What to know for World Series-related street closures near Nationals Park

Original post, October 21:

You’re not going to want to drive or park in the immediate vicinity of Nationals Park starting tomorrow, if you can avoid it. The District will close several streets there to vehicular traffic and parking for the 2019 MLB World Series, which kicks off tomorrow night in Houston but will be viewable at official team watch parties at the D.C. stadium Tuesday and Wednesday.

Emergency no-parking restrictions between South Capitol Street and the 11th Street Bridge and between I-695/I-395 and the Anacostia River will be in effect all day long, until the end of Washington Nationals home games, according to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office. The Nats are poised to play at home at least Friday and Saturday, and possibly Sunday, should a fifth game be necessary in the best-of-seven competition. (Cars found in violation will be towed.)

From 2 p.m. until approximately midnight on game days, these streets will be closed to all vehicular traffic: Half Street SE between M and N streets SE, N Street SE between the Nats Park GEICO parking garage (located at Van Street SE) and First Street SE, and N Place SE. “First Street SE, south of M Street SE, will be converted to one-way southbound operations, continuing west onto Potomac Avenue SE to South Capitol Street for each World Series home game and/or stadium watch party event,” says the city, which created a website for the series.

In other words, take Metro, bike, or walk to and from the stadium, if possible. (Metrorail is running special late-night service for Nats home games through the rest of the series.) The last time the city hosted the World Series was 85 years ago, in 1933, when the Washington Senators lost to the New York Giants. The Nats came to the District from Montreal in 2005.

Update, October 24:

At a press conference Thursday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the gates to Nationals Park will open at 5 p.m. Friday so fans can enter ahead of the game’s start around 8 p.m. Should a fifth game be needed Sunday, Metro says it will remain open until 1 a.m.; if any World Series game runs later than 1 a.m., the Navy Yard–Ballpark station (served by the Green Line) will stay open for 20 minutes after that game finishes, while all other stations would be exit-only.