WRNMMC BRAC
Impact on Community Traffic

Facts about Traffic

The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) BRAC staff received many comments during the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) scoping period, most dealing with issues related to traffic. Many local residents are concerned with the impact of additional traffic on roads such as Rockville Pike, Jones Bridge Road, and Cedar Lane once the BRAC expansion is complete. Pedestrian safety and impacts to local neighborhoods are on the minds of the community as well.

Once the BRAC process started moving forward in late 2005 - and months before any public meetings began - the WRNMMC BRAC staff identified traffic as a major issue affected by the proposed expansion. A comprehensive traffic study will be included as part of the EIS process to identify potential problem areas.

The task of implementing changes to solve traffic issues around the WRNMMC campus is a bit more complex. The Department of the Navy has a limited scope of authority in financing and building traffic and pedestrian safety remedies. Nonetheless, the Navy will make an effort to live up to our commitments to assist in traffic remediation within the bounds of our scope of authority.

Our Partners

The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is actively meeting and sharing information with local and state transportation and planning authorities, including:

• Montgomery County Executive’s Office
• Maryland Department of Transportation
• State Highway Administration District 3
• Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission

Together, these and other participating agencies are committed to a collaborative working relationship to fully understand the impacts of BRAC in the Bethesda/355 Corridor.

For more information on Maryland traffic projects, visit the Maryland State Highway Administration Projects.

WRNMMC: Helping to Reduce Traffic

The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the other Department of Defense tenant commands that employ about 8,000 people at the Bethesda campus actively use various programs to help reduce the amount of traffic in the area. In January 2007, WRNMMC compiled the following statistics to show our staff’s commitment to this effort:

• Metrochek fare card voucher program for mass transit
  • 1,344 participants at WRNMMC
  • 159 participants at the Uniformed Service University
• Registered carpool participants
  • 249 at WRNMMC
  • 80 at the Uniformed Services University

Together, these examples show that 1,832 (23%) of the employees at our Bethesda campus utilize environmentally-friendly transportation modes to come to work each day. Our patients and visitors are also encouraged to use Metro to come to WRNMMC; a convenient option within walking distance of our front door.

We also have over 275 staff members who live on the WRNMMC campus in military provided housing, which means they can walk to work each day. In addition, WRNMMC also supports the use of programs such as the alternate work schedule (AWS), where our employees work compressed schedules that result in one day off every two weeks.

The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is operational 24 hours a day, every day. To support those operations, many of our employees do not work traditional “9-5” schedules. Many work 12-hour days, nights and weekends, putting the cars of these commuters on the road at off-peak times.

In light of these facts, it is clear that the leadership and employees at the WRNMMC campus are committed to supporting and utilizing programs that are proven to help reduce the impact of traffic in the area. As we move forward with the proposed BRAC expansion, each command will continue to promote and support the use of these programs by our staff.