Poplar Point Plan in Anacostia

Like the Blue Line Reroute Concept, the Orange Line Reroute Concept involves the shifting of alignment so as to avoid the transition from below-grade to above-grade in the center of the RFK Stadium site.  What would otherwise be lost in serving Stadium-Armory is achieved through a service fork and a more dedicated route to the North side of the Park complex with a terminus at Benning Road.

Passing Potomac Ave Metro Station heading East, the Alternate Orange Line (Alt-Orange) takes a due-East route rather than heading Northeast to Stadium Armory (which would still exist for some segment of service) to cross the Anacostia River before heading Northward again on the pre-existing alignment.  This alignment would take a path directly across the Congressional Cemetery below.

Because the Reroute plan includes a service fork, the other route would continue to Stadium Armory on the existing Orange Line route but extend further below grade to a subsurface Station at the North side of the Side abutting Benning Road / H Street (Street car service) at which point the line would end.  In principle, a tunnel extension could be made to Minnesota Ave Station using the same general path as exists now, changing nothing about the route except the fact it would be underground.

A new Station is proposed in the case the route alignment doesn't change, where the new Station would principally serve a Pink Line Connection to the Orange Line at Congressional Cemetery.  

The purpose of the Pink Line is to establish a through-connection on the East side of DC where there is limited Metro access.  This Line provides for several important connections, primarily at the proposed Anacostia Station, Lincoln Park (Blue Line), the proposed Hechinger Mall development, and the proposed Rt. 50 Exchange at the National Arboretum.

• Anacostia Transit Station (Poplar Point West) | DC Gateway Tramline Connection, Marion Barry Tramline Connection

• Anacostia Metro Station (Poplar Point/MLK Pavilion) | Green Line Connection

• Poplar Point East Station (Department of Health at W Street)

• Congressional Library Station | Lincoln Park Tramline Connection

• Anacostia Rec Center and Riverwalk Station | Anacostia Station Tramline Connection

• Joshua Barney Circle and Riverwalk Station | Alt-Silver Line Connection

• Congressional Cemetery Station | Orange Line Connection

• Massachusetts Ave Station

• East Capitol Street Station (HHS) | Alt-Blue Line Connection

• C Street Station (Eliot Hine Middle School)

• Monument Station (Rosedale Recreation Center)

• Hechinger Station South (H Street Streetcar – RFK)

• Hechinger Station North (Maryland Ave)

• Bladensburg Road Station (17th Street)

• Mt. Oliver Cemetery Station

• Rt. 50 Exchange Station South 

• Rt. 50 Exchange Station North (Arboretum)

Because the primary purpose is connecting specific projects in a way that provides transportation access to the broad Eastern portion of DC, the development of the stations is geared towards specific locations where a full build-out would result in sub-optimal usage of the line.  Stations with questionable usage (though each has merits) are generally those that lack other Metro Line Connectivity.  As some of the stations rely on the rerouting of certain lines, those stations are particularly subject to the developmental timelines for other projects.

• Anacostia Transit Station (Poplar Point)
• Congressional Library Station (11th and 12th Street Bridge Park)
• Hechinger Station South (H Street)
• Rt. 50 Exchange North (Arboretum)

The East Capitol Street Station at HHS is additionally important for the Blue Line connectivity, though in certain developmental schemes, the Station could have limited surface access while providing a subterranean transfer.  Whether this notion matches up with WMATA philosophy is unclear.

Generally, certain stations exist on major thoroughfares such as Massachusetts Ave and Bladensburg Road.  With the implementation of the East Capitol Street Station, incorporating the Bladensburg Station, even if it lacks an 'anchor', provides an "inter-modal" method of public transport.  A bus stop or station would likely elevate the Station to normal use rates.

The purpose of the 495 Metro Loop is to establish a point of access to the broad Metro system at exterior points along the existing 495 Beltway.  By establishing a standalone public transit network along the perimeter of DC, intersecting many of the interior Metro Lines on the periphery, the 495 Metro Loop would aid in the reduction of vehicular traffic around the Beltway with the supplemental public transit option.  In addition, whereas in present configuration all routing goes directly through the city, resulting in crowded train cars at the interior during rush hour and at other times of the day particularly during tourist season, the option to take a more scenic route around the exterior of the city would alleviate certain congestion.

Certain segments of the Metro Loop allow for local transit lines operating on the same track infrastructure, permitting higher-frequency segments to operate independently from the full loop system.

 Stations are arranged starting from Greenbelt Station at the Northeast corner, and listing clockwise.

Greenbelt Station | Green Line Connection (Alt-495 Segment)

Greenbelt - Baltimore Exchange | DC-Baltimore Maglev/Light Rail Connection (Alt-495)

Cheverly Station | Annapolis Light Rail Connection (Alt-495 End)

Largo Station | Blue Line Connection (Stadium Tram Endpoint)

Capitol Heights South Station

Forestville - Penn Mar Station (Upper Marlboro) | Alt-Silver Line Connection

Gateway Station at Allentown (JBAB)

Marlow Heights at Branch Ave Station | Green Line Connection (shuttle/tram)

Temple Hills Station

Oxon Hill East Station

National Harbor at Oxon Hill Station | Gold Line Connection | DCA Tram Connection

Alexandria at Jones Point Park Station

Alexandria at Eisenhower Ave Station | Yellow Line Connection

Van Dorn at Landmark Mall Station | Mall Connector and Blue Line Connection

Springfield Town Center at Franconia Springfield Metro Station | Blue Line Connection 

[unbuilt]

Annandale Station

[unbuilt]

Dunn-Loring Merrifield Metro Station | Orange Line Connection

McLean Station (Tysons Corner) | Silver Line Connection

[unbuilt] McLean at Old Dominion Road Station

[unbuilt] McLean at Scott's Run Station

Cabin John at Clara Barton Parkway Station

Cabin John South Station

Cabin John North Station

Westfield Montgomery - Bethesda Country Club Station

Bethesda - Wildwood Station

Grosvenor Station | Red Line Connection

North Chevy Chase Station

Washington DC Temple Station (Alt-495 West End)

National Park Seminary Station (Alt-495)

Forest Glen Station | Red Line Connection (Alt-495)

Sligo Creek Station (Alt-495)

Hastings - Four Corners South Station (Alt-495)

Woodmoor South - Four Corners Station (Alt-495)

White Oak Station (Alt-495)

In an area that is heavily oriented around vehicle transit, but has areas of connectivity by Metro at a distance, some cultural landmarks of DC could be connected by an Alternative pathway (Alt-495) that runs parallel to the main 495 Metro Loop, providing certain connection points from the main loop to the Alternate path so as to create a connection without dedicating main line station stops.

The Alt-495 Line consists of the following Stations, with several connection points off the main 495 Metro Loop (listed West to East):

•      Washington DC Temple Station (Alt-495 West End)
•      National Park Seminary Station (Alt-495)
• Forest Glen Station | Red Line Connection (Alt-495)
•      Sligo Creek Station (Alt-495)
•      Hastings - Four Corners South Station (Alt-495)
•      Woodmoor South - Four Corners Station (Alt-495)
• White Oak Station (Alt-495)
• Greenbelt Station | Green Line Connection (Alt-495 Segment)
• Greenbelt - Baltimore Exchange | DC-Baltimore Maglev/Light Rail Connection (Alt-495)
• Cheverly Station | Annapolis Light Rail Connection (Alt-495 End)

The off-main Stations are indented.

In principle, by constructing an infrastructure loop in this way, transport services could coincide, moving goods and mail around the beltway rather than through.  This concept could provide the USPS, for example, with same-day delivery options for mail items within a certain range of the Beltway, by developing mail transfer stations in a "hub-and-spoke" model of distribution (or, where the distribution centers are centralized within the loop, a radial delivery.

The 495 Metro Loop is conceived of as a continuous development process.  In theory, because a large portion of the developmental framework is already established to some extent, the speed of development may be significantly higher than a new inner-city tunnel system with surface stations embedded into neighborhoods.  In addition, the design concept includes the possibility that the method of transport is a suspended system, meaning that the primary ground infrastructure is merely the supports that allow the poles to be erected that subsequently hold the trusses that link the system and guide-rails together.  At that point, simplistic elevated platforms are all that are needed, with whatever payment processing systems are desired.  In theory, the design could be structurally subsidized by taxpayers to the point where the loop would be operated free of charge, both eliminating a substantial amount of infrastructure and serving motorists by moving drivers off of the Beltway without implementing any kind of "express fare".

A macro-economic analysis might assess that reducing the barriers to entry at the periphery of the city may incentivize and facilitate additional patronage within the city.  Likewise, the ability to travel from one side of the city to the other without braving 495 traffic might be a compelling proposition.  In general, the design permits a highly mobile city while reducing noise pollution, carbon emissions, and vehicular traffic density both inside and around the city, moving people out of cars and into public transit.

The plan as developed is not strictly refined--a rough layout expresses a stadium linked to a transit station on the North side, a paddle-boat area at Kingman Island enclave, a marina/Riverwalk on the Eastern side with the notion of linking to the Navy Yard / SW Waterfront and Poplar Point, an Olympic Torch overlooking the entire site on the East side at the Whitney Young Bridge, and a massive overlook facing the Capitol along East Capitol Street.

In theory, there is ample space for two stadiums on site, including the existing RFK.  In the scheme of a long-term Olympic Park, with a host-date for 2042, there are certain things that can be done to ensure that all parties are fairly represented with their respective interests.  There is room for a 28-acre site to the North of RFK Stadium that could hold an NFL Stadium of slightly larger proportion than the soon-to-be-abandoned FedEx Field.  Part of this site selection, incidentally, would likely want the Metro Lines to be moved to make way for development.

Whereas the current plan is to demolish RFK Stadium, there are potential solutions for retrofitting the aging Stadium with a reinforced frame, enclosing the structure and adding new life to the complex.  Such an act might be an attractive proposition for the Capitals, which has substantial draw, and would likely gain even more prominence in a larger, storied structure like RFK.  The proposed budget for the NFL Stadium is around $3B, whereas a retrofit of RFK might be anywhere between $400M and $1.2B.  With a projected host date of 2042, a retrofit solution might keep RFK Stadium rocking to 2042 and possibly beyond, adding 25 years of life.  For a comparable project, see: 

A dedicated Metro Station is proposed for the North edge of the RFK site abutting H Street / Benning Road.  The principal idea is to have there be a substantial transit hub at that location, potentially spanning the roadway so as to permit ease of use for the H Street Streetcar and possible bus depot access from the adjacent transportation facility.  The Station, in conjunction with a Metro Line rerouting scheme, would be either on the Orange line fork terminus, or part of the undergrounding scheme for the Orange going under the river rather than over it.  The original plan was to have the station at the terminus, isolating the service to the station on a particular route, whereas the other fork continues to the existing Orange Line from the South, heading to Minnesota Ave.

Three general design elements for three different uses:

1) Underground parking in the Northwest corner, where the bulk of the dormitories would be located.

2) Dedicated parking structure for the variety of general-use recreational athletic facilities

3) Hybridized Underground parking with low-rise facility with rooftop field / athletic amenities

An additional scheme makes use of the Eastbound public transportation options out to Morgan Avenue Metro, where a tram would connect directly to the existing [FedEx] Field Stadium Parking, allowing overflow parking to go out of the city and stadium foot traffic in, freeing up the neighborhood roadways.

There are three types of residences imagined for the area:

1) Olympic Dormitories - Rentals and Distributed Housing owned by the District of Columbia, positioned on the Western portion of the site

2) Traditional (albeit rounded) First-floor retail Apartment Highrise, embedded in a collection of specialized retail offerings for Sports attractions and eateries.

3) Permanent upscale community along the Southeast edge of the site nearest to the Marina.  Potentially something like the Watergate, or a tiered half-circle facing the river.

In general, the vast majority of the site would be dedicated to Sports and the Olympic Accommodations, with distinct pockets connected to the general residential amenities.  It might be feasible to have mid-rise condominiums along a stretch of road within the site, between the main stadium and the fields and other sports structures.

This RFK site could in theory be conceptually linked to the general Poplar Point Plan, in that a substantial amount of housing is proposed at Barry Farm Dwellings as a transportation link between Poplar Point, Barry Farms Dwelllings, and connective transit features to and from RFK.