Virginia lawmakers wrote to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta Thursday to ask him to limit parking at the Mark Center to 1,000 spaces ahead of new legislation introduced by Rep. Jim Moran that would make 1,000 a statutory mandate.
Moran, Rep. Gerry Connolly, Sen. Jim Webb and Sen. Mark Warner wrote out of concern that even with the Department of Defense’s new gradual move-in plan, cars will still choke the roads to the Mark Center, since road improvements will not be finished in time. The lawmakers want parking spaces limited to discourage workers from driving to the center in Alexandria.
The DoD plans to move 2,300 employees to the Mark Center by Sept. 15 and another 2,600 by Dec. 31. The remaining 1,400 will move in after Jan. 1, according to a newly released plan. The Washington Examiner reported the plans July 5, ahead of the DoD’s announcement.
Local officials are planning several new bus routes and shuttles to minimize congestion on Interstate 395 near Seminary Road, where the Mark Center is located.
Mark Center move-in begins Aug. 9.
