In her Feb. 11 Sunday Opinion essay, “Why Washington’s sports teams should stay in Washington,” D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) wrote, “We should be building on the current infrastructure at Gallery Place and Metro Center, not asking the underfunded Metro system to approve capital expenses to accommodate a shifting use that entails no new users, just new expenses.”
Indeed, the centrally located Capital One Arena has excellent transit access from most parts of the region. Moving teams to Alexandria would encourage many fans to switch from transit to driving, no matter how much money the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and others pour into Alexandria. This would be bad for Metro, transportation generally and the environment.
Ross B. Capon, Bethesda
In her Opinion essay on Capital One Arena, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) claimed that D.C. negotiated several offers over the better part of a year. Monumental Sports & Entertainment owner Ted Leonsis said he never received the $500 million offer from the city until after the news emerged that his teams would move to Virginia.
I call on Ms. Bowser to produce emails, letters or other written proof of the city’s offers or counter offers so the public can see how this matter was handled by her administration. With a multibillion-dollar football stadium deal on the horizon, the public deserves to know if her team is up to the task or is likely to fumble the ball again.
Dave Palmer, Rockville
