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Chilly temperatures may have helped the region's transit system cope with the first game at Nationals Park that coincided with the weekday evening rush hour, but parking around the stadium was a headache, including towing.
Parking is limited at the new stadium, and officials have been urging fans to take Metro. Monday's game against the Florida Marlins began at 7:10 p.m., so fans headed to the stadium at the same time commuters tried to get home. But temperatures were in the 40s, something that may have deterred some fans.
Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein says the crowds were lighter than expected. She says it was like a normal rush hour except with more people than usual at the Navy Yard station.
Farbstein says Metro operated regular rush hour service leading up to the game, but extra staffers were on hand at key stations. A newly expanded N22 bus route ran from the Navy Yard station near the stadium to Eastern Market and Union Station.
After the game, Metro operated 10 extra trains on the green line, four extra trains on the red line and five extra trains on the orange and blue lines.
Although things with Metro went smoothly, the same thing can't be said for some people who had cars parked in residential streets around the stadium.
In Southeast Washington on game night, a large number of tow trucks search the area for illegally parked cars. An ABC 7/NewsChannel 8 crew caught a tow truck driver trying to take away a person's car, who was legally parked on the street.
A parking supervisor showed up and said the car was accidentally marked for removal. A ticket that was placed on the car was also removed.
One residents in the area said he was towed twice, although he has the proper tags to allow him to park on the street. "They just been towin' cars out here like the rest of us don't have no say so," said resident James Jackson.
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