MGM Casino Faces Huge Traffic Test This Week in National Harbor

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — The new MGM National Harbor resort and casino opens Thursday, and local officials will be watching how it unfolds with bated breath.

It isn't an easy traffic situation, as National Harbor doesn't have access to the Metro and it's a fairly long taxi or Uber drive from the city, meaning a lot of people are going to be driving. MGM National Harbor and local authorities are encouraging people to avoid driving and have drafted traffic plans to facilitate those who choose to drive anyway. The Dec. 8 opening will be very informative about just how good those plans are.

"We’ve worked closely with the experts, local law enforcement agencies and state transportation departments to address and improve travel in the National Harbor area," MGM National Harbor says on its website. "With our neighbors at National Harbor, we've enhanced and widened routes to help ease congestion. More than $10 million has been invested in 16 travel improvement projects.

"While we do not expect to completely solve the issue of Beltway travel flow, we are confident our efforts will help to mitigate any alterations caused by our new facility," the resort adds.

The casino has installed five separate access points for drivers to enter the parking facility on both the north and south sides of the resort, as well as quick entry and exit to improve traffic flow. The parking facility has 5,000 spaces and is located directly underneath the resort. The parking garage uses a license plate recognition system to quickly identify paid customers.

Valet parking fees are steep, with rates of $25 for 12 hours and $45 for 12 to 24 hours.

It's not exactly glamorous to take the bus to the casino, but that's one alternative MGM Casino is pitching. The NH2 Metro bus from the King Street Metro station can serve as the connection for those near Metro stations. On the Maryland side, you can take the NH1 Metro bus from the Southern Avenue Metro station on the Green Line.

There's also the water taxis that connect the Alexandria waterfront with National Harbor. You can take the Metro to the King Street station, and then take the trolley down to the waterfront to get there.

Otherwise, you can try taxis or ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft.

"MGM is coordinating with local Taxi companies to provide a convenient designated taxi stand located on Hotel Drive," the website states. "MGM National Harbor has worked with our partner, Uber, to provide convenient Ride Sharing services with designated pick-up and drop-off areas on Hotel Drive able to accommodate 50+ vehicles."

Image via MGM National Harbor