lol imagine designing an enormous public destination so that it’s illegal and dangerous to walk to

Sidewalk Ban May Be Revived At FedEx

By Joshua Partlow May 29, 2004

Washington Redskins fans again will be barred from walking on a public sidewalk to FedEx Field if a recommendation yesterday by a panel of Prince George's County officials and team and community representatives is adopted. ... The controversial policy limiting pedestrian access to the football stadium, which Prince George's Circuit Court Judge Sheila Tillerson-Adams voided five months ago, passed by a 6 to 1 vote of the "coordinating group." Its recommendation, reflecting concerns that pedestrians along Redskins Road pose a safety problem, now goes to the county Department of Public Works and Transportation for the actual decision on restricting access. ... "Post-9/11 we're no longer an open society," said Public Safety Director Vernon Herron, chairman of the panel. "These measures are absolutely critical for the safety of all who are in that stadium."

Some football fans feel the restrictions are motivated not by safety concerns but by dollars and cents. ... "I suspect that another reason for the pedestrian ban is to redistribute vehicles from Landover Mall -- where the Redskins do not receive any parking revenue -- to lots owned or operated by the Redskins," said Jeremy Mobutu, 22, who has joined a lawsuit against the team. "Unless I am given a free parking pass to park at stadium lots, I will always park at Landover Mall."

Blocking sidewalk access to Redskins Road began four years ago and was approved by the coordinating group, without public notice, at a meeting last August. Tillerson-Adams ruled that the decision violated Maryland's Open Meetings Act; in an order signed in December, she wrote that the group had "no authority to alter or amend" county code relating to temporary road closures. The road was open without incident for the final Redskins game last season.

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Peggy Feltman, a longtime Redskins season ticket holder from Silver Spring, sued the team and county over the policy. At yesterday morning's hearing, she testified that the team should build a barricaded sidewalk to protect fans rather than block the public sidewalk. ... "It is abundantly clear [from the judge's order] that the coordinating group may not take any action to restrict the pedestrian access to FedEx Field," she said, adding, "I will go back to court and ask the judge to hold the coordinating group in contempt of court."

Joshua Partlow
Joshua Partlow is a reporter on the The Washington Post’s national desk. He has served previously as the bureau chief in Mexico City, Kabul, Rio de Janeiro, and as a correspondent in Baghdad. Follow https://twitter.com/partlowj

A Walk Too Far for Some Fans

By Raymond McCaffrey and Joshua Partlow
September 29, 2003

Bill Leonard had already walked a mile from the parking lot, and FedEx Field loomed in front of him, when the defense closed in. ... Men and women in black, workers at the Redskins' stadium, stood by a metal barricade and barred him from walking any closer. Leonard scowled -- he was in danger of missing the opening kickoff yesterday to his 401st straight game for his favorite team, the New England Patriots.

"This is ridiculous," said Leonard, a Baltimore County man who is, of all things, a transportation planner. "I've been to every stadium in the country except Green Bay, and I've never seen anything like this." In a panic, Leonard and his friend, John Yanish, started running back down Brightseat Road in search of another entry point to the stadium. ... "We just want to go to the football game, but [Redskins owner] Dan Snyder's making it very hard on us," said Yanish, a social worker from the District.

With a nearby construction project forcing cars to park farther and farther from the Landover stadium, parking has been a constant source of irritation for fans this season. But the team's policies have hit pedestrians particularly hard, stopping them less than a quarter-mile from the stadium and forcing them to find another way in. ... Even people who live close enough to walk to the stadium must show their IDs en route.

Police and team officials cite safety concerns, but pedestrians note that season-ticket holders parked just inside the barriers are walking along the same sidewalks. And the team has no restrictions on spectators walking away from the stadium. ... "If you can't get in unless you're parked in stadium parking, it's another way the Redskins are trying to make money," Stephen A. Shechtel said. "The sidewalks are wide [and] they're clearly marked. It's clearly not a safety issue."

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Joshua Partlow
Joshua Partlow is a reporter on the The Washington Post’s national desk. He has served previously as the bureau chief in Mexico City, Kabul, Rio de Janeiro, and as a correspondent in Baghdad. Follow https://twitter.com/partlowj