that have to do.

Yeah, um, I want to turn to my coach here.

I want to note and appreciate uh Director Hanlon is here.

So uh Director Hanlin, I appreciate you being here.

I'm gonna go ahead and pull a chair up.

Um if If I can ask German Andrew Clark and Allison, if y'all just slide that way a teeny bit, then we'll be able to make sure we fit everybody in.

We're not gonna let you off that easy.

Alright, thank you very much.

Uh, and let me turn to my co-chair now.

Thank you, Chairperson Allen.

I'll start my questions with Wamada.

So GM Clark, you over you represent the region when it's as it relates to Wamata related projects.

You've seen big, small ranging projects, but everyone at this table can agree we've never seen a project to this magnitude.

So five years after our opening day, so we're just saying 2035.

How would you judge whether your recently released transit plan was a success?

Yeah, thank you for that question.

So for us, this is a big project, but I will say I think it's bigger on the district side than it is bigger for us in context, right?

We do a lot of big, big projects.

So whether it's new stations or new lines, so I think the history of Metro, those are very bad, but this is big, big for us, no question.

Um for success for us, it's quite frankly, no one talks that Metro is even a thing.

That's how I always look at Metro.

If you can go about your day and just rely that Metro is going to be there and it's a safe, good experience, then that is success for us.

So right now, almost everyone that would go to a NATs or uh caps game or wizards game, a spirit game, DC United game, go to uh the Congress Heights uh arena, go to a um go to a concert.

Most everyone I think would just go about it after an event and say the Metro Security was generally pretty smooth.

Once in a while we might have a strikeout and it doesn't work well, but generally speaking, those are very good.

That's what we want.

We want tens of thousands of people going to these events, having a great time, going out, spending some money, driving jobs, having, you know, if they have a drink, they can get on our service and not and be safe that way.

We want residents that live there.

We want those lots to get filled in quickly.

We want lots of housing.

We want people to not have to have two cars in their life, maybe a single car, maybe polices with a single car go to a zero car.

We want the bus system to work very well both locally, but we want the gold line to flourish and drive an H Street corridor that is connected to the RFK campus.

Uh that's how I think we're gonna judge, and I'm I'm confident that that's what's gonna happen.

If you look at the best transit integrated, like special events in the world, that's what happens.

And that's why personally I love going to events.

I was at a NAS, I was at a Nets game last week, and I just left the game and got on Metro and it was great.

Like that is what we want.

And in a lot of markets in this country, that is a completely different experience.

So people sitting in a parking garage for two hours to then wait in traffic uh with a lot of people.

So I think that's where we're going to judge this that uh over overall people just take it for granted that the service works well.

Uh thank you.

And and do you guys have any internal metrics that you guys will be looking to evaluate uh post-opening game day, whether it's ridership, whether it's crowds, whether it's uh one's ability to get off and on uh the camp is using Metro.

Yeah, so thank you for the question.

So we have a ton of metrics of Metro, and I encourage you to look at our dashboards and I know we share them with your teams a lot.

So ridership is obviously maybe the most important metric in transit that a lot of people, you know, because it's great to have something if no one uses it, it's not that great.

Uh, but customer satisfaction is very important for us, which is the value like the experience.

Uh public safety is incredibly valuable.

We're very proud.

We've had the lowest crime rate in the history of Metro the last year.

We obviously want to provide a very safe experience.

If you look at the national transit database, we are the safest system too, so not from public safety.

I'm talking about collisions, derailments, slip trips and fall, all those types of things, we're the safest.

Uh, I believe we're the industry leader on accessibility, which is so critical that people with all abilities uh and all types of uh uh days a week can get around and use the system safely.

We will clearly we evaluate this all the time on um a big, big event, how we can modify and do things differently.

So, like this July 4th is gonna look a lot different than normal July 4th.

It's gonna be very late.

Um that's got that is very challenging for us.

And uh when most people are happy that the mall's getting cleared, our our rush hour really begins.

Uh so we're gonna see how this goes, but it's a little different.

But we do this for all big events.

Uh where massive planning has been going on for a long time in the IndyCar race.

We feel pretty confident about the game plan there, but that's gonna be different.

Uh a metric that might sound a little strange, but not having an enormous amount of overtime will actually mean that the layout has worked well and that the customer experience flows.

So, i.e.

we're gonna staff pretty heavily for these big events, and the commanders would be no exception, but over time you'd want to see a maybe a little less staff needed to manage it because that means the signage, the layout, the escalator, everything flows well versus having to put tons of staff.

But I just use as an example where it's design on capital really matters and long-term operating costs as well.

No, that's helpful.

Uh, and just a follow-up uh based on each of the magnitudes of your projects, do you guys, once a project is completed, do you huddle with your team to discuss lessons learned, best practices and incorporate them on similar related projects?

Yes, thank you for the question.

Yes, I mean that is a uh never-ending process.

We actually have a very complex capital review meeting uh that that goes through the entire capital budget with the senior executive team and and PMs and others have to come in front.

And uh sometimes those experiences can be a little challenging, but it's we are a never-ending learning organization.

And uh one thing I'm really proud of the team, I think the last few years, we admit when we're not doing something well and we have to adjust, and if someone can do something better, we're gonna steal it and put our name on it and try to make it better from there.

So uh we should never stop learning how to do this stuff better.

That makes sense why your uh mantra is if you see something, say something.

Well, this week I appreciate your emphasizing that.

Yes, uh, shifting is to the uh recently released transportation study.

Um could you walk the public through like with your process of that study?

That process of the study, sir?

Yes.

Yeah, like how did you guys come up with like your recommendations?

Yeah, thank you.

Uh you know, I think best to have Alison Davis.

I could obviously answer, but Alison's our lead on all this, and I just really want to highlight uh Alison's great work and the amount of collaboration she's done with everybody.

All right, thank you for that question.

So uh really what we wanted to understand is what is the existing conditions, right?

So, what are those limiting factors to to what Randy pointed out?

The stairs, there's you know, the lack of elevator um on the north end, mezzanine, lack of mezzanine.

So, like understanding how many can we actually move if we do nothing, and right, like that's your typical planning approach before you think of what you should do, like what does doing nothing?

How many can you how many people can you accommodate within that?

Um, and then understanding uh the how many trains were we're running through there and on a you know given day or in a given hour.

So understanding that, and then it is starting to look through okay.

If we just work within the station uh box, as we call it, right?

Like what is in the station now, maybe additional stairs, new escalators, like is that going to help us uh with that flow and understanding how many more people we can do, and then looking, okay, that's probably not gonna get us there.

Where do we need to look beyond?

And that's where we get into that expanded north entrance, which does require some some some pretty heavy construction.

I will also flag we also looked at if there's anything we can do at the South End, because it is, you know, just like Navy Yard, where the uh West End, Navy Yard is quite close to this the stadium.

You know, the East End is not that much further, as Randy pointed out.

It's a 600-foot difference.

Um, but really thinking about can we use the South End uh to help get some people through there?

And so just looking at those trade-offs as well.

Thank you.

I want to be mindful of uh that we're joined by other colleagues, Ms.

Chairman.

Thank you very much.

I want to know we've been joined by Councilman Anita Bonds as well.

Thank you for joining us.

Uh let me turn to Councilman Henderson for a round, and then Ms.

Bonds will turn right back to you.

Great, thank you.

Thank you so much for this testimony.

Um I'm gonna jump right in.

Um, so Councilmember Allen was talking a little bit about timeline and process, and I think it's probably fitting that we start from the end and sort of work our way back.

So August 2030, um, what you laid out, Randy, in your testimony, the MOU, the design, the procurement, obviously construction, and then the safety certification.

How long does safety certification normally take?

Yeah, thank you for the council uh question, council member.

Uh safety certification uh can take a while.

So I can't give an exact timeline because it really, and it's iterative.

So we're gonna be doing our safety assurance and process all the way through.

Yep.

But you know, the WMSC at the end will be part of this because it's a pretty significant modification to our system.

Um we gotta think through everything from ventilation to egress and and like the fire department and all that kind of stuff.

So I'm not worried that it won't get done.

It just meaning it's not like oh, construction ends Friday, we open on Monday.

We need the construction to end where it's all been integrated, so then we wrap up safety certification, any training that's done, right?

And then we open.

So I I'm sort of thinking about it from the perspective of is safety certification like a 45-day project where nothing can run.

That's what I'm thinking about.

Yeah, I can't give an exact one on that right at the moment.

Well, certainly as we get more through this, we'll know.

But again, if safety certification is done correctly, at the end, it's kind of like closing the book.

It's not that it's like now we got to review everything.

Uh if we're doing this right and WMSC is partnering with us, it's kind of like closing the final chapter because of the continuity throughout the whole project.

Okay.

Uh, let me ask about the construction phase.

Um, you mentioned you want to minimize the station closing as much as possible.

Um are there elements, and I know it's not been designed yet, but let's say we're talking about the mezzan expansion, etc.

Are there elements of that that takes place where um other trains can't run through the system while that construction is being taking place?

Yes, thank you.

Uh we do want to minimize uh outages, but there's going to be significant outages to do this project.

Okay.

And when I say outages, I mean we're gonna have to work.

So where Stadium Armory is located, that's so not to get too in the wonky weeds here, but we call this the D and G.

So it's where our two lines, the D line, the G line come together.

Okay, and so most people, if you look at that infrastructure, comes out of the portal where Stadium Armory is, and it goes to an aerial structure, very significant aerial structure, makes a big turn and goes across the river.

Yes.

That area is the DNG.

And what that means is we have a lot of switches and they direct trains to both Largo and New Carrollton or New Carrollton Largo back into the core of the system.

And so for us, it's all about where we can turn trains around and how to manage that.

So if we do an outage to Stadium Armory, what that really means is we're impacting customers from New Carrollton and Largo all the way through the system, and some people that are west of the system that want to go east of Stadium Armory, won't be able to.

Okay.

And so there will be, we just don't know those yet, but I just want to be very transparent.

We'll be doing obviously overnight work.

We'll probably do some what we call early outs, early outs.

Sometimes we'll start at 10 o'clock at night.

Uh we might be able to do some single tracking on certain types of work.

Other work is gonna be complete shutdowns.

And the question is, is that gonna be X amount of weekends, or is it gonna be like a two, three, four-week block at a time?

And we gotta work through all of that.

Okay, I'm just all about sort of expectation setting and trying to get some clarity on that front.

Um, okay, you mentioned uh public procurement.

We'll just put that to the side.

Sure.

We're gonna hope that everybody's uh I's are dotted and T's are crossed and there won't be any.

I'm not even gonna put it out into the ether, but you know what I'm talking about.

Yeah, I just want to highlight that uh it's we're not a private enterprise on a greenfield site, and therefore that there is there's there's federal rules around that.

There, you know, and it's not that it's like a problem, it's just there's an actual time and cadence to proper public procurement that might not be, hey, this is my thing, and I'm just buying my thing.

Right.

Yeah, do you do uh design build for this type of work, or is it design is one procurement and then construction is another procurement?

Yeah, great question.

We haven't selected the delivery method yet.

The team is working through that.

So I guess to highlight, we we are definitely gonna be doing a 30% design, and then that's gonna allow us to figure out from there, this type of project.

So we do all types of delivery methodologies, so like we do some progressive design builds, we do construction manager at risk or uh or uh general contractor risk, which we do at a bus, we have a couple bus garages, we did that for the L-line tunnel.

Others we do design bid build.

Uh it really depends on the risk assessment and the risk register for each type of project.

This one has not been totally flushed out.

Um, probably a good thing to to get out now is related to task orders.

So Friday, Allison and the procurement team and and our construction team released a task order for the gold line to so that is now officially been awarded to start work because our our board has told us, hey, let's move forward with the assumption that the agreements coming together.

Okay.

Right now, the team is working through that on the Stadium Armory.

We expect a task order uh for one of our design consultants.

Can you just briefly have public mid to late July?

Give a uh elementary.

I'm don't know anything about construction.

What is a task order?

Yeah, so task order for this would be we have a consultant on board to help us with like on the gold line, the design and planning to supplement our team and work with Sharon and if her team or her supplemental team, and that could be things like uh doing everything from you know the geometry of the road on working with the district.

Okay.

Where are we gonna put a platform?

How is that platform gonna be uh put together?

Let me come back to that real quick.

Let me just finish up on in terms of the process piece here.

Design when Wamada does design now.

Love public input, but I don't know how much public input we need on a mezzanine or elevator design.

Yeah, is that part of like in terms of the design process?

Is public comment part of that?

So, yes.

So, a couple things, a couple things.

I just want to make sure we're not conflating it all together.

So, one, there is a there's an actual NEPA process for the whole campus that the district is leading.

Yes, yes, and okay.

So that's there's public comment on that.

So, I'm talking about So our station we part of that station.

Like the campus.

The specific design element of where's the elevator gonna go?

Do we need to add another escalator?

That kind of stuff.

Is that also part of the design process a public input piece of it?

Yeah, so we plan on doing a virtual public meeting.

We're the goal is to try to do one before the end of July.

Okay, assuming you know the MOU, and now we can really start getting a little more weedy.

Um, we I think I'm the just we are gonna move with urgency and very much interact and make sure the community understands the nexus of what's happening and has input to that process.

Okay, and the gold line is obviously gonna be much more community processed because we got a yes, it's the main corridor over the road.

So let's uh talk about that really quickly.

Um, Director Kirschram, you mentioned um the overall budget for the gold line.

How much is it for FY27?

I know that you guys had some, and then we added some.

I think it's like five-something, yeah.

Yeah, it's five point two million for the design.

Okay, but is that mostly consultants or is that actual design design?

Um or are the consultants the designers?

Yes, both.

Yes, okay.

Um I don't really have enough time to I what I fear, I'm just gonna put this out there in terms of the gold line situation, and and Randy and I had this conversation is that like we're gonna spend all this money for the consultants to tell us what we already know, which is you can't do what you want to do and also keep all the parking.

I think we all can acknowledge that without paying a million dollars to a consultant.

So then I think the question is around what are the next steps, and I'll leave it there to be mindful of time.

But I'll be back for another round.

Thank you, council member.

Let me turn to Councilor Bonds now.

Thank you very much, and thank you all for coming together on this wonderful hot day.

Could be worse, but um, you're here with us.

I really wanted to understand a little bit from the perspective of the public.

The public wants to know if they get on the subway at the red line um downtown here, um, and they're going to the stadium.

What should they expect?

That's really what they want to know, Randy.

Yeah, thank you, Councilman.

Good seeing you.

Uh they're gonna expect, I think, you know, a really good trip, like hopefully they're getting every day.

Um, you know, like a good example.

Last week, um we move almost 600,000 people on rail a day, multiple days last week.

Uh we're very busy.

We're we're quote unquote, we're back.

Uh weekends are very busy.

Uh July 4th is gonna be very busy.

Um, you know, these are gonna be busier events.

There's no question, but our expectation is people are gonna have really good frequent, safe, reliable service.

And uh we'll run additional service for big events like this.

So um what we need to do is really make it so it's as seamless and frictionless as possible.

It's why right now you could use your debit and credit card or your watch or your phone to pay fare, so it's easy to understand.

We have a great app, uh we have great digital signs throughout the whole system.

So it's really kind of easy to get around, and then we're gonna keep working to make it as seamless as possible.

Okay, so where do I get off to be closest to this stadium and the game?

So, well, today you would get off at Stadium Armory.

I and I do gotta remind everyone the station is called Stadium.

Okay, yeah, it's it's really close.

Get off at Stadium.

It's not uh it's not that far.

Uh the Stadium Armory State, I walk to the metro every day, and it's probably about the exact same distance I walk to my home station as as that station.

And I and I think what is that a fourth of a mile or a third of a quarter to a third, depending on where you really are.

Now, I think the key of this is the walk today, it's not great.

And I think the key here is the master development that came out yesterday is starting to show that that that is going to look and feel a lot different.

Just like you know, NOMA station is a great example.

Noma Station was an infill station in around 2005-ish.

That's my station.

Okay, you tell them you're gonna be able to do that.

And uh, and you probably recall there was not a lot of activity, and the walk was probably not the best, and a lot of hard work by a lot of people, a lot of vision.

And today it's amazing, and we'll move 30,000 people, and it's our fifth busiest station because it was really good planning, and people executed a comprehensive approach.

So that's what we're trying to work.

You know, everyone here as a team is trying to make that all come together.

All right.

So I get to walk from that station.

I will not have to get on a bus or shuttle or no ma'am.

I quite frankly, I don't think there's gonna be a bus or shuttle uh possible because uh that's where all the people are gonna be probably celebrating uh pre-game as they as they say.

All right.

Well, now I'm coming from the station at Minnesota and Benning.

What will happen?

You're gonna take it to Stadium Armory Station.

We think very, very, very little.

Keep moving past Minnesota Avenue and go to the stadium station.

Okay, all right.

Yeah, I just want to reiterate like I don't think maybe people realize the the distance between some of those stations.

So like there might be some people at Potomac Um Avenue station, potentially, it's about a mile.

And like depending on the type of year and if it's a beautiful thing, maybe that might make sense for some people.

But Alison's just reminded me here, it's 1.9 miles to Betting Road Station.

I'm not saying no one would do that, but uh very little people would walk from those two other stations.

It just it's not a normal um mobility option that people would have.

So when do I get on the gold line?

Yeah, great question.

So if you were coming, well, if you're coming from NOMA, what I would personally do is I would go to Union Station.

Actually, depending where you're Noma, you might walk walk to the gold line to get on there.

But if you were on the red line, so anywhere, and and I I would think the commanders know that there's gonna be a lot of people that are not just in the district go to these events, right?

So from Shady Grove from Glenmont, and every station in between ultimately ends at Union Station.

You could transfer there to the gold line as an example.

Um you could also at Benning or Minnesota that could be another way to get across versus the versus the uh the the train.

But the idea is if you lived on 8th Street or you're transferring from the red line or lots of local bus connections or VRE and Mark trains.

So, you know, if you're coming from Rockville has uh has a mark station or Baltimore and you also have places like um you know parts of Northern Virginia that are not on our our rail system, uh like more Prince William County, they would connect in there as well.

So that's why it's a network effect.

Okay, so the gold line, you access it at Union Station.

Yes, ma'am.

We haven't figured out the full design, obviously, an integration union station yet, because we also want to be thoughtful of making sure that design connection does not preclude and if anything enhances our ability to further go west.

We want the gold line to solve the crosstown problem we've had in this community for a long, long time.

Long before I came here, but well known.

That's why I was identifying that DMV moves work.

We really need to solve K Street once and for all, which I think, I mean, everyone, I don't know if I've ever met someone that doesn't want to solve the K Street uh situation.

K Street, uh H Street, they all kind of work together.

So many people move across that pattern on a daily basis.

Like right now, we move 16,000 people a day just on the D20 and the 2X, and that's with a service that has no dedicated lanes, does not have bus priority.

So we know we can move tens of thousands of people very effectively.

If we do it right, we're gonna relieve other parts of the bus network and help the overall traffic management throughout the entire core of DC.

Okay.

So I'm on the um gold line, and I'm going across the front of union station, and I'm on my way to the stadium area, as opposed to the back end and using binning road to the stadium.

Yeah.

I'm just trying to give people like now we're thinking about what they can expect.

At the back, and there's why we got to figure that that part out.

But the back is where and but but quite frankly, what is the back?

Because there's always been a long-term vision of what the back of Union Station with kind of the whole burn them place idea as well.

It is narrow H Street, letter H Street.

Oh, okay.

That's what I'm talking about the bridge, you know, the where the buses are, and you know, okay.

Okay, just trying to understand what we're really talking about and understanding what dollars and cents we're talking about, and the space constraints as it relates to parking, you know, ultimately just trying to get a sense because we we're not gonna have an event unless we can get people to the event.

That's that's correct.

That's what I'm trying to get.

Yeah, so on H Street, you know, I think I don't want to uh where the lead to anything, yeah.

Uh but clearly parking is gonna have to be analyzed and optimized, analyze it can't really be there much.

Well, that means there's a vote that there's a vote, bus and bus and what have you, yes.

But I think we're just at the start of that process.

Listen, there's a lot of work's been done.

Dot's done a lot of work over the past, ANC commissioners have done a lot of work.

We now need to like for us, we believe this needs to be dedicated, and we want to have center-running bus rapid transit, okay, which means we want the platform the platforms that the streetcar had in Bedding Road.

We want those types of platforms, but in the middle of H Street.

We do not want to be at the curb.

If we're at the curb, we're losing.

And that's quite frankly, what happened to the street car?

Because one person in one car, one food delivery person could stop the entire street.

Correct.

And we did, and there's no sense spending a lot of money to create a really good mobility system that one individual user could dictate the whole term.

So we want to be like the best successful bus rapid transits that have been like if you went to Cleveland, they have a beautiful bus rapid transit line.

Boston has a really good one, they're all over the world.

It's basically a way to do a light rail kind of kind of quality, but for a lot less money.

We don't have the same utility conflicts because of the electrical power and interference.

But it is a game of geometry, and we as a community have to decide uh is it X amount of parking spaces and X amount of individual actions or thousands and ultimately tens of thousands of people across the network.

Yes, obviously, you know how I would feel about that being a transit person, but that is a conversation that is a legit, challenging and hard conversation to have.

And we're now talking about the least disruption as it relates to um routes to the stadium when we talk about H Street.

And we're also talking about how do we are we gonna reduce the size or the width of the sidewalks?

I mean, I'm I'm trying to really visualize what can happen there, um, because you know, we spent a lot of money and energy trying to make H Street come alive.

Uh when I was a kid, that was where I went to shop.

My mom took me there before I came downtown.

And so, and there are people like me who are still in this city in this community, um, and so just just curious about it.

So I thought I would start by asking that question, and you know, looking to your creativity and energy as to how you're going to make it absolutely wonderful as far as timing, you know, the scheduling of the transportation system, and then I'm gonna talk to Sharon later about how she's gonna wiggle the roads and yeah, she likes to do that.

Well, I know Sharon's probably looks like she's really saying I'll say this.

I think if we do this right, uh Councilmember Felder asked, how do you envision five years after five years after the stadium opens?

If we do the gold line right, H Street corridor has a much different future ahead of it in a positive way.

Yeah, um, it really becomes an extension of the campus, and the campus becomes extension of H Street.

And so you can think about someone going to dinner on H Street or lunch or pre-gaming there, for lack of better, or post-gaming, and it's two stops or three stops on a bus rapid transit, and five minutes later you're getting off at the stadia.

And I think that's what we have to think about.

This is an integrated network approach.

And, you know, we we need the dedicated space to move buses correctly in this community.

And I know that's frustrating for a lot of people because some, you know, there's a lot of people that drive.

Uh, but on a daily basis, we move almost 400,000 people on the bus.

And those are the people that, if you go to a restaurant today, those or a hotel, or if you got a coffee this morning, most of those individuals took the bus to work today.

And so, you know, we talk about values, we talk about economics, we talk about the bus is a huge important part of our community, and some bus infrastructure would go a long way to supporting that.

Well, definitely.

And I'm also looking at the other part of uh H Street and what we call binning road.

And so, as we're thinking about this glorious new boulevard and how it's gonna look, I'm hoping that we can extend it so that we're, you know, east and the west side of the river come together.

Yeah, we would agree, and we look forward to Sharon's wiggling, as you said, to make it all work.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm so sorry.

That's all right.

Thank you, Counselor Boss.

Thank you very much.

Um, I'm actually gonna pick up right where Councilor Bonds was.

Uh, I'm gonna shift to the conversation around the gold line.

Um, Mr.

Mehta, to bring you into this a little bit.

From both our stadium armory expansions and gold line plans, do the commanders support these concepts and ideas?

How integral do you see this to the success of moving people to the stadium and the campus?

Yeah, great, good question.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um, I mean, just the guiding principle to begin with is that we are committed to a transit first RFK.

So we need Womada to be successful, and the ideas that they bring forward are important for us to consider.

We anticipate just as a data point, 60% of our of the fans who come to a game to be coming there not using a car.

That just for context is much higher than other cities where usually it's under 50% of people come, you know, without a car.

So overall, generally appreciate and really respect the Mada's proposal.

We're still reviewing it, of course, and I'm sure there'll be some tinkering, but we want to make sure it makes sense for the stadium and the surrounding neighborhood.

That's I think a constant theme that we've been hearing about today.

Obviously, they're the agency of expertise, um, so period on that point.

But we appreciate the improvements that that need to be made at Stadium Armory Station for day one.

That is that is critical, and so they're on top of that.

And we also appreciate getting people to the stadium from Union Station along the red line from other parts of the city.

So those two things together suggest that this is the kind of proposal that needs to be considered.

Yeah, I agree.

I appreciate that, and I think it is important that the commanders support these concepts.

Obviously, devil in detail is still to be fleshed out, but the concepts are important, so that's an important partnership.

Um, you know, when I think about the gold line, the potential there, and this is one of the reasons Councilor Felder and I work together on this was to make sure that phase one really looked at binning road to Union Station.

And the reason why that's so important is I do not have an interest in building something that only serves eight days out of the year.

It's got to be something that serves our city, serves our residents, serves our neighborhoods 365 days.

Now, on Sundays, we can rebrand this, the Burgundian Gold Line if we want.

But uh the gold line is there for everybody every day of the year.

And I think that's really important and can be very exciting.

Director Kirschbaum, we've spent a good enough good amount of time and money and political capital with our ANCs and neighborhoods on a bus priority plan for H Street and for Binning Road.

So as we think about the the dollars we have in the budget right now, we don't need to go back and replan everything.

Because you have a body of work that already exists to build on.

So just to kind of help make sure it's clear for the public, too, the funds that are there don't just hire a consultant to do a plan.

It really is to help design what this looks like in reality.

It doesn't have the it doesn't cover the cost of building it, but it absolutely is much more than just some consultants doing some planning.

It is the design of this, correct?

Yes, correct.

We will get to engineering designs.

And just to piggyback on the fact that we have done some great groundwork to date as we were looking into a priority bus lane along H, I wanna um let Councilmember Bonds know we will not be reducing sidewalks.

Um we also have looked at the dimensions, and so with a center running bus lane, um, we will have segments, uh, particularly where there are station stops that we may need to reduce parking.

But we actually do think along H Street, we can include parking with the center running bus lane.

Um so we think there's a way to fit it.

Yeah.

And we're looking forward to to that coming together.

Um, one of the questions I was gonna ask had to do with, and I'll bring in Director Hanlin and into this question as well.

Um, yesterday folks hopefully had a chance to see the Office of Planning release their framework for the RFK campus.

Uh, very exciting, and there's a lot of detail in there that people hadn't seen otherwise.

Um, I'll dig in a little bit later with D dot on some of the uh the roadway proposals there.

But in the May plan from Wamata, it outlined a transit center concept to be located south of Binning, kind of along the Oklahoma Avenue.

In the report that came out yesterday, no such transit center exists.

So, as we think about how to make the success of the gold line work, uh Director Hanlin, um, glad you're here and thank you.

But also, can you help us understand why we don't see a transit center in that office of planning document that came out yesterday amid many other great things that are in that document, but that was pretty glaring to me that I didn't see that.

Do you mind if I make a quick comment before we hand it to our?

So I just want to make sure that the word center is uh not turning uh that that word isn't creating a bigger topic than maybe it was meant to be.

So, what we mean by that is that is the most significant stop on the gold line, and in some communities that would be more of a transit center because we want local bus and goal line to all function in a dedicated place.

We we at Metro are not looking for a large you know facility environmentally controlled where we need security and custodial services and all of that type of stuff, but it's also not just a bus stop.

So the question is how to work with our partners on that layout to have a way that buses can come in and out really effectively, especially 60 foot buses where we can stage multiple buses at the same time and really move a lot of crowds, ideally with some covering.

And now, what that covering may look like, I I don't know that needs to get worked out.

So uh I can't speak to the obviously the plan, but I just want to kind of hit that first part where if maybe someone was thinking that there's gonna be this big, huge center, that was maybe a word choice that in our business we were trying to really talk about a place that can manage a lot of buses at the same time.

So some people call that is gonna tick down.

So I want to make sure that Mr.

Hanland have a chance to go out to.

I'll just jump in.

I'll start with I I concur that it later today there's a another uh planning session with Wamada and our team.

And what they're in the midst of doing is really looking what what are the optimal routes for the bus to be able to come in and and drop off and turn and exit the site.

And that has to be uh really kind of gone through thoughtfully with regard to the master plan so that we can also optimize not just the transportation, the flow of people, but the development that's set to occur.

So that those are just things that are uh being considered now, and uh everything that Randy said I would concur with.

Okay.

I I don't disagree uh either.

Those are the type of details you have worked out, but there had been images shared beforehand.

Uh Wamada's own report from May shows structures that are indoors, there's HVAC, like that's that's a very different thing.

And while I think that we want to have a transit center that creates really great bus connections and stops there, um, if it is if it's coming towards the campus, it is the more that we build a physical structure, the more we have to think about: is that gonna be used 365 days a year, or are we seeing something that flexes out?

And so when high demand times happen, we have a structure or something that provides shelter from rain elements, et cetera, for riders, but also doesn't dedicate a massive piece of space that goes underutilized during those other non-crush times.

That's that's important to me as we think about how this fits.

And I think it's ultimately about optimization of the space we have, and the most important thing is the flow of people to be able to get them in and out safely and in a pleasurable way.

If I can council member, like I think there's full alignment here, it's like we're in a concept process right now, and now we gotta get the geometry to work out, and you know, everything from turning radiuses to stacking three 60 foot buses at the same time.

There's also gonna be tons of charter buses that come for games, and where are they gonna circulate and move?

And that's obviously some DDOs that get through quite closely.

Um so you know, I I think we're at a good spot of moving this conversation along.

I will just say how buses get from the main road into the campus and back out.

That I we need a dedicated boss piece, at least on uh activity days as part of this, because that is the goal that we're dedicated.

The fan who wants to come to a game and wants to come to an event who wants to come to this campus, say, I'm not gonna transfer and get on to land at Stadium Armory, I'm gonna get I've taken the VRE in, for example.

I'm gonna get off at Union Station and connect.

We got to make that experience feel connected, not I'm going out to the stadium as it is today, and I'm gonna go walk for 45 minutes uh to get there.

That's not what we're gonna see people choose to do.

So we've got to make it as easy as possible.

That's right.

Last question here is my time that runs out.

Timeline expectations.

We talked about the stadium armory.

Our expectations are we are driving for all of that to be done with all their safety planning and checks to be done.

It's it's fully operational for 2030 season, meaning August 2030.

Is gold line, specifically union station down H into Binning, and I would say even to Binning Road, that goal is the same timeline.

So I would say that's Metro's goal with the asterisk of the MOU and construction funding uh partnership with the district.

And Director Hanlin, with that's would you say that is our shared goal?

Uh we share goals, yes.

We've got we look forward to seeing the MOA and and to engage on that and get through that process as quickly as possible.

And um, you know, I think we will just move from there and keep keep pressing hard.

Okay, all right.

Thank you.

My time's left.

Let me turn to my co-chair.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chairman uh Director Heinland, good to see you as always, my friend.

I just wanted to follow up uh with Chairman Allen on a couple questions.

Uh so to date Wamada released its uh transportation study as you are wearing yesterday, the office of planning released this transportation study.

As the PMO of this project, when you receive those studies, what are you looking for?

Well, uh first I want to say we don't simply receive them, we're actually been deeply engaged in the process and the office of planning and really all of our partners, there's a there's a pretty robust um engagement from multiple parties during the development of these things.

And of course, that includes the voice of the community.

Um, and we're looking for uh when when we review, when we dialogue on these things, we're looking to make sure that we're we're properly refract reflecting the things that we've heard in the now um well over, you know, all nearly two dozen community engagements that we've had, and um, and that all of the other kind of the functional concerns the needs for to be able to uh make sure that we've got um a site that is accessible and walkable and you know, all of those things, everyone's coming together and dialoguing on those those aspects of it.

Thank you.

So, given that you are in conversations every stage of the process, Wamada released this transportation study, pardon me, Mr.

Chairman, uh, in advance of OP study, but to Chairman Zalin's point, there was no mention of the transit center.

Uh could you why do you think that happened?

No mention of the transit center in the mass draft master plan.

And I think I think really what what has happened is is that the shared thinking has evolved and the thinking around is there a need for a permanent structure that is a transit center on the campus, as Randy alluded a moment ago, uh, really what we're doing now is thinking through how do we create a um kind of an optimal transportation experience on a bus line that comes into the campus, can kind of safely come in, drop people off, turn and exit the site.

And what what does that experience need to have?

Does it need a permanent facility?

Perhaps not.

I tend to think it probably doesn't.

Okay.

But some sort of uh yeah, way of kind of making it uh a nice destination, which could include a covered uh kind of drop-off area.

Now, any event that the thinking has changed and things continue to change.

We have a 45 day period uh for public comments to uh change the uh master plan.

Do you think this center will be included in the updates to the master plan?

I just want to make sure that as thinking evolves, director.

Like is we produce the desired outcome.

I can't and it's reflected on plans.

Forgive me for I I've of course I can't predict um what will you know what will come through the public comment period?

Um I would anticipate that we're gonna continue to hear comments that are consistent with what we have heard throughout our multiple engagements, which I think the draft master plan as it is does a pretty good job of reflecting.

Okay.

So I not to say that uh, you know, I I think that the continued back and forth is creating refinements.

Okay.

I think it's evolving to the right the right direction.

Thank you, Director.

Don't go anywhere.

Right.

And I'm I'm coming at you.

So I expect your questions could be a little bit more concise.

Uh so uh I appreciate again the transportation study, uh, I appreciate investments in Stadium Armory.

I like the go line out, dive deeper into that in a minute.

Uh but similar to my neighbors who live around the site, we were very disappointing, disappointed to see that there was uh there will be no in field additional metro station, uh, nor was that there any mentions of metro stops that surround the site, for example, on the eastern side of the war, you have Danewood, Minnesota Avenue, uh Ben and Row.

Uh so my question to you, uh GM Clark is how did you arrive at the conclusion that there was no need for an additional metro infill station?

Was it cost related, or was it uh you didn't think you could meet that 30 at 2030 timeline?

Yeah, thank you for the question.

So I mean, this is an impossible conversation to cover in a 30 seconds or a minute.

Like I mean, this we could be here for an hour and still go through it.

Uh, we're gonna put up more information on this when we do our uh community hearing or our community process meeting at the end of July.

Because we're kind of wrapping up towards uh our the final report, and I think there's gonna be a little bit more details on feasibility around stations.

Uh, I did we one, you know, you were out of the room where we just talked about it in Council Member Bonds asked, you know, the station name that's there now is called stadium.

It is very close to the stadium, it's within a normal walkshed of any major transit facility anywhere in the world, a quarter mile is very close to a main metro station.

So one, it's just not probably most people would not say you would need it anyway.

Two, even if people thought uh it'd be valuable, it's a it's a physically very daunting uh initiative.

It's not about just a station.

We would have to kind of fundamentally change our entire track alignment from stadium armory.

We would have to literally bust through where our portal is, create a secondary aerial structure next to the aerial structure that's now to build a station in the air that then would have to either merge back with the other lines or or kind of end there.

It's so it's a it's a massive, massive change of infrastructure.

And so we put down like it could be a billion dollars.

Quite frankly, I'm not even that that's our best estimates on where that the concept even could be because it's not about a station, it's completely different stuff.

And there's definitely no scenario where that would be done to support 2030.

Uh and then the bigger real issue is I don't think it really helps us with any capacity.

So overwhelmingly, the majority of people are going to be going westbound out of Stadium Armory because that's where all the other rail kind of connections or bus connections in the network are.

And so if you load up a train and then that train ends up a stadium Armory full, then we didn't help move more people through through the campus and add speed.

To your point about Betting Road and Minnesota, we both have really good stations there, continuing ridership growth at those areas.

They're both in a good pretty good state of good repair.

We do need our DMV moves funding to ensure that things like elevators and escalators and other things don't go backwards.

But when you were out, we discussed this.

We don't really envision anyone going from either one of those stations to a game.

So it is very unlike.

I'm not saying no one would, but it would seem very rare that someone would walk there.

Instead, you just go one more metro station and pop up right where the your activity is.

So yeah, so we're we in a transit world, we wouldn't plan anything around people doing that type of uh trip pattern.

Okay.

Uh you'll be surprised.

I'll tell you, uh, you will be surprised.

Uh nonetheless you answer my questions on metros.

Uh, could you just give a high-level description of the transit center?

Like what's the projected hours of operations that you're thinking about?

How is it different from a metro station?

Uh you know, what made you determine that that's the best location?

Yeah, it's a great question.

I think Director Hanlon and some others have covered this.

So, like we we know we need uh uh a focal point for gold line bus rapid transit customers on the campus.

For us, that's a that the word center, we didn't want to use the word station because we didn't want to conflate the idea of what people think is a metro station related to that.

So we're trying to find a word that is not a bus stop and it's not a metro rail station, and so we are not looking for a place that is potentially fully environmentally controlled, restrooms because the operating costs of all that.

With that said, we do, and it might be a partial part of a structure that allows for really good cover, and we can cue lots of people up, so we do off-board payment and quickly 60 foot bus gone, 60 foot bus gone, and really turn buses every minute or so, every two minutes, so we can really move crowds.

The question is how valuable is that every day, you know, is it valuable, or do we build a piece of it that could be flexed in in 15 years as the whole campus builds out?

So, somewhere between you know, an active bus stop and a metro rail station, and probably more closer to the bus stop than a metro rail station, but definitely not just a bus stop.

So, more of a you know, take Minnesota Avenue, the bus way or the transit way at Minnesota Avenue is kind of a but it's probably gonna shape and look a little different.

So these are done a little different all over the world.

We were trying to use a word that reflected a place that is obviously easy to queue up and use really good frequent service to interact with the campus, not just the RFK, but anywhere else that you might go on the campus.

Uh thank you, GM Clark, Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you very much.

Let me turn now to Councilman Henderson.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um I want to ask a clarification.

Um Director Hanlin, you had said I think uh the MOU is everything in terms of the timing piece.

Uh is are these are we doing separate MOU MOAs per project?

I would anticipate yes.

Okay.

So when we're talking about the RO.

Well, we'll have to work that out.

Okay, all right.

For those at home, they were facial reactions.

Um, so I'm trying to understand when we we walk through a timeline around the Wamata July 23rd board meeting that we're aiming towards is the draft MOOA MOU that Allison is maybe sending today for just Stadium Armory, or is it also for Gold Line?

Uh the the MOU that Allison is and been working very closely, it's just now finally at the point of uh push the paper over.

It'll be for both.

Okay.

Yeah.

Remember, gold line is it's five million dollars.

So that's really about planning and design that we're already doing a very comprehensive deal with um Sharon's team on.

I'm cool with it.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm not the other is obviously has a lot more layers to it because the money is certain, right?

So look like the big thing we're gonna have to come back is one of the details of the MOU is gonna be that we'll need another MOU probably by late spring next year to fund moving on the gold line, and without that, that MOU will come up with design plans that we'll be ready to go to procurement, but then won't be able to act, which would then probably it impact the deadline for 2030 for the gold.

Okay, but in terms of from efficiency standpoint, I'm just trying to make sure that we're not doing six different MOU MOAs for each element of this.

Just about from a conversation standpoint, right?

Yeah.

We're trying to, I think everyone's trying to streamline process to get everything done.

Just get the language right.

Okay.

Um Mr.

Clark, are there any modifications that might be contemplated and or required for Deanwood or Minnesota Avenue from a parking standpoint?

Uh no, so we just adjust that with uh Councilmember Felder, but I I will say, you know, we're gonna look at some parking stuff.

We expect very significant use of metro parking at our at Maryland, Virginia, potentially a few DC uh parking facilities for people to access the game.

Very significant amount of people parking at at these locations.

Right.

Okay.

That's uh I'm just wondering extra costs on the end of the if you say like, oh, we've got to add 10 million dollars for the DC.

Yeah, no, we we we have a I mean our parking is part of our capital budget planning and operating stuff anyway.

Uh you know, part of what we're gonna do is we'll be looking at a parking policy.

So when we have special events, we can activate charging.

Yeah.

There is no s there is I find it very unlikely there will not be a scenario that we charge for parking at our outlying stations that want people want to park to take the train to games.

So we want to figure out how to actually use that to potentially generate you know the money that covers the expense related to these things anyway.

Okay.

Yeah.

Hopefully not engaging in a price gouges.

No, we're the we're we're your friendly public transit agency.

Yes and no.

Um, okay, um, in terms of the gold line conversations, um, to what extent is the leadership at Union Station part or hopefully part of these conversations?

Because my understanding in terms of the current design, any bus turnaround situation will require someone to go into the parking structure and come out on the other side.

Yeah, thank you for that question.

So uh we are at the point now where we're just starting that engagement.

I think Allison has a meeting with Union Station next week, actually.

Okay.

Again, there's been some historic work done.

Um, you know, what is Union Station?

What is the back end, you know, the if you will, the the back part uh look like there was big plans.

Are any of those gonna come together?

If not, what?

How do we build something that is also works for the first phase, but doesn't preclude, as we've talked about before, getting across and then eventually solving, you know, my convention center and then solving K Street.

So we don't want to make a great connection to Union Station that then hinders the 24 7 365 movement of the gold line, which is across the whole horizontal aspect of the of the community as well.

So that the we are very early, but you know, we know there has to be a better connection at Union Station than the current situation.

Like I got off the D20 the other day and walked down.

That connection is not gonna work well enough the way it is today.

Okay, um, when will we have an idea in terms of what your public input schedule will look like in terms of gold line?

Gold line, we'll just say winter.

Allison.

Alright, thank you for that question.

So um as as Randy had said, we just actually got the uh consultants on board on Friday.

Okay.

So it is it we are very early in that timeline.

Um, but we will absolutely reach out um to you to kind of help us spread the word as that as that comes together.

Okay, um one particular request, which they don't often get the reach out, they're not technically businesses on the corridor.

Um, but the wholesalers and distributors are really important to this conversation and they often get left out.

Um, as Director Kirschbaum knows, right?

There's no alleys that run um in a wide enough span for distributors and wholesalers to do offloading um in the rear.

They have like, so I think they're not all residents and those businesses are not all DC businesses, but they are very much important to the community conversation, particularly around any types of um uh design changes on age.

So if we could just make sure that they are um included as part of that conversation um we've talked a lot about the gold line so we're gonna I'll I will look to hear more about that and especially in terms of what does the community input piece happen there um you know I think probably director Hanlin has been around long enough right some of this gonna feel like deja vu actually it already does uh feels like we should have had this conversation probably 15 years ago but here we are it's okay we're all gonna power through on it together um and get to a different outcome I do want to ask though about other access points because gold line obviously isn't the only transit method we talked a little bit about stadium armory are there any plans at this stage to make any modifications in terms of other bus transit lines around the RFK campus.

Thank you for that question and on the anniversary of better bus launching last year I I appreciate that.

So yes so we are um absolutely talking to uh D DOT on how you know to uh council member allen's comment about um you know when outy field has events like for our buses to get down there and serve it is a it is a challenge and so we are walking in eyes wide open of how do we make sure that uh the buses that are operating over there now um a you know we will need more frequency as the the development happens um but also shifting I think over there they're now over on like 18th 19th so with the as the new roads come about in in the RFK uh campus how do we shift over and potentially um hit the transit non-center area that we were just talking about but um how do we have those routings changed so it is something that we foresee doing as things come online.

I mean right now without the roads without the development it's it but it is absolutely on our agenda of what we need to do.

Okay.

Just a really quick follow-up I guess I don't know if this is for Director Kirschbaum or Dr.

Hanlon who who is who is in charge of the the new roads um who's doing it which agency the the day one road infrastructure um the the plan right now is is that um we're going through the design of that and um that includes all infrastructure and uh DGS will actually implement and do the uh manage the construction of the roads okay thank you yep thanks um attorney councilmember bonds here I will note when you your question around uh our metro parking lots free parking actually at Metro on the weekends so today you can park in those parking lots for free as long as you jump on metro uh so no price gouging no but can you not tell people because like that's what we want to make it I want I mean yes we want people to know and then also for those of us who've been in the now we want them to know we want folks to take advantage of going to Metro park in those garages in Maryland and Virginia hop on metro and then we're gonna get you a great experience to the stadium.

Yeah that's current we also don't drive in here we do charge parking for uh Morgan Boulevard dorm commanders game so that's an example uh or big big event so uh it's a it's uh it's a very flexible way that we try to accommodate parking yeah all right counselor bonds thank you thank you very much and thank you Randy for being here I understand you have to snoodle um so I I won't have any additional thoughts to share with you because I know that we're going to have um adequate goal line process but I am very concerned about the turnaround and how do we do that quickly and folks are walking across and all around when you're thinking about um the big crowds that will gather for the various events so I hope that you'll give me that a lot of thought um particularly on on the grounds, that's what I'm more concerned with.

We can manage it at Union Station, but on the grounds and in that area.

You have any parting words on that?

No, I yeah, yes, ma'am.

I think uh what I think you should take uh uh comfort in is our partners at DDOT live a safety mindset, everything they do every day.

And so I'm convinced that you know they know our they work with us every day on turning races, how we access bus stops for 60 foot buses, 40 foot buses, our metro access vehicles, all of those things.

Uh they they are you know the idea of safety first is what we all live on the idea uh and so I think the planning on this will ensure from a regular day experience, but for these large crowding, and that might mean that the infrastructure is used a little differently on game days than it is for regular days, right?

Where people drive some days may not be drivable, and that happens all the time towards Nats Park, D DOT shuts down streets because there's a lot of crowding, and we work around that all the time.

So I think you should have a lot of confidence in your DDOT staff about about making sure this all works.

Exactly.

Well, thank you for that.

And so when you when you speak of the amount of space that we need, are we looking at needing more space than we have at the Minnesota Avenue uh metro stop?

You know, you can sort of move around there.

Will we need more?

Because you indicated that we probably are going to have buses arriving every two or three minutes.

So will we does that require more space?

And if so, I'm gonna ask um, I'm gonna ask Mr.

Hamlin how we're gonna do that, and how we're gonna allocate that amount of space that you would need.

Yeah, thank you, Council.

So if you mean uh at Minnesota or betting, we're good.

We're good there.

No, I know you're good there, but I'm I'm trying to do get a sense as to whether or not you feel you need greater amount of of footage at those stations, ma'am.

Or you're gonna have more buses coming on a more regular basis.

So what is your do you mean on the camp?

Council member, do you want to on the campus?

If the turnaround, we need the right amount of space, and I think that's back to everyone who's been working on that to know where we need to circulate the six mostly 60-foot buses through that.

So I'm convinced that we're gonna land in a really good spot to make sure we can get the right amount of frequency, safety, and reliability done through that.

Okay, I was trying to preempt that and get a sense of what you're thinking was uh whether or not you're thinking we were gonna need more space than we have, like at Minnesota for the turnaround, then or less.

You're gonna need more.

I know you're gonna need more.

We need the required space to do it safely.

I'm trying to get an early answer.

That's okay.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Mr.

Hamlin, what do you think about this space?

How are we gonna do this space?

Well, I mean, uh I guess I'll just piggyback on what Randy said.

It's to me, it's less about the allocation of space and more about the flow and the separation of pedestrians and vehicles.

And so from a safety and planning standpoint, um, as Randy said, the right amount of space will be integrated into the design.

But ultimately, it just comes down to, you know, common sense laying out of things.

You've got buses coming in and leaving, and there's ways to essentially I would say engineer or help control the flow of people around the site so that you're not creating a lot of intersections between the two.

And if I could add to that, the language that's in OP's draft master plan reflects where we're at and reflects our priorities with that bus service, which is dedicated spaces, a space for the buses to get it in and separate from car traffic, building on those lessons learned from from Audi Field, from the streetcar, dedicated space so it's not caught up, getting it as far into the site as is as feasible to get folks closer to the stadium.

There's diminishing returns, and we have to work exactly where at.

You don't want to get too far from Bennings and with the right distance, and then turning them around and getting them back to H betting.

And that's where Rad is figure out what are what is the number of spaces we need to accomplish those specific goals.

All right.

So I can read in here and get a sense.

Okay, I read the executive summary.

I didn't get a sense from that.

So I have to go into the chapters.

I just got it um last night, but okay, I'll do that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Um we were gonna let uh the general manager leave because he has a 12 o'clock uh we're gonna stay for a couple more rounds.

Councilman Felder, though, uh, had a couple of last questions for Wamata since we have a couple of minutes before 12.

So let me turn to my co-chair here to ask that round of questions, then drill manager will uh excuse you and let you go, and then we'll dig a little deeper with our other panelists.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Uh GM Clark, just picking up where I left off about the uh transit center.

Station, um, as you are aware, uh the ANC 7D, they sent the disapproval resolution of the current location.

Should we choose to move forward with the location?

Are you open to switching?

Uh are you open to any alternative sites?

Should we move forward with this transit center?

Yeah, great question, Council.

So again, I reiterate if if our word choice got people, feels like this has turned into a bigger thing than it was meant to at the time.

We're trying to put down a marker that we need a place that is safe, that we can move a ton of buses, and people are feel uh they could like op or payment, and we quite frankly just move a large amount of people that is not like a traditional bus stop.

Um so I think everyone on here has discussed we are we're at the early stage of this, but I have a lot of confidence between, especially in the D DOT side of how much we work together on this.

The last comment was what the key is dedicated space for buses that don't conflict with pedestrians and other vehicles, and especially during events, but good enough for regular service to keep down our operating costs and keep the reliability up for daily travel as well.

So we're going to get there where that right site is.

Part of this, remember, we're early on the utility stuff too.

So where we think is the right location, DC Water might come back and say, Well, actually, there's an issue, and you've got to be over here.

That's all gonna get worked out.

That's what I said.

Brian's team, uh, Director Halen's team is leading that effort.

D DOT's heavily involved, we're part of that.

So I mean, I think people just gotta now say you got the you're at this level, and over the next months it's gonna get deeper and deeper to get these things more exact.

Uh thank you, GM.

Uh GM, I love I know you mentioned uh that uh residents will have an opportunity to share public comments.

Are you opposed to uh going to an ANC meeting to give those updates?

Yeah, I think uh the team is gonna coordinate with you and the ANCs around uh the public meeting that uh the the team is gonna do.

Uh the goal again is sometime uh mid to late uh July.

We would love it should come.

We can do the joint, I guess.

Yeah, we can we can discuss that.

It's like a plan.

Yeah, uh Director Kirstbaum, I don't know if this is for you or uh GM Clark.

Uh so you know, a couple months ago they just decommissioned the streetcar.

Then we talked, director, about the next generation of the streetcar.

Does this go line uh like how does it is it the same as the next generation of the streetcar?

How does the two tie into one another?

Absolutely.

I mean, everything that we've learned about the shortcomings of the streetcar get addressed by having a BRT.

This is now going to be the east-west corridor that we never were able to accomplish on the streetcar.

This is going to have you know frictionless service because it will be center running.

So all of the issues when a car double parked and it stops streetcar service, all of those things will be immune from.

Um we are going to see the the transportation service that was really, you know, never ever reached by streetcar um achieved with this and the flexibility and in many ways because the the fact that these are not going to break the bank.

I mean, it is um it is going to be transformative and with a price tag that we can afford and we'll be able to continue to expand, you know, really to get to um farther areas west than than we are able to comp contemplate.

Uh thank you for that.

Uh you mentioned uh far west, east and west.

Okay.

I thought you said east, which is a good segue to my next question.

Um general manager Clark.

How are you thinking about uh residents who may live off of Pennsylvania Avenue, 295?

Like the fair lawn going towards uh Penn Branch, uh off of Pennsylvania Avenue.

How are you thinking about improving um better bus networks to allow folks to get to the stadium absent of a car?

Yeah, thank you for the question.

So I think we have to always remember we're in a pendulum of time.

So last year we did our Better Rust Network redesign, and we did it based on the budget that we had available.

Appreciate the council has jumped in.

Uh, you know, it was in the mayor's budget.

The council, I guess confirmed it is the best way I would maybe describe this process this time.

And uh now we're gonna run some more buses in DC.

And they're nice ads to the system, both on frequency, span of hours, and some new connections.

Uh we created a visionary network through the better bus process.

Again, the district heavily involved, but also you, as you're well aware, we're not district based, we're regional based.

So across the region, we have a blueprint for our visionary bus network, and it means we've got to spend more money on bus.

And Metro would love to do that, but also it's pretty challenging economic times and variety of push pulls.

Um, so I think what we have to be is where we are today, where we're gonna be in 2030, and we, and as you said, five years after.

And Navy Yard or NOMA, I think are good examples that the bus service going in and out of Navy Yard today looks a lot different than it did 10 years ago or 20 years ago, because people, population size, residents and visitors and destinations change.

That's what Metro is committed to being very agile and flexible.

So those areas of the network that need more service over time to connect, we're gonna need to think and adjust from there.

So, and then I just want to double down on what Director Kirschbaum said.

Uh, the answer is yes.

Like this, this goal line could be very transformational.

It could fulfill the dream of the streetcar for I don't say pennies on the dollar, but way less capital and more importantly, less operating money, and both east and west.

But I remind people the west part is probably the most key because the west part is where the most congestion is.

Not because it's more important for any other reason.

The downtown core of DC does not move, especially during PM rush hour.

And if you want to if you want people in Bending Road that may work, say on K Street, to have better transportation, solving K Street is equally as important, if not more important, because of time savings and reliability than solving another part of like where that bus goes.

So we are working with DOT to try to systematically identify and go after projects like George Avenue, Florida Avenue, we want K Street, H Street.

They've done a really great work on a variety of things.

And everywhere we do that, bus speeds are better, reliability goes up, uh it's safer, it's more accessible.

Uh, that's what we need to continue to work with uh with the district.

Thank you, GM Clark.

Uh I would say um I appreciate your time.

Uh just so director, you can answer this.

Um how often do you guys meet individually?

I know there's a lot of coordination happening, and it's a two-part question.

And in addition to you guys meeting, is there normally a representative from the PMO's office?

And how is that information being uh elevated uh to the PMO so he is aware of all of the uh various coordination efforts?

Okay, I guess I'll start from here.

I think you might be tying that back to our case.

I'll just say this.

Like our teams talk every day.

Sharon and I probably talk, I don't know, text or talk certainly every week.

She certainly texts or talks probably with uh Tom Webster or Leroy Jones, who's our COO, maybe every single day.

Her team coordinates with Allison's team, uh people on bus priority talk every day.

The amount of interaction between I I think if you're not in district government or at Metro, people maybe not appreciate how tied together these two organizations are on transportation, public safety, economic development.

One cannot be successful without the other.

We are like that again across the region, but obviously with the core in DC.

So we're very you know happy and proud and appreciative to work with, you know, Director Halen on this, but we also work with the deputy uh mayors on a variety of other things.

The fire chief and his team, the police chief and his team.

I talked to the mayor a lot, we've talked to council members.

Uh so any way that you all think that Metro could lean in on partnership, we're there, but I can't say enough about the city staff we work with.

Um, you know, we're all not perfect every day.

There's always a gonna be a disagreement, that's how it works, but no one is uh being disagreeable, and I think everyone has shared goals of making everything better.

That'd be our our response to that.

I defer to Director Kirschbaum on.

Yeah, I really I don't have anything to add.

Um, and the good news is we share this commitment to the BRT parity bus lanes and really understand how impactful they are.

Um, and just vis-a-vis your earlier question about what other bus impact.

I know um the general manager talked about a couple of key projects, but specifically in Ward 7, um, we actually have a parody bus lane planned on Minnesota Avenue.

It'll actually run from Benning to Nanny Helen Burroughs, and that's actually a 27 construction.

And I know you're very familiar with the Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast Party Bus Lane.

We'll be able to extend from Penn Potomac.

You know, we've talked about it, tied to the Penn Min project.

Um it's gonna go all the way to branch.

So we're going to continue to see really beneficial bus efficiency efforts through those projects too.

Thanks.

Um, we just flipped our rounds here, Mr.

General Manager, we'll let you go now.

Um, I do want to say before you do that though, real fast, um, I don't think we should ever talk about the gold line as the next generation streetcar because it is not the streetcar, it's not the next generation streetcar, it's an entirely different thing.

And I also don't want folks who have who feel a certain kind of way uh about the streetcar to conflate what the gold line is and the potential it has for our east-west connectivity, uh, not just for major events, but for every day.

Um, so I I would actually argue that we do not refer to it as a next generation streetcar because it isn't.

It's maybe to borrow Wamada's language, it's a better bus.

Uh, but it's gonna be a bus prioritization and a significant east-west connection that's desperately needed.

Sure.

I guess I'll uh and again, thank you for having me.

I apologize I have to run to an appointment and uh Alison will stay.

It is I I the reason it's called gold line is because it's a level of quality, frequency, reliability, more uh attuned to you would have like a light rail uh line, kind of like the purple line.

That's the way, and so that's how we're thinking of that branding.

The branding is not just to have a color, the branding is to signify potentially on our map and connections, these levels of reliability and capacity.

So most colors in a transit map are about capacity.

The gold line will allow for much higher level of capacity reliability than just quote unquote just a bus.

And that allows us to then work on the other bus lanes and other bus routes to keep higher quality of them as well.

So, yeah, for us, we're just talking about the gold line and the importance of it across the entire district.

Excellent.

Thank you very much.

Again, thanks to General Manager.

Um, all right, I'm gonna dig in now a little bit on some non-Wamada uh issues as well here.

Um, so I wanted to start, you know, one of the things that is helpful with the document that was released uh yesterday, again, while um it helps kind of paint the picture, I think for a lot of folks around some different ideas.

Um, and we're certainly gonna hear feedback from residents and neighbors who both really like what they're seeing as well as want to see continued changes in it.

But I wanted to focus on one what I think is a very significant uh addition here, and I'm specifically talking about a new roadway that's being proposed here, KPDA.

So this would be the roadway connecting roughly at the intersection of Oklahoma and Binning currently, cutting across the parks and green space that exist there now through where the soccer fields uh exist right now, not the fields, but there's two soccer fields, and then connecting down to C Street.

In these documents, it is laying it out as a 110 foot right-of-way and a minor arterial, and it's also listing, for example, the existing C Street is a minor arterial, it is four lanes of travel one way.

I think we're gonna hear some feedback from community around having a roadway that cuts through an existing park space and green space, but how many lanes of travel does this represent?

And part of my concern is with a hundred and ten-foot right-away, you have a lot of options, of course, that doesn't have to be eight lanes of travel on that.

Um, but you're needing to, in the same way we talked about a transit center, you've got to have the capacity to flex up for a major event, for example, and try to move in and out.

But that can't be the conditions every day.

I don't want to design a roadway.

Uh it's much like when we've done other other roads.

I got I don't want to design a roadway just for rush hour.

We got to design a roadway that fits a neighborhood every day of the year.

And I'm I'm glad you raised it.

And I think it's important to talk about how we are are looking sort of some fundamental principles about our our day one roadways, and we can talk more specifically about about this segment.

Um, and much of what Councilmember Felder shared about things that are top of mind with your residents, we have that very much built into how we're trying to frame it.

So, key principle, minimize stadium parking footprint, prioritize everyday multimodal travel, protect local streets from regional game day traffic, and that means also preventing visitors from parking in the neighborhoods and designing human scaled streets.

So we need appropriate size streets, and that is in to ensure that we're avoiding both gridlock and highway scaled roads and overbuild.

Um, and so we're using a traffic analysis to inform us, we're using those principles that I walked through, and then ultimately our our you know safety, you know, framework that we look at for everything.

So, so that is how we are approaching all of it.

Um, but we are very mindful of the concern that you're raising.

So I want to be specific to this one.

So, like I think about C Street right now, it's a 90 foot right away, and we've got four lanes of travel on it.

This is a hundred and ten right away.

You don't have to use every foot of right away for a roadway.

So, what what should neighbors who are gonna be very anxious about seeing this?

What should they actually expect?

Yeah, so I think exactly what you're saying about the 110 feet of right away reflects the multimodal, like that road is the spine.

One of the earliest pieces of feedback we heard.

I wouldn't say the feedback's starting, it has started.

I've heard about this specific segment a lot.

A lot of those folks know me by name, and we've had some conversations about it.

It reflects that it's the spine, and there's going to be every multimodal need that we've discussed today, is probably gonna need to touch that road, and we have to make sure we have the space to solve for that.

It's not in design yet.

So we do not have designs.

I don't have an answer on the number of lanes because we're working through that.

The master plan draft came out yesterday, and we have to continue to have these conversations to understand the right number of lanes, and I would say not just the right number of lanes for that whole stretch, but for which segment we're talking about.

It may look different right at the intersection versus coming in, and we need to look at what are those multimodal needs and hear from the neighbors about their concerns.

I've heard a lot of specific concerns about number of lanes, crossing distance, access to amenities, and those are all things that will factor in.

We don't have a final cross section, and we're still working through that.

One of those pieces will be the traffic analysis will inform what we think is necessary to avoid the gridlock.

Um, but that's not the only consideration.

So it is a factor and a tool to use to get to that, but we're just not there yet in the process.

Okay.

Um I will certainly stress throughout this process uh we could have we could design something so that on the limited number of times we have thousands of cars in gridlock.

We could design something that helps ease that, but we're gonna create a roadway that does not work for the neighborhood and community the rest of the time of the year.

So striking that balance is really important, and uh it'll be something I kind of keep coming back to.

Um speaking of gridlock and congestion, all right, parking garages.

All right, so uh Mr.

Metta, I know you and I talked about this briefly.

I know there were a couple of months ago, maybe some uh some initial images that got showed that didn't necessarily reflect um what the true plans around height and capacity on some of the parking garages are.

But if I look at the document from yesterday, the parking garage in the riverfront district, G1, the imagery is showing an eight-story parking garage here.

Is that an accurate representation of what G1, the parking garage in the riverfront district is going to look like?

The short answer is we're still going through it.

The engagement that we had with OP kind of we explained what we were thinking, it kind of goes into a black box, and then we got it yesterday just as just as you all did.

Uh backing up to what you referenced, the initial submission, obviously, was more of a bureaucratic legal submission made to NCPC to preserve our rights of how much we might want to build.

Now, I think we were pretty realistic that we need certain amount of spots.

It doesn't have to be 11-story building necessarily to do that.

Um, so to more directly answer your question, we're still in the process of parking garage design and obviously not at construction yet, and we're gonna take input from the community as we start to develop what that actually looks like.

What we did hear from yesterday's submission is that people want to make sure they preserve their site line to uh you know throughout the neighborhood and certainly to the water.

That's something that I think we're gonna have to keep working through as through the through the design process.

Okay.

And to be fair, that initial image, which I think was again kind of a blocking for a federal review process showed an approximately 11-story structure.

This the structure we're looking at here is approximately eight stories, uh, which may be a more realistic impression.

And the surrounding residential buildings, again, it's a pretty picture on a piece of paper, but are higher than that parking garage.

Um in other words, the density would be less than the surrounding buildings.

That's right.

I mean, that that will be one of the things that we have to figure out, not just with the existing neighborhood, but the new neighborhood that's gonna be built there as well.

That's gonna have to fit in with those parking providers.

Because you're right, if we're building very nice, you know, apartment buildings um near one of those parking garages, people are gonna want to have a view that's not just looking into a parking garage and nothing else.

So that that is going to be part of the process.

Okay.

When we look at the roadways, one of the requirements of the um of the RFK campus and deal was the addition of a new fire station.

I don't see it reflected here.

We know we have a need both citywide and on the east side of the city for additional fire capacity.

If we're building a neighborhood of up to 20,000 new residents and huge demand events, we also have to have fire and EMS capacity.

I don't see it reflected in this drawing about where it would be located, but obviously the roadway decisions we make around where we place and what type of roads is going to impact where a ladder truck can go, where rescue squad can go.

How is that incorporated in the planning thus far?

Because I don't see it.

Um I can't give you the ex I don't have the uh address or the corner in in my head, but we can certainly get that to you.

Um there has been a lot of discussion with FEMS about their uh station requirements, and so I would say it's um kind of northwest of the of the plaza district, um, adjacent to the the campus proper and uh working through with FEMS their programmatic requirements and um I say it's an ongoing but thoughtful process.

Okay.

And my assumption is gonna be uh for an emergency response perspective, having worked with them for years, the the demand that they are gonna see is having rapid response, not just in the immediate neighborhood, but when they get called into service, either having access to Binning Road or East Capitol Street and having the roads be appropriate to make sure that we can get emergency vehicles uh out the direction that we need.

Right.

There and that there's been um uh a lot of coordination.

We've been working uh certainly with deputy mayor appear, but um, you know, MPD um with FEMS with HCMA OUC to take a comprehensive look at kind of public safety within the stadium, but the campus proper.

So those are ongoing uh uh coordination sessions that we're having.

Okay.

All right, I know my time's up on this round, so oh wait, Counselor Bonds disappeared.

Okay.

All right, Counselor Bond's gonna step back.

All right, then let me turn to my co-chair then, Councillor Felder.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Uh, picking up where you left off, uh, Kurtzon, just a couple questions for you as it relates to parking.

Um, could you speak to uh how many spaces do you envision uh individually uh for G1 and G2?

I don't have a breakdown between G1 and G2, but the total number we're looking for is 88,200.

That's the number we've been consistent.

And now it'll depend, you know, as uh based on the question that um chairperson Allen just asked about what how can we design a parking garage that allows for the surrounding community versus the new community to make sure that they have good access lines, have good access to parking, have good access to roads.

So that could depend on the rest of the design.

And um, does this parking the G1 and the G2 does that include spaces for staffing and the team?

Uh and if not, where would they park?

Yeah, that's that's gonna be attached to the stadium itself.

I mean, there might be some exceptions there, but we anticipate players, team, corporate offices, things like that will be attached to the stadium and as part of the stadium complex.

Um, looking at the master plan that was released yesterday.

Uh it talked about how 6,000 uh parking spaces uh would I'm assuming go uh on the site G1, G2, and then uh surface parking or tempor temporary parking.

Uh if I'm doing a math to accommodate 2,000 visitors, could you walk me through that?

Yeah, I mean, this uh I'm gonna I'm trying to reverse engineer what they were thinking because this is not exactly the submission that we made to them.

There's a couple components to it.

One of them is that there will be uh a there obviously you're not gonna build the entire neighborhood on day one, so there will be some surface parking spots on day one that are not just the garage.

That's I think partly what might have been tried to be conveyed.

The second thing that I think they were maybe trying to convey is that there will be some tailgating aspect, it's a huge component of what our fans want.

Two thousand spots is not necessarily what we're thinking, but we don't have a proposal yet on tailgating.

So I think that was a placeholder for those two things.

And you mentioned um it's not exactly what you submitted.

Uh Director Hannah, how are you ensuring that the key agencies involved in whether transportation planning or another aspect of this project, the information that requires interagency or coordination is properly uh being reflected into your conversations with these individual agencies to tie into the broader implementation of the plan?

Well, I guess I just would say that the mindset that um that we have and that um everyone we've been engaging with across government and with the commanders and certainly Wamada, there's an ongoing and robust, robust, high level of elevated engagement about all of these issues, and you know, the gravity of the project has made that occur, and I think it's actually yielding um uh really great results in terms of the coordinated communication, providing uh kind of more immediate clarity about how to arrive at the best solutions.

Uh thank you for that.

Uh Kurton, as uh the transportation efforts move forward uh from planning to construction.

Could you speak to what role the commanders will have in responding to community concerns?

Yeah, but I just think you're back very quickly on what the um Director Hanlon just said, which is all of these components are working very closely together.

We have weekly, if not more than a week, meetings with these various agencies and our master planners, and there's a lot of coordination on that front.

I think we have done a very many meetings with the community, of course, but that it does not I don't think that process really ever ends.

That's gonna be something we continue doing and refining our proposals based on it.

Because as we learn more, we make better ideas and other people have ideas based on that as well.

Thank you for that.

Uh I'm gonna shift to Director Kirstbaum.

Uh Director, could you speak to all of the DDAT related projects surrounding the infrastructure along RFK?

I know you mentioned the bus routes, so I think it will be uh helpful to talk about uh the major infrastructure projects.

Sure.

Um and just vis-a-vis the campus and day one roads.

Um DDOT is actively involved in terms of um oversight permitting, working with utility coordination, um making sure that all the roadways meet standards.

Um involved on campus beyond campus.

Um I think the project that's actually front of mine, we just released the solicitation on Friday, is um the Benning Road Bridge project.

So this will be to replace the Willie J.

Hardy Bridge.

Um it will also have um, you know, upgrading that the Benning 295 interchange ramps, adding additional access point to that.

Um we'll be adding wider sidewalks.

It's going to be an upgrade of of sort of within, you know, two blocks around the bridge and the bridge.

Um, this work, our goal is to get this done for 2030 as well.

Um we actually, in this CIP for 27, we actually were given another 50 million to upgrade the Benning Corridor.

So on both sides of the bridge, um, between 26 and 34th, and then on the other side from Minnesota to East Capitol.

Um, and that will be just an entire roadway upgrade, including wider enhanced sidewalks, enhanced street lighting.

We are now with the streetcar element gone.

We're going to be incorporating the BRT design into this segment as well.

So I think the whole corridor is going to really be transformed.

A big piece of it by 2030.

Beyond that, maybe have a slightly longer tail.

And then again, I've mentioned the two BRT projects in the vicinity.

Anything else?

I think we well, and you H Street Bridge again along the corridor for the um VRT, but that's also going to be getting an update, and we're doing the solicitation now for design work.

No, I'm sorry, the uh decommissioned uh Pepco power plant.

Uh what about that?

And then the uh oh, I'm sorry.

Go ahead.

Oh, I got you off.

So um indeed that will be another access point from Parkside to Benning.

Um we are currently updo upgrading, there's a bridge that really is the access point to get to the transfer station.

Once that bridge is done, we'll be able to have an Anacostia Avenue extension that will run in front of the transfer station and then two Benning.

Um, and I think it'll be a great connector for the community where there's really no access at this point.

Uh thank you, Director.

Uh I will say I appreciate the extensive conversations that we've had about uh ensuring that we're strengthening connectivity across the ward.

There's 28 neighborhoods in the ward, and my desire as a council member is regardless of where you live, you should be able to access any neighborhood in Ward 7.

So I appreciate your support.

Uh in addition to that, I appreciate your support trying to strengthen East West connectivity in the ward.

I was very disappointed to see that you funded in your proposed budget, uh, 18 million dollars to support the RFK connectivity bridge, and then that money was uh removed, and now I had conversations with the chairman.

Uh oh, you have some well often thought about him working to restore that.

Um it seems like you have an update, but in the event that that money isn't put back in the budget for uh next year, how do you think that will impact uh the connectivity in the war and um the abilities to support East West Connection uh to get to the site?

And I'm glad that you mentioned the PED bridge um from East Cap.

The funding was not removed.

My understanding is the funding was just pushed out, so it will continue to be pursued.

Um, it's going to have a final date of 2032, so it wouldn't be a 2030 project, but we continue to pursue that.

Um we think it's a great connection again to get from East Capitol to RFK, you're really constrained by the underpass with the CSX rail tracks.

So this Ped Bridge will get folks um over that so that they can bike or walk um over the bridge as well.

So still gonna happen just a little slower than we had thought.

And from my conversation with the chairman, he said that he's we're gonna try to put it back for next year.

But my question any event that you mentioned uh there's funding for 2030.

Not having, in my opinion, such a vital connectivity uh hub, how do you think that will impact uh residents' ability to walk or bike to the stadium?

I think you know the answer.

Yeah, I mean, it is it's really um an unfortunate cutoff right now, and it really means that people who live in walking distance are compelled to drive because there's no easy way to get there otherwise.

Thank you, Director Mr.

Chairman.

Thank you very much.

Um I wanted to come back and maybe clarify a little bit on the parking garages, Mr.

Meta.

So, from the approved deal last year and the planning documents, the total number of parking in structured lots is approximately six thousand, not the eight thousand.

But if I understand correctly, but make sure you correct me on what the intention is, the additional ballpark 2,000 begin as surface parking lots because again, not every single parcel is going to be developed.

I think these are pretty pictures.

Nobody should assume on opening day 2030, you're going to see every single one of these things fully built out.

I remember the pretty pictures around the ballpark, and some of those sites still haven't been built, and that's been 15 years.

So I want to be very clear about what people's expectations are.

So surface parking lots are going to account for ballparkish 2,000 or so of those parking spaces.

And then as those sites get built, many of them will have parking or below ground parking, much in the same way buildings around NATS Park do.

So on an event day, there's structured parking at the nationals, but there's a lot of parking that go that people go into those mixed-use buildings and park on event day.

Is that, am I understanding that correctly?

So you're seeing a total of around 8,200 spaces, but the structured element is about 6,000.

Yeah, well, let me just start by saying I think one distinction that RFK will have that's different from the ballparks, although, as we as we've discussed, the ballpark is a great analogy for us.

It's the sort of the example that we want to set of what it did to the area to the neighborhood.

But one distinction is that in this case there's one master developer with the city two master developers, but that's this that is a big difference.

It allows us to move much faster.

And you are right that in 2030, not everything will be built, and some of that is zoning, actually.

We're hoping that that could be sped up a little bit and we could have some construction ready by day one.

Um but yes, I think you're basically what you said is right.

The only other caveat I'd say is that we agreed to pause the construction of the third garage, and we'll see what what works.

If it ends up working just fine, that more, you know, say not 60%, say 70% come by transit, and that uh Wamada's able to absorb that, then that I think will uh change the uh desire to build that garage itself.

I mean, I don't think there's any doubt that land is much more valuable to be something else in a parking garage, but we also have to make sure that our fans can come to the game.

Yes, well, you won't be surprised.

Uh every ounce of my energy will be making sure that we're getting there getting people there by transit, uh, walking, biking, everything other than just driving their cars, adding congestion in the neighborhood, um, because I never want that third garage to be built.

Um, that's not going to surprise you.

Um, let me talk about um again getting people there out of their cars.

Um for the gold line, and this is to Director Kirschbaum and Director Hanlon.

Um we talked earlier the funding that we're putting in is for our planning and engineering.

To be fair, from a Wamada's perspective, we haven't actually put the money in to build it yet, and so I think our Wamada partners, of course, are gonna be full partners in the design engineering, but they don't actually have a budget yet that funds it.

What is our estimate for what the gold line construction costs would be?

And can we break that down by phase?

So specifically, if we look at union station to RFK, and I guess today I'm not feeling like we're using the word transit center anymore, uh, but two RFK connection, and then what at least initially was called 1B from that RFK site to Binning Road.

What do we think a ballpark construction cost is gonna be?

Because we've got to start planning for that within our budget.

Sure.

Um, we will use the design process to also help refine what those costs will be.

Um, so there's some variables, but I think right now um we're thinking in the 75 million range uh for that.

That's all in bidding road to union station, or that's just union station to RFK.

Um, is that union station to RFK?

Okay, union station RFK is the 75.

Okay.

And then do we have a sense from, and if we're built yet, you said the contract just went out on the bridge, the bidding bridge as well.

Is that is that gonna be is that a design build?

Yes.

Okay.

So will it be able to be, well, that design obviously, and if we're building that bridge, be able to incorporate the planning for this connection from bidding road station to RFK.

So actually, the project that will be able to cover much of that.

So first, the design that we're doing now will cover both segments.

We're going to look at in complete all the way through to banning.

The DDOT already has a separate Benning corridor project.

$50 million was put into the FI27 CIP.

We're going to use that project budget to include the segment of the gold line construction as well.

So we're looking, that seems like we have an easier fix for.

We've already designed the Benning corridor project.

The change that we need to do is swap out the design that had streetcar with this new design that we're going to be working on now.

So that should also, you know, move relatively quickly.

But that um probably will bleed over 2030, but we'll be able to incorporate much of the construction for gold line as part of that project.

Okay.

And sorry, just to make sure I follow that.

What will be beyond 2030?

The so we are doing a major construction project along the corridor, the bending corridor.

That project involves changing the roadway configuration.

We do not want to do a gold line construction and do that project after.

We're combining those projects.

That money for that project goes out through 2032.

So we will be doing them in tandem.

Okay.

So from a at least as it is today, the any gold line connection between RFK and the Binning Road Metro station is targeting more of a, and yeah, we're so far out, I'm not going to hold you to a certain day, but ballparkish, we're talking a 2032 delivery.

Correct.

Okay.

And part of that will also determine is it Minnesota Avenue or Benning Metro.

Okay.

And I think we have every interest to see how we can help expedite that in any ways possible, be it funding or otherwise, so that it can try as much as possible to align with 2030.

So from a gold line of Union Station to RFK, that is a goal is what I'm hearing.

Again, the funding isn't in the budget yet, but the goal would be that that would deliver by 2030.

Correct.

Okay.

Contingent on funding.

Correct.

Okay.

Got it.

Um.

And then Alison, the timeline obviously for the full east-west connection, all the way out to Roslin, just so again to set expectations for folks.

That is beyond 2030, correct?

That yes, that is.

I mean, in my in all, I think I'm not speaking alone at the table.

In our dreams, we would love to see that.

I know you would, but no, you would.

Yes, I think just with all of the work, not just on, you know, H benning to Minnesota, all the work at RFK.

Um, there is, and that is a small piece of the region.

So all of the other construction work that is just happening in this region.

Um, we start to get limited contractors, limited uh supply chain work.

So, yes, it will it will be beyond 2030.

Again, also part of this is just helpful and set expectations for folks about what they will and won't see on that.

Um, as my time ticks in on this round, uh, Mr.

Meta, I'm gonna ask you a similar question I asked the last time we got together on this in this hearing.

Um, one of the things that I think is uh incredibly exciting uh any time I'm going to a Nats game, for example, is I'm not about to get in my car, I jump on a bike, and that bike valet is packed to the gills of folks who are moving around that way.

Yeah, we're laying out a lot of great bike infrastructure here.

Um I appreciate the planning in D Dot and the team who've been really thoughtful about how to build out that bike infrastructure because the more people we can get in that direction, better.

Or we can have a bike valet at the stadium.

I as I as I mentioned to you before, we'd certainly have got to find a way of people who are taking bicycles to take care of that somehow.

I agree with you.

I don't like the reason I bristle about bike valet is just it might not be in the stadium, might be next to the stadium, might be in a garage, but there's certainly going to be some function by which we take care of people who are coming by bicycle because to your point, we want them to take the bicycle to the game.

And to be fair, when I go to the NAS game, I'm not taking it actually in the stadium.

My bike is in a garage, right?

And so the proximate proximity of a garage.

I my my the reason why it is so successful at the ballpark is that it is in a covered and structured space.

So I've seen bike valets where people say, Let me just go kind of set up a bunch of bike racks to bring in a lawn somewhere.

It doesn't work as well.

Having something that is within a structure makes sense, and sometimes that first floor of a parking garage, structured garage, has dead spaces that frankly a bike valet works really well to fill and program out that whole space.

That's right, yeah.

So it won't, I don't have Heartburn if what you're gonna tell me is it's gonna be in the proximate garage next to it, because that is proximate.

Um I think it's just important to have a dedicated space that is structured and covered.

Yeah, let me go a step further.

It'd be helpful if you wouldn't mind introducing some people who have thought about this more than we have, as you can imagine, this is a few steps ahead from where we where we currently are.

But I think it'd be helpful to engage with some individuals that you think uh could give us some ideas about this.

Be happy to do it.

I remember when we had these conversations at the ballpark, uh, the learners were like, people aren't gonna come by bike.

Uh, what are you talking about?

And now it's it's an incredibly popular way and easy way for folks to get in and then not get stuck in the traffic coming out, and then for the folks that do need to or choose to drive, it's one less person they're competing with for congestion in space.

So appreciate it.

All right, Counselor Felder.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Um, I'm pretty sure that you and I mean everyone up there, right?

You've heard a conversations uh from neighbors who live in Cayman Park about two large parking decks.

We talked about uh 6,000 parking slats uh on the site in 2000 for temporary use.

Um my question to you, director, is how are we protecting um residents from spillover?

Yeah, 65,000 C facil uh stadium and just knowing customer, I'm sorry, knowing the behavior of humans, folks might drive to the next neighborhood just to get closer to you know uh cut down their travel time.

Like, what are we doing to protect those residents who live in Cayman Park, River Terrace, Hill East, Parkside?

Sure.

I mean so you know, guiding principle first and foremost is that we want to make it so inviting to use other modes that we will really reduce the people that are even going to try to come by car.

Um so we need to make sure we get that right hard stop.

Um we also need to make sure that whatever road access we do have avoids the any sort of effort to ride through the neighborhoods.

Um, I think we have done so much work to make um in terms of traffic calming along um King Min and Hill East, and we don't want to lose any of the progress that we've made.

Um we also know that there are some disincentives vis-a-vis curbside parking policies that we can also use um within the neighborhoods so that visitors aren't um but we are we're designing a TOPP, again, not there yet.

We've got a couple of steps before we do it, but that really is about ensuring that um if there is vehicular flow, it is moving in the areas that we want it to, and that the impact on our neighborhoods is minimized, and uh just a follow-up question.

Um, Kurton, are the commanders coming up with any incentives for fans that will encourage them?

Uh, like, hey, if you don't drive, but catch the metro, you know, we may give you a discount on your tickets or what incentives, if any, are the commanders rolling out to kind of support the work of D Dat and uh Wamada to make sure that parking doesn't spill over in a community.

I think it's a good question.

I I mean certainly we're united in encouraging folks to not drive to the stadium.

Um I think there'll be some people, as I mentioned before, who demanded because they want a tailgate or they can't because they live in a certain part of Virginia or Maryland that that require them to drive.

Uh, but otherwise, I think that you are right that we should be thinking about ways to encourage individuals to come.

I don't have a proposal on an incentive at this point, but that's certainly something that we want to do because again, the whole process gets a lot easier if you don't have the traffic gridlock.

Uh thank you.

Uh now there's currently events happening uh at RFK right now, whether it is the Glowfest, the weather, it's a number of other activities.

And you know, I get calls all the time from neighbors about folks parking in air spaces, uh, requiring me to reach out to DPW for ticketing and towing purposes.

Uh, director, my question to you is at what stage do you guys get involved from a uh zoning, uh a neighborhood zoning perspective, like to ensure that, you know, whether it's residential parking, whether it's you can't park here on game day.

I know the stadium isn't projected to be completed by 2030, but like when can we start that process?

Um I think that's going to happen as we're developing the TOPP.

Um so I don't know if that's uh a year out.

Probably it'll be far closer than we are now.

Um but we have been really expanding our tools in terms of curbside um options.

Um we have performance parking zones that we've used in the stadium area.

We've been using it in New Street where we're able to you know adjust the rate for visitors who don't have residential parking permits, um, again to to really kind of minimize demand.

So um I'm excited.

I think as we get to that level, we're going to have a number of options that we can employ.

Um, and we'll talk more about it, but it's really early at this stage um to get to that that level of of implementation.

Thank you.

You mentioned uh curveside, and you know, we've had a robust community engagement process.

We developed a CDA, uh, and you know, as it's noted that within that CBA uh curve to curve transportation uh service for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

I just want to know how are we helping those folks under the current transportation plan?

Sorry, just want to make sure you're clear.

Just in terms of being able to preserve like residential disability parking permits.

Yes, for like individuals or or even curve size support for individuals who may be disabled or our seniors who may want to come to the game.

Um, I see who are not residents.

So right now, the residential disability parking permit is specifically targeting residents so that they have access to their um their homes.

But um, in terms of at the ball at the stadium itself, um, I don't know, I'm probably not the best person to talk about because I think that's probably tied to the garage parking.

I'm sorry, do you repeat the question again?

Yes.

Uh so my question, uh, you know, during our uh community engagement process, we heard from a number of residents we put this CDA together, and within the CBA, there were a strong desire to have curved to curve transportation options for seniors and or individuals with disability.

My question is how are we helping those folks under this current plan?

Yeah, so getting into the stadium or from the parking to the stadium is something that we currently provide at uh Landover, and that's gonna be the kind of thing that we'll also have to have here.

That's just a reality of any team.

Uh probably true of the other DC sports teams as well.

Uh, and so yeah, I don't anticipate that being a much different process except for the fact that the scale is obviously going to be much bigger.

Uh thank you.

Uh so today we heard a lot about the uh upgrades to Stadium Armory, uh, the gold line.

Director, you talked about uh the DDAT related uh infrastructure projects that support not only the RFK Stadium but this the broader community.

Um what I haven't heard of any discussion about to date was how are you working with DOEE to ensure that uh heritage islands or Kingman Park are being incorporated as a part of this transportation plan or even uh our the Anacostia bike trail or the Anacostia itself river itself.

I feel like I had to ask that question before Chairman Allen.

Well, I would I guess repeat that um you know there are multiple agencies that are engaged um weekly and multiple conversations around all of this, and DOEE is of course uh very much a part of the conversation, and they're looking at doing uh improvements along the river and um certainly on Kingman Island.

So uh how that uh pardon the pun intersects with DDOT, I I don't think I have a full answer right now, but they're looking at um you know uh a number of kind of ways to have uh people be able to walk to and enjoy the riverfront and the island.

Uh thank you.

I'll say oh, Director.

No, I just um we know that there's upgrades planned for the Anacastia River Trail, and we hope that that's also a widely employed um access route.

Thank you, Director.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

I only had a couple more questions, and I think my my co-chair had a couple more, and then we'll be able to wrap up.

Um, one of the things that I um is we think about our different transportation investments.

So, as part of our larger and overall deal last year was the creation of a transportation improvement fund.

Um $20 million annually, total about $300 million, or sorry, $600 million.

Um I do my math right.

And the idea behind that is creating a fund that goes to help and make the investments in our metro system, our transit system, our transportation.

Specifically that fund because the dollars there actually don't become available until the stadium is revenue generating, but is available to be able to use as debt service on making payments for these investments.

So perhaps to Director Hanlon and a little bit with Wamada, and I it may not be entirely settled yet because we're having the conversations, but as we think about how we are funding the clear transportation and transit investments that we make, are you looking at that fund to be able to then provide the debt service necessary on the borrowing or the investments in uh Metro and D dot collaboratively working on H Street and Benning Road?

How much of that level of detail has been worked out thus far?

In terms of the and I'm specifically talking about the financing of it.

Yeah, correct.

Yeah, thank you.

Um I'd say it's very much part of the conversation, and that we're still working through the details, so I don't have a complete answer now, but um we're it's it's on the table for consideration.

Yeah.

And I would agree with uh Mr.

Hanlon.

I would also just add that you know, as we think about um, and Randy mentioned it before, the the event staffing, the event service that we would need to be able to carry and and accommodate this many people, whether it's gold line, whether it's um at Stadium Armory.

Um so there will, not determined yet, uh, but that level of operating um above and beyond what we would normally operate on a Sunday on a Monday night football game, you know, whatever the whatever the the time of day time of year is.

Um so that is something that we are thinking through, and we want to make sure that we're doing it smartly, right?

Learning from the NATs, from you know, the what we do at at Capital One Arena and from you know what other peers do in in these situations, but there is probably an operating um element to the service we will be running.

Yeah.

And I think that the way that it was structured, and this was something that we worked on uh collaboratively between the commanders, uh, the city, the council, because we recognized we have to make these investments in transportation and transit.

If we want to say and deliver a transit first stadium, um we've gotta make these investments and put these dollars into it.

I'll, you know, echo it's not just about the stadium.

I mean, this is a place where maybe 20,000 people are gonna call home.

And I don't want them driving every day either.

I want to find really great transit that's gonna support um the biggest event that might happen at a stadium and support the person that's just gotta get their kid to school or ahead of the grocery store or that person get to the doctor's office.

So making sure that transit works is why we structure this fund.

Um so happy to engage with everybody uh afterwards as well to make sure that the tools necessary are there so that that fund is unlocked to be able to use for either debt service on the capital costs or making sure the operating costs are are taken care of.

So look forward to to working with you on that to make sure it delivers what it was I think we all were committed to doing last year.

Um I would just want to be cognizant of time.

I don't have any further questions at this point.

I think uh my co-chair had a couple final questions and then we will wrap up.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

I'll try to be uh I will be as brief as possible.

Uh Kurtz, just a question for you.

So, you know, obviously there are Sunday afternoon games, and then there's a few Thursday night and Monday night games.

How are you guys taking that into consideration uh within your transportation plan?

Yeah, I mean, we currently obviously have some of those things as well as the team does well, they get to play more primetime games.

Um it is a, I mean, WMATA's been fantastic about this metro trying to accommodate fans who do end up taking the blue line to landover, but it's it's a thing that it's a stress, obviously, because the amount of time that's left in the game when the and the train might shut down, that I think is something that we're gonna have to work closely with them on uh with the new stadium itself.

Now it's obviously closer to DC, and there's like less of an issue in terms of the last train going out, I hope.

Uh, but that I think will be a critical component of of making sure that Metro is operating at the end of the game.

Thank you for that.

And um Director Hanler.

So try to save the best, I wanna say last-of-finger colleagues, uh, but you know, you there was a lot of information shared today, uh, specifically uh as it relates to where um other entities are that play a significant role in the transportation of the uh of this development.

Uh my question to you is so you there was a release of the Wamada study and the master plan uh yesterday.

What are your initial thoughts of both of those plans?

Well, let me start by saying don't forget Saturday games because they'll be in the playoffs too.

So there's that.

Um, I you know, I think what we have, we have um entities that are developing plans that are uh essentially the thinking is being merged together in a way that optimizes what the result will be.

Um, you know, Wamada has gone through I think a pretty thoughtful process to look at a range of options for how to um come to the site with a transit oriented mindset, and I think they um are continuing to refine those plans as we move into the next phase.

And um I'd say they've been very much a part of the dialogue with the Office of Planning and the PMO and other agencies to make sure that the master plan as it's continues to evolve is informed by all of that.

So it's a it's a very iterative process, and it continues to evolve.

Uh thank you for that.

So any event you talking about evolution.

I'm gonna talk about projects and funding and not funding.

Like if if see you're in constant communications with the various entities.

Any event someone comes in you and say, you know, director, you know, director Kurtzbaum is a good example of this.

You know, a project that supports I'm sorry, yeah, a project that supports the broader, whether it's trans transportation related, whether it's environment related, I guess, been underfunded.

You know, at what point do you bring that to the council's attention or or share that with your senior advisor or the mayor?

So we can try to find the resources to close that gap.

Well, I think that's I mean, I think that's a I I would say that's probably a normal part of our dialogue on an annual basis about anything, uh about all of the needs across government and um as designs for the various components of say the infrastructure or the road network or the transit stuff are refined.

We'll be able to much more fine-tune the kind of the needs that um are being identified, and I think that'll be part of a dialogue that includes the executive and and certainly council.

So it's hard to tell you at what point because it's kind of it's always a moving target.

Okay.

We meant in our uh doing oversight, we have some pre-hearing questions specifically as it relates to like updating your website and the database as it relates to where things are in the process.

Uh could you and it's a recommendation.

Could you include transportation updates or infrastructure related updates like a dashboard just to give neighbors an update in real time and where things are?

Uh, we will definitely take that into consideration and look to incorporate it into the website.

Thank you.

And I know this is a trans related transportation-related uh hearing, so I I won't go into too much the details as it relates to other aspects of RFK, but I will be remiss about any actually this on record to date.

As the PMO of the project, do you feel comfortable that we will the stadium will be completed by 2030?

Well, I I guess I would start by saying um I don't think anybody's ever uh part of this job entails being comfortable not being comfortable.

It it's it's just it always is that way, and and and you cannot really let up.

But the there's a difference between uh discomfort and a lack of confidence, and I'm confident that the team, uh, the way we are working together across government, um, and and with our um non-government partners uh is I think has been very laudable and an example of incredible cooperative uh collaboration.

And that gives me a sense of confidence that we're gonna keep moving in that direction.

Uh thank you for that.

And uh Director Kirstbaum, just wanted to circle back on this um concern about neighborhood parking.

You know, it's my expectation that DDA continue to work closely with neighbors.

You know, we can't have the traditional uh uh TOP plan.

I think that there needs to be more conversations about uh more enforcement, right?

Like I wish I can give you my phone on a Sunday and show you how many calls that I get from neighbors just about being inconvenienced and when we think about the surrounding neighborhoods, we really do not want to have neighbors and convenience.

So I would love to work with you, uh, the 7D commission, ANC commission, uh, to really ensure that we incorporate best practices, not only from a signal standpoint, but making sure that DPW and director handling you can help with this, but have the uh the resources needed to ensure that we have officers to enforce, you know, uh the parking restrictions and you know, ensuring that that component ties into the broader transportation plan.

Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, again, this is a concern top of mind for us as well.

We've learned a lot and have a lot more tools in our arsenal, um, just from the stadium area, um, and do plan to engage with DPW on supporting that effort.

Uh thank you.

I just want to say uh I appreciate each of you uh for being here today and showing your commitment uh to this project, and I look forward to continuing uh the dialogue.

And Mr.

Chairman, floor's yours.

Thank you very much.

All right, I lied, you triggered me on two quick things, but they will be quick.

Uh, when you talk about parking enforcement, um, the Director Kirschbaum, are you looking at doing any type of subzone RPP parking around this area?

I'll note that it actually, even though the immediate neighbors in Kingdom Park are Ward 7 residents, they are zone six RPP.

Um, and so much like we see at the ballpark, uh, while your RPP is supposed to be for your immediate residential area.

Sure, are a lot of people that feel like it gives them some great access to go drive down to the ballpark and park a couple blocks away.

Um, so are you looking at a subzone concept or stick with what you got?

Um we have time, we are looking at many alternatives again.

Top of mind, we know that we know the problem.

We know we need to um make sure that we've got some good guardrails.

But exactly the tool to use.

Um, don't have a specific answer right now.

Okay.

Um, I do think it's something we need to spend some time talking.

We got a little time, you're right.

But something we need to talk about between six and seven on that.

Um, I would be remiss if I don't take the opportunity real fast.

It's both for Mr.

Meta and Mr.

Hanlin.

Um, on page 64 of the plan released yesterday.

So if we look at the fields, which is preserved, and you don't have to have the number right in front of you.

There you go.

Um, the surface parking lot, which is currently at the fields, would be going away because you're building a structured parking lot right next to it, which now creates an opening for sports or park space.

The initial design right now is just a passive park.

We are full up at the fields.

I would argue, uh, Director Hanlin, that site 11 on that map is a great spot to see if we can't fit in one more field or one more configuration there.

Um so you're not gonna have an answer to that right now, but I want to plant that seed that that's a space that we could convert into some actual sports field space.

Seed planted.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, and overall, I want to echo uh my co-chair um uh in terms of appreciation for the conversation today.

I think, you know, some of the big takeaways are the urgency around getting some of these agreements on the Stadium Armory so that that can get going.

Again, I'm concerned every day, every week, every month that we're not uh we don't have those deals and those agreements done.

It's harder and harder on the back end.

Um but I heard the urgency, I hear the collaboration, so uh that's good news.

But we got a very clear deadline to hit in a little less than well, three weeks, so that things are done in time for the Wamata board to take their action on that.

Um, I think today was a great opportunity to really talk about the goal line and how important that can be.

Not just for the commanders and success on game days and major events, but connecting our neighborhoods east and west.

I think we've got very clear deadlines around when different elements are going to be worked on and delivered.

Um, a lot of work has been done already by DDOT.

Um, so the work you've already done on H Street and on Bidding Road, this really got to align for that.

Um I would prefer that the work between RFK and Bidding Road is able to be done by 2030, but we're we got some constraints we'll work on uh with you on that.

Um, but I I think that's a really important place to move forward, and again, I hear a lot of alignment around that.

And again, for the public, it's not a streetcar.

Uh, and so I don't want that to get mixed up in that.

It really is uh something great.

Um, and if you end up going with on Sundays, it becomes the Burgundy and Gold Line.

I just want a trademark credit for that.

Um, but this isn't just going to be a transit oriented development.

It's gotta be transit first.

And I think that's what we're gonna keep pushing on.

I see good partners on the other side, really trying to work on that, trying to think through how to get this right.

Um so I appreciate the hard work, the intentionality that's going into it, and the urgency there.

Um I was about to gavel up, but my coach here had his hand up, so let me go back to you.

Sorry.

Uh thank you.

Um Chair Person.

I just one final question.

I was I was watching a movie.

Um I won't say what movie.

I won't say what movie.

Uh nonetheless, um, there was a helicopter that flew into a stadium.

Have you guys thought about don't give Josh Harris ideas?

Oh, like I could see that.

Like uh have has that been discussed at all?

Like a land embed or just if someone like that.

Yeah, we'll need one probably for medical emergencies.

The issue is um, and this is actually true in the landover situation too, because of the airport.

It's a real it's a real problem because you enter enter into you know airspace problems for both uh both in DC, but also at joint uh Andrews Air Force Base.

So if that's a possibility, I mean, certainly the uh medical one I think is one that we'll we'll be trying to figure out.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Chairman.

All right, thank you.

Um again, appreciation for everyone today.

I want to conclude the joint public oversight round table on the committee on transportation and the environment and the subcommittee on small and local business development.

I want to thank my friend and Word 7 colleague, Councillor Felder, for co-chairing this round table and thanks to all of our witnesses for their participation.

The next scheduled meeting of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment will be tomorrow, July 2nd, when the committee is reconvening a public hearing on utility rates and rate making amendment act of 2026 and related policies for lowering electric and gas rates to receive government testimony.

There being no further business for the committee, the time is now 12 58 p.m.

and this joint public oversight round table is now adjourned.

Thank you all.