MAF: Intros Col. Morgan & I-5 at JBLM

Military Affairs Committee

Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber

Date & Time:  Wednesday, Jan. 20, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Place:  La Quinta Inn | 1425 E. 27^th St. | Tacoma 98421

Register: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Register Online

Event Sponsor:

The event fee will be complimentary, hosted by our sponsor, for invited Military Personnel who reserve with Janice Hutchins, (253) 683-4882 or janiceh@tacomachamber.org

AGENDA: 

1)       Col.  Daniel S. Morgan, Joint Base Commander
An Introduction
 

2)       

Bill Elliott, WSDOT Olympic Region

I-5, JBLM Vicinity - Congestion Relief

                                                                                                                            A presentation will be provided by Bill Elliott, WSDOT Project Manager, on the status of the work and delivery plan for the corridor improvements. With Connecting Washington transportation revenue approved by the legislature, WSDOT is moving forward to deliver improvements along the I-5 corridor through JBLM to relieve chronic traffic congestion.  There have been some changes since October regarding JBLM's DuPont Gate and possible I-5 improvements in that area of the corridor. 

  

NEXT ACTIVITIES

February 10             Monthly Military Affairs Forum

June 15                    Evergreen Fleet Cruise

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Visit the “Tacoma-Pierce Co. Veteran & Business Service” Facebook page.  Like the page to stay informed of workplace opportunities for transitioning vets and vets as well as current information.

SSMCP 4th Public Forum

SSMCP 4th Annual Public Forum - register today

You are invited to the 4th Annual Public Forum of the South Sound Military & Communities Partnership (SSMCP).  This no-cost event (thanks to the sponsors) is open to anyone wanting to learn more about federal, state and local priorities related to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.  The Forum will be held Thursday, November 12 from 7:30 -11:00 am at the McChord Club.

Program:
The SSMCP 4th Annual Forum will feature:

• JBLM Installation Commander Colonel Morgan, 
• I Corps Leaders, 
• Congressman Denny Heck, 
• WA State Legislators concerned about veteran and military issues, 

... and

• news from the WA Department of Commerce 
• news from SSMCP 

... about:

• the 2015 Community and Business Survey* conducted around JBLM, 
• the 2015 JBLM Joint Land Use Study (see article here), and 
• the new Washington Defense Supply Chain Modeling Tool.  

You don’t want to miss this meeting!

PLUS – immediately after the Forum, a tour of the Western Air Defense Sector will be open to the first 50 attendees who register for it.  This is a private tour not open to the general public.

SSMCP 4th Annual Public Forum - register today!

Groundbreaking for Groundbreaking Treatment Plant

JBLM and local community leaders come together for a ground breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of a $91 million project to upgrade the JBLM's waste water treatment plant.

Puget Sound water quality is a major enviro-nmental concern for the US Enviro- nmental Protection Agency, Washington State, Tribal, local stakeholders, lawmakers and JBLM.  In recent years, most communities near JBLM have upgraded their wastewater treatment processes to comply with stringent state discharge permits or to reclaim their wastewater. The upgraded JBLM Waste Water Treatment Plant building at Solo Point will ensure that JBLM meets current and future water quality requirements for Puget Sound. This plant serves JBLM, Camp Murray and the American Lake VA Center.

JBLM’s upgraded $91 million WWTP will use the most current technologies, ensuring that the plant will meet current and future discharge requirements to protect water quality in Puget Sound.  The plant will be capable of treating effluent to Class A reclaimed water standards, setting the stage for reclaimed water usage in the future.

The new facility’s treatment capabilities are consistent with nearby municipal wastewater treatment plants, which also discharge into Puget Sound. Work on JBLM’s new WWTP should be complete by Summer 2016.

Media interested in attending the ground breaking ceremony should RSVP by contacting the JBLM Public Affairs office at (253) 967-0152.

Connector Road Joins Halves of JBLM

Construction has begun on a new road and overpass project that will cross over Perimeter Road, which bisects JBLM Lewis Main and McChord Field, to link both sides of the joint base. Service members who work on either side of JBLM will more easily travel back-and-forth without needing to exit or enter security gates.

Phase I of the project, clearing trees from the projected construction path, is nearing completion.

(Click on Image for a Larger and Complete View)

Phase II, the construction of bridges support pillars began June 23 and will last through August 23. The eight-week phase will involve placing pillars to support the overpass. JBLM will close South Gate Road and the McChord Field Commercial Vehicle Inspection Point (CVIP) while the bridge pillars are built.

Commercial vehicles that normally enter the McChord Field CVIP will use the McChord Field North Gate, which is located at the intersection of South Tacoma Way and 112th Street. The North Gate will be open for commercial vehicle traffic daily from 5:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.

A major road construction project on Perimeter Road, the road which bisects JBLM Lewis-Main and McChord Field, begin April 1. The construction will close access to civilian commuter and commercial vehicle traffic that uses Perimeter Road and 150th Street Southwest as a thoroughfare to commute between Spanaway and Interstate 5.

JBLM officials are working to maintain the same level of service for drivers entering and exiting the base.

I-5 - JBLM Area Corridor Improvements - Future Plans

Public invited to WSDOT an open house about I-5 – JBLM Vicinity – Congestion Relief Study

Residents and highway users are invited to learn more and share their thoughts about potential improvements for Interstate 5 through the JBLM vicinity.

Open House Information:

When: 4 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Where: Eagles Pride Fort Lewis Golf Course
I-5 at exit 116, Mounts Road Southwest

Washington State Department of Transportation staff will host an open house to discuss alternatives being explored to improve traffic flow through the area which serves approximately 119,000 vehicles a day. No formal presentation is scheduled, and those interested in attending are welcome to come any time during the three hour open house.

WSDOT has worked closely with representatives of local governments, transit agencies, the Nisqually Indian Tribe, JBLM, Federal Highway Administration, and regional planning organizations to identify the causes of congestion in this area of I-5 and develop potential improvements.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information Accommodation requests for people with disabilities can be made by contacting the WSDOT Diversity/ADA Affairs team or by calling toll-free, 855-362-4ADA (232). Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may make a request by calling the Washington State Relay at 711.



Why is there so much congestion?

Interstate 5 is a national highway of strategic importance. It moves goods and people between two borders and links major cities. It is a critical corridor for military use. Over the past several years, traffic has increased along the entire I-5 corridor, and nowhere has that increase been more noticeable than in south Pierce County through the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) vicinity.

A combination of factors have contributed to the traffic growth through the area. Large businesses have moved in. JBLM and Camp Murray have expanded, and the communities of Lakewood, DuPont and Steilacoom have continued to develop. Each change has added demand on the already-crowded I-5 corridor. Motorists now see traffic congestion on a daily basis, especially during peak commute hours. Because secured military bases are located on both sides of I-5, alternate routes involve using perimeter roads around the bases. Those routes are neither convenient nor able to manage high volumes of traffic.

What is WSDOT doing about it?

In 2013, a joint I-5 corridor planning study involving WSDOT, JBLM and local jurisdictions evaluated the best way to improve transportation through the JBLM vicinity. The task of the planning study was to define improvements that could relieve congestion on I-5 from Center Drive to Gravelly Lake Drive, with a focus on the interchanges at the Steilacoom-DuPont exit (#119), 41st Division Drive/Main Gate exit (#120), Berkeley Street exit (#122) and the Thorne Lane exit (#123).

Specifically, the study addresses options to:
•    relieve congestion on I-5
•    improve system efficiency
•    enhance mobility
•    improve safety and operations
•    increase transit and alternative commute opportunities

This work is being performed in two phases. Phase 1 conducted a Corridor Feasibility Study. You can read the full report and the summary report linked below:

•    I-5 JBLM Vicinity IJR and Environmental Documentation Phase 1 Corridor Plan Feasibility Study
   
•    I-5 JBLM Vicinity IJR and Environmental Documentation Phase 1 - Summary Report

During Phase 2, WSDOT will conduct a comprehensive multi-modal corridor alternative analysis along with NEPA environmental studies and documentation. In this effort, WSDOT will evaluate alternatives off I-5 that could improve mobility along the corridor. Public involvement will be an important element of Phase 2.

Alternatives advanced from Phase 1 will be further evaluated along with those developed during Phase 2. WSDOT and other stakeholders will evaluate proposed revisions to interchanges and document them in an Interchange Justification Report (IJR). The alternative analysis will be conducted in 2014 along with initiation of the environmental studies and documentation.

In January 2014, WSDOT conducted an origin-destination study. The origin-destination study will better identify the nature of local trips and regional traffic on and near Interstate 5 between Center Drive and Gravelly Lake Drive.




Why are studies needed?

The planning study will result in an IJR, which is a study required by federal law used to justify revisions to highway interchanges. The IJR documents the design of the preferred alternative, the planning process, the evaluation of considered alternatives, and the support and justification for requesting an access revision. With the results from the report, project stakeholders can take action to implement the preferred solutions.

What will the completed study include?

•    National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental documentation for proposed corridor improvements and preliminary engineering for the highest priority improvements.
•    A completed Interchange Justification Report for revisions to the four focus-area interchanges.

What is happening in the mean time?

While the planning study is underway, some construction is already taking place in the corridor, and more construction is scheduled to start soon.  The construction projects will provide short-term improvements to help relieve congestion.  Specifically, crews will:

•    Install ramp meters
•    Widen ramp lanes
•    Add a ramp lane and auxiliary lane
•    Install data collection stations
•    Install Intelligent Transportation System improvements

View a map here of these preliminary project features.

Financial Information

Financial Data for PINs 000513A & 300596S
Funding Source                                Amount ($ in thousands)
2003 Gas Tax (Nickel Funding)                      $0
2005 Gas Tax (TPA)                                        $0
Pre-Existing Funds (PEF)                        $6,502
Total                                                         $6,502

How can I get more information?

Contact:
Bill Elliott    
Olympic Region Plans Engineer
360-357-2682

Claudia Bingham Baker      
WSDOT Communications Manager 
360-357-2789

Direct Access to Website Info HERE.

Military Appropriations Includes Review of Roads

Today the U.S. House of Representatives voted 416-1 to pass H.R. 4486, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015.

Language originally offered by Rep. Denny Heck (WA-10) was included in the report accompanying the bill. Heck’s language calls for changes to how the Department of Defense allocates funding for road construction near and on military installations.

In the bill now sent to the U.S. Senate for consideration, the DoD is directed to review potential road construction and expansion programs appropriate for the Defense Access Roads program, the only existing DoD program that provides funding for public highway improvements in and around military installations.

The level of congestion around our area is unsustainable for both military readiness and economic activity, said Congressman Denny Heck of Washington’s 10th District. I will continue to work closely with the committee to identify ways to upgrade the transportation infrastructure around bases such as Joint Base Lewis-McChord as soon as possible.

More than 60 years old, the DAR program was created when bases were expected to be located in relatively undeveloped regions, and no changes have been made to the program since 1978. The designated funding process forces highway improvement projects to compete with other construction projects like barracks, mission facilities, and maintenance buildings. Military installations located near urban areas often fail to qualify for DAR funding due to restrictive eligibility criteria.

The Committee on Appropriations states in its report:
                                                                                               
Defense Access Roads project timeline.—The Committee is very concerned about the lack of use of the Defense Access Roads program within the Department of Defense. The Committee has heard of many worthwhile road construction/expansion projects in and around military installations that are in great need of funding. These projects would provide a great benefit to the installations and the surrounding communities. Therefore, the Committee directs the Department to review needed projects around military installations as well as a timeline on when those projects will be completed and report back to the Committee not later than 30 days after enactment of this Act. If the Department cannot provide a timeline, they should explain how the program can be changed to meet those requirements.

Vote for JBLM's I-5 Corridor Improvements

UPDATE:  July 2, 2013: Working for Completion 

The Transportation Package before the Washington State House contains $175 million for improvements along the JBLM I-5 Corridor.  JBLM is almost entirely dependent on I-5 for movements.

The State House Legislature is scheduled to re-vote on the Transportation Package immediately following a morning caucus. You are asked to immediately (using links in the article below) to email supporters with "thanks" and opponents with "vote yes".

(Click on Image for a Larger and Complete View)

WA State Steps Up Competitive Position

Today Governor Chris Gregoire announced her final proposed budget. 

 

She met with a group of local defense advocates from across the state in August, and stated the need for an aggressive time frame to conduct a report about how Washington State fits into the Department of Defense Strategic Plans, so she could make investments in her budget. 

 

You will find the final report, Retaining and Expanding Military Missions, Increasing Defense Spending and Investments (http://ofm.wa.gov/reports/mil_report.pdf).  Also here is a link to a summary brief of the Governor’s proposed investments based on the recommendations of this report (www.governor.wa.gov/priorities/economy/BRAC.pdf). 

 

The Governor proposes:

-          Hiring a Director of  Military Affairs; 

-          Creating military community support grants ($500,000);

-          Improving quality of life by improving schools at JBLM ($11.9M);

-          Continuing transportation infrastructure improvements.

 These investments are an important step in continuing the momentum begun this summer.  Thanks to Denny Miller and Associates and Hayek & Fix, Inc. for their great work on the analysis and report and thank you to all the members of the Washington Military Alliance who are supporting this project and make it possible.

I-5 Grants, Part II

Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Representatives Norm Dicks (D-WA-06) and Adam Smith (D-WA-09) applauded the announcement by the Department of Defense that the City of Lakewood will be awarded a $5.7M grant for a transportation project to improve access to medical facilities at Madigan Healthcare System.



"I’m proud to fight to make sure that our men and women in uniform and their families can access the medical facilities they need in a timely and efficient manner,” said Senator Murray. “That’s why I worked to help secure these funds, and I’m so glad that Joint Base Lewis-McChord will be able to start this long overdue project.”


“Madigan Army Medical Center is one of the busiest hospitals in the Pacific Northwest, providing critical care to our brave men and women in uniform in a six-state region,” said Senator Cantwell. “The successful operation of this state-of-the-art medical facility depends on modernized and efficient transportation infrastructure that alleviates congestion around Joint Base Lewis McChord. I was proud to support this investment, which will improve vital medical access to this technologically advanced facility for our military community. The men and women who serve our country deserve access to the quality health care they have earned.”


“These tangible improvements are expected to significantly reduce the delays that Madigan patients and JBLM employees experience entering and leaving the base, particularly at peak hours,” said Representative Dicks, who serves as the ranking Democratic Member of the House Appropriations Committee and its Defense Subcommittee.


“Working to reduce congestion around Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a priority to my District,” said Representative Smith, who serves as the ranking Democratic Member of the House Armed Services Committee. “This investment is a step in the right direction that will have a positive impact on our local community, though much more needs to be done and I will continue to make this a top priority. I congratulate the City of Lakewood for putting together a quality proposal and for their work with partners in the region to secure this funding.”

I-5 Improvements Grants Approved

The Department of Defense announced today the City of Lakewood will receive $5.7 million from a special fund designed to increase access to military medical facilities – Madigan Healthcare System.

You may learn more at Wednesday's RAMP meeting. 

DoD plans to distribute $299.6 million to eight transportation projects to improve access to medical facilities affected by the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) process.  Congress included $300 million for these transportation improvements in the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011.

The eight projects will improve transportation access to medical facilities at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Wash., Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., Fort Belvoir, Va., and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.  A list of the selected projects may be found at: http://www.oea.gov.

The projects were selected through a competitive process that considered proposals from states and communities around installations whose medical facilities were affected by the most recent BRAC round.  Congress directed the department to give priority to those locations where BRAC actions created transportation challenges that might impede access to medical care.  The selection panel included health care and transportation experts from the Departments of Defense and Transportation.

Funds will be distributed by Department of Defense’s Office of Economic Adjustment once the applicants provide complete applications, including comprehensive plans and environmental information pertaining to the selected projects:

• Installation: Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA
• Applicant: City of Lakewood, Washington
• Project Title: Madigan Army Medical Center Access Improvement Funding Request: $5.7 million

·                     Installation: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, MD

o                               Applicant: Montgomery County, Maryland

·                                            Project Title: Maryland 355 Multimodal Crossing
Funding Request: $40 million

o                               Applicant: State of Maryland

·                                            Project Title: Maryland 185 & Jones Bridge Road/Kensington Parkway
Funding Request: $18.3 million

·                                            Project Title: Maryland 355 & West Cedar Lane/Cedar Lane
Funding Request: $19 million

·                                            Project Title: Maryland 355 & Jones Bridge Road/Center Drive
Funding Request: $4.3 million

·                                            Project Title: Maryland 187 & West Cedar/Oakmont Avenue
Funding Request: $7.3 million

·                     Installation: Fort Belvoir, VA

o                               Applicants: Fairfax County, Virginia / Commonwealth of Virginia

·                                            Project Title: RT 1 Widening from Telegraph Road to Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
Funding Request: $180 million

·                     Installation: Joint Base San Antonio, TX

o                               Applicant: City of San Antonio, Texas

·                                            Project Title: I 35-LOOP 410 Connector
Funding Request: $25 million

Possible Grants for JBLM on I-5

 

AGENDA  -  November 2, 2011

8:00     Welcome & Self-Introductions                                  

            Tom Pierson, Co-Chair                                                

8:10     Department of Defense, Office of Economic Adjustment: I-5/JBLM Grant

            Jeff Gonzalez, City of Lakewood

8:30     TIGER III Discretionary Federal Grant: I-5/JBLM

            Ron Landon & Kevin Dayton, WSDOT

8:50     Round Robin

9:00     Closing Remarks & Adjourn

            Pat McCarthy, Co-Chair

LOCATION:  Fabulich Center, Rm. 104, 

3600 Port of Tacoma Rd., Tacoma 98421

No Road Capacity - No Helicopters - No Jobs

The Army, in releasing a final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the proposed growth, realignment and stationings of new existing Army aviation assets, counters its earlier preference for JBLM, choosing Ft. Carson, CO. 

In Saturday's The News Tribune, the community learned the disappointing news:  some but now not all 5,700  soldiers and 8,260 family members will come here.  The current preference is that units already here, around 3,000 troops, will form a CAB and the new troops will go to Ft. Carson.

In responding to the announcement, spokespersons cited the region's lack of highway infrastructure to support additional troops - where clearly Ft. Carson's community could.  While our local region and state departments have cooperatively addressed impacts from growth and the cycling of deployments, needed and necessary new capacity is not even on the horizon. 

The Congress has recognized the imbalance of construction and growth on installations while feeder infrastructure off base languishes.  The National Research Council has published a just released report calling for DoD investment in off-base highways. 

We're glad to keep the 3,000 jobs, but acknowledge our state and regional lack of infrastructure development has lost out on 2,700 more jobs.

Consider Defense Issues In Transportation Policies

Camp Murray and I-5

Most of you have probably followed the developing controversy within the Tillicum community about proposed gate relocation for Washington National Guard's HQ at Camp Murray.

Seemingly a simple question of where to stack the queue turns into a more complex problem when the needful expansion of I-5 is considered. Recently, Lakewood, as lead in the Office of Economic Adjustment funded study of I-5 between (roughly) SR-512 and DuPont, found a necessity to accommodate the employment growth at JBLM to increase capacity and support infrastructure.

That point, among several, is brought home in an open letter by WNG Adjutant General Timothy Lowenberg on the issue pledging to work with (not "rolling over") the installation's neighbors. That's all here in the enclosed letter.

How to Build a Cross-Base Highway

Pierce County's long awaited and continually delayed Cross-Base Highway keeps looking for a solution to a need long overdue. For a project that started with a donation of right-of-way worth millions of dollars by Ft. Lewis, that head start in funding hasn't made much progress against other state-wide projects that keep bumping the Cross-Base Highway.

As Fort Lewis is a work site that has gained 13,000 workers in the last demi-decade and seen a daily increase in thousands of vehicle trips, soldiers taking housing outside the post are continuing to seek housing in Thurston County as closer Pierce County housing is inaccessible via the congestion along the Pacific Ave.-SR 512-I-5 route, located in Parkland-Spanaway. Who hasn't noticed the increase in congestion on I-5 south of the post as soldiers commute back and forth to Thurston County?

But is our challenge so unique that we must create a solution, or is experience available elsewhere. Of course! We are not unique! Others have solved this problem!

Mayor John Cook, City of El Paso, TX and Charles H. "Chuck" Berry, El Paso District Engineer, Texas Department of Transportation, recently shared with nation-wide delegates at the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), Department of Defense, how El Paso responded to the transportation demands of military (job) growth.

El Paso and Texas built a 7.5 miles freeway across Fort Bliss and an airport. This was a $200 million construction project accomplished by a public-private partnership. El Paso and Texas cooperated with the private sector to build and finance this highway (pictured above). Using what they called "pass through tolls," the State of Texas pays to the private sector vendor a toll based on the number of cars that use the highway. For mutual protection, payments will not fall below $10 million nor rise above $12 million.

Today's state (and local) budget climate gives all parties an instant excuse for not spending $10 million in capital expenses each year. But alternatives do exist. For one example the Stimulus Bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, contains the Build America Bonds, which provides a federal subsidy to state and local bonds.

Others have taken notice. Mayor Efrain Valdez, Del Rio, TX, rose from the conference floor to endorse the Texas public-private partnership in road building and announce his city is doing the same thing.