A large influx of federal workers say they plan to trek 30 miles through one of the nation?s most congested areas to follow their agency?s move to Fort Meade in 2010, and officials are scrambling to get the road and rail network ready in time.
A recent survey by the Defense Information Systems Agency, which is moving from Arlington, Va., showed more of its 5,000 employees would stay with the agency after the move but would continue living in Virginia.
“Their top concern is transportation, and how they will get to Fort Meade on a daily basis,” said Jack Penkose, DISA?s personnel director.
Officials have long conceded that the major highways around Fort Meade ? Routes 295, 175 and 198 ? will not widened by August 2011, whichis when DISA expects to have all of its offices at Fort Meade.
A likely choice for DISA commuters is the MARC train system?s Penn Line, which connects Washington, D.C.?s Union Station, Fort Meade and Harford?s Aberdeen Proving Ground, another military installation with planned expansion because of the Base Realignment and Closure process.
Maryland officials plan to add 15,400 seats to the Penn Line by 2015, but its biggest expansion, with 16,000 more seats and a Northern Virginia expansion at an estimated cost of $1.3 billion, is slated for 2020.
The MARC system now is operating over its 27,000 daily trip capacity, officials said.
To improve transit options, officials are considering connecting MARC and its southern counterpart, Virginia Railway Express, and creating a Smart Card that combines charges for MARC, VRE and the D.C. Metro services.
Adding more trains or tracks requires the cooperation of Amtrak, which owns the Penn Line. MARC trains share the lines with freight trains and Amtrak passenger trains. “There will not be any changes in that area for at least three years. We?re aiming for long-term planning,” said Jawauna Greene, spokeswoman for the Maryland Transit Administration.
DISA is pushing telecommuting and vanpooling, which a large number of DISA employees do, officials said.
“People are judging their decision on coming to Fort Meade based on how well they manage the commute,” said Bob Leib, Anne Arundel?s BRAC coordinator.
