Washington Gets Something Right!

Previously I posted the video of our Dear Leader throwing out the first pitch at the inaugural game at the new Nationals Stadium in DC, Sunday March 30, to the accompaniment of energetic booing from a very loud segment of watching fans. The links to the videos of that event all appear to have been taken down, but I know it will live on in our memories. The confluence of two of my favorite sports, politics and baseball (no matter what Tankwoman says, I'm not sure sports and politics can be separated, given the fact that, for many of us, politics is a sport), was just so delightful, don't you think?

Anyway, I have just learned that another coupling of favorite subjects, baseball and carbon-emission-reduction, is also taking place at DC's new stadium. Providing parking for the stadium appears to have been an issue from the very beginning of this project, news video here, and this WaPo article will bear this out. So,what we have in this very urban environment is a ballpark that, like Fenway in Boston, is totally accessible by other means than driving your car to the game. This page from the new stadium's website shows just how accessible by public transport, bicycle and your own two feet a baseball game can be. The park even has valet bicycle parking, as well as 250 bike racks. On March 30, which was not only the first league game in the stadium but the actual baptismal game for the new park itself, the available parking areas were far less than full, (do read the very interesting comments for this linked post.)though the stadium was filled to near capacity.

So, despite the First Pitcher's attitude towards human-caused climate change, it looks like the country's newest ballpark will not be a big contributor. Nationals' Stadium is also the first ballpark to be officially designated a Green building, for its energy-conserving and environmental design, as well as the fact that it is located on a restored brownfield. I'd really love to check out this new stadium, and as a trip to D.C. is in the card for me sometime late spring or early summer, I just may be able to get there. A chance to give some of this alt transportation a try! (more on the greeness of the DC stadium in this article in the current Newsweek.)

Technorati Tags: alternative transportation, baseball, bicycles, GW Bush, green building, Nationals Stadium, parking, Washington DC

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