Metro Will Stay Open Late For Playoff Games

The Washington Metro Transit Authority announced on September 27th that the Metro subway system will stay open late during Nationals playoff games to accommodate fans that want to take Metro to Nationals Park and stay for the entire game.

September 20, 2012; Washington, D.C., USA; Washington Nationals fans hold signs in support of the team after the Nationals clinched a wild card spot after a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Nationals Park. The Nationals defeated the Dodgers 4 – 1. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE

The website Living Social has agreed to pay the additional fees that Metro requires to run the system past midnight. Metro requires a refundable deposit of $29,500.00 to be paid in advance by an organization that wants the trains run outside of normal operating hours. The organization is charged that fee, offset by the fares collected by Metro for the extra operating time. The organization receives a refund of all of the fares collected up to the deposit amount paid.

Fans need to thank Living Social for stepping up to insure that the Nats fans have access to Metro for the postseason. Sign up for a deal or something.

It is still unbelievable to me that the Nationals organization refused to pay the fees for Metro to run late for playoff games. This was the Nationals responsibility, and they failed to step up to the plate and do the right thing. Apparently the Lerners plan to put all of the playoff money in their pockets and not spend any of it to assist the fans to maximize their playoff experience.

The Lerners need to talk to Ted Leonsis, the principal owner of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards about how to treat fans. Leonsis has an agreement with Metro for both of his teams to run Metro late if it is necessary for Capitals or Wizards games. Since the Verizon Center holds far fewer fans than does Nats Park, Leonsis potentially takes a larger financial hit for this service to his fans than the Lerners would.

Major League Baseball professed itself concerned that the Nationals were being asked to pay fees to keep the Metro system open late because they were afraid that other MLB teams would be asked to do the same thing in other cities. This attitude just further demonstrates the problem that MLB has by being run by one of its former team owners and not an independent commissioner.