Congress’ investigative arm says a plan to relocate thousands of Defense Department workers by 2011 will significantly increase traffic congestion in the Washington area, notably around the Bethesda National Naval Medical Center and the Fort Belvoir Army base in Fairfax County.
A report from the Government Accountability Office projects that immediate costs to deal with traffic problems created by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure plan would be at least $2 billion nationwide.
“Obviously, transportation has always been everyone’s number one concern because of the nature of [Fairfax] county,” said Fort Belvoir spokesman Don Carr, noting that the southern part of Fairfax has seen tremendous growth the past few years.
“It’s been apparent since day one to anybody that we’re going to have challenges with respect to transportation,” he said.
More than half of the $2 billion would be for transportation improvements near Fort Belvoir, the National Naval Medical Center and Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County, the report said.
The changes to the Naval Medical Center on Route 355 across from the National Institutes of Health “will create additional traffic not only from 2,500 additional hospital employees, but also from patients and visitors, resulting in about 1,900 estimated additional trips to the hospital campus per day,” the report said.
An environmental impact statement reviewed 27 major intersections near the medical center. The report concluded that if the intersections are not improved, it would lead to “failing or deteriorating service levels at 15 of those intersections during peak periods, compared with current conditions. Such declining service levels mean significant delays will occur, likely increasing base employees’ and others’ commute times.”
In Virginia, the Department of the Army and Fort Belvoir have been talking with stakeholders associated with the plan on ways to minimize problems associated with the realignment, Carr said. He said officials at the base are working to develop alternative work schedules and teleworking systems to find ways for people to work without having to drive.
The Department of Defense plans to relocate more than 123,000 military and civilian personnel as part of the 2005 BRAC round to cut long-term costs and improve efficiency. By law, the realignments must be completed by Sept. 15, 2011.
