Community Liaison Council Meeting Minutes

June 18, 2009; 4:00 to 6:00 PM
Visitor Information Center, Building 45 (Natcher Building)
Little Theater
National Institutes of Health

ANNOUNCEMENTS—Dennis Coleman, OCL Director, CLC Co-Chair; and Ginny Miller, CLC Co-Chair

• Several hundred guests have been attending the 2009 Federal Environmental Symposium in this building from June 16 through today. The fact that no council members have expressed difficulty finding a parking place for today's meeting indicates that Gateway Center is again working as intended.

• Tom Hayden announced that starting July 3, budget cuts necessitate closing Gateway Center vehicle inspection on weekends. Visitors seeking to bring vehicles onto the campus are advised that weekend vehicle entry and inspection will subsequently occur at the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility (CVIF).  Web site notices and signs have been posted.  Clinical Center patients are the main visitors driving onto the campus during weekends.

• Mr. Hayden has been receiving few complaints about the perimeter shuttle other than one received last month about a shuttle being late. Users should address any comments to Mr. Coleman or Sharon Robinson, and Mr. Hayden will respond.

• Lesley Hildebrand asked about the orange cones at the Old Georgetown Road/South Drive gate. Mr. Hayden said that Lou Klepitch is working to improve visitor pedestrian egress during the PM rush hour by reconfiguring the gate to accommodate a sally port.

• Tomorrow (June 19), between 2:00 and 4:00 PM, County Councilman Roger Berliner will convene an informational meeting at the Bethesda–Chevy Chase Rescue Squad for senior citizens.

• Next month, Ivan Locke will update the council on the joint NIH/County project to improve South Lawn drainage. Progress has slowed because project staff has been temporarily deployed to planning necessitated by NIH's recent receipt of economic stimulus funds, whose expenditure time is limited.

• A recent notice from county police warns local residents about a wave of pick-pocketing in downtown Bethesda. The pick-pockets apparently work as a coordinated team, one distracting victims by dropping things or pretending to be struck by elevator doors, while an accomplice attempts to take the victim’s wallet while they are distracted.

• OD (the NIH Director's Office and administrative home of OCL, the Community Liaison Office) is getting more serious about its "Going Green" initiative. To compliment building and area recycling barrels, small recycling bins are now being made available for desk side use by each staff member.

• Mr. Coleman wanted council members to know that compliance with ethics rules limiting acceptance of gifts by federal employees required him to turn down a free steak dinner sponsored by the Bethesda Urban Partnership at the Ruth Chris Steakhouse in downtown Bethesda.

• The community store on Old Georgetown Road opposite South Drive will be expanding as a result of the owner successfully challenging initial denial of his proposal by County planners.

• Montgomery County’s local July 4th fireworks display will be held at 9:15 PM at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington. Because there is no parking at the viewing site, the County will provide shuttles from the Wheaton Metro station beginning at 6:15 PM.

FACILITIES
MLP-E Prescreening—Lynn Mueller, Landscape Architect, ORF
Mr. Mueller reported that along the border of the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility (CVIF), 2 pine trees had died and were replaced, and 16 more trees were planted for increased screening of the frontage area.

MLP-E is a multilevel parking garage that will be constructed sometime in the future along the inside edge of the open space buffer on the south side of the campus.  Consistent with the NIH master plan, MLP-E will replace a large portion of surface parking now part of Lot 41.  Based on past experience with the slow development of CVIF and Gateway Center screening, the CLC had creatively suggested that MLP-E screening trees be planted now, so they have some time to grow before MLP-E is built.  To begin the process of evaluating feasibility of this idea, Mr. Mueller photographed the area in winter and spring to compare the effectiveness of current screening with and without leaves on the deciduous trees along the NIH property line.  At a height of 20 to 40 feet, some mature screening now exists, but there are gaps.  Regardless of the amount or size of south perimeter screening, MLP-E will still be visible from upper floors of adjacent residential buildings like the Whitehall Condominiums.  

The good news is that screening gaps can begin to be filled now by planting 7 to 10 foot high evergreens (which double in height in 10 years) and 10 to 15 foot white and red oaks and tulip poplars, which can reach a height of 40 feet.  Mr. Mueller showed a drawing which indicated that a total of 105 nursery-grown trees of various sizes will be needed to close existing screening gaps.  The contract has been submitted and approved and will be let in time for the fall planting season.  Prescreening will be the first phase of an overall screening approach.  The second phase will occur after MLP-E is constructed, and more trees are planted close to it.  In addition, more trees will be planted within the current buffer area.  Mr. Mueller assumes that the existing asphalt parking area of Lot 41 will not be removed until MLP-E is built.

TRANSPORTATION
Medical Center Station Access Improvement Study—Robin McElhenny, Manager, Station Planning & Sara Benson, Civil Engineer, WMATA
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) calls for relocating some 2500 employees from Walter Reed Army Medical Center to the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC).  BRAC will also increase the number of NNMC patient appointments and other visitors from the current level of ~2000 per day to ~4000 per day.  The existing Medical Center Metro station now serves NIH and NNMC employees (~18000 and ~8000 respectively), plus NIH and NNMC visitors (~1000 and ~2000 per day, respectively), plus several hundred local area commuters.  The expanded NNMC will have no additional parking for employees despite their number increasing from ~8000 to ~10500.  As a result, NNMC seeks to increase the fraction of employees using transit from the current 10% to 30%. 

With respect to existing conditions, the transit services area on WMATA's easement at Wisconsin Avenue and South Drive is also a RideOn bus stop area, a shuttle stop area for both NNMC and NIH, and a Kiss & Ride (drop off) area for vehicles.  The traffic light cycle time at the South Drive and Wisconsin Avenue intersection is quite long (2.5 minutes), and cars exiting NNMC and turning south often conflict with crossing pedestrians.  Route 355 experiences bumper-to-bumper traffic (aka highway Levels of service "E" & "F") during rush hour and an average of only 3 cars can exit NNMC per light cycle.  This creates a backup and that stretches back onto the NNMC campus.  Current congestion will only get worse as Medical Center station usage is expected to exceed 16,000 passengers by 2020, while pedestrian traffic crossing between NNMC and the Metro is expected to double and vehicular traffic is projected to increase by at least 50%.

In May 2008, the NNMC requested $20M of DoD funding (through the Defense Access Roads or DAR program) for off-base transportation improvements to accommodate this expected influx of BRAC traffic. The stated purpose is to provide better access to the Medical Center station on the opposite side of Wisconsin Avenue from the base.  The MD Department of Transportation asked the WMATA to evaluate the need for enhanced station access, to develop multiple alternatives to address this need, and to develop performance measures to evaluate the alternatives.  

A total of 5 alternatives emerged, 1 being a combination of 2 others.  These include no build, deep elevators, a shallow tunnel, deep elevators & a shallow tunnel, and a pedestrian bridge.  Alternatives shown today were presented at the BRAC committee meeting last week.   All options include building a pick-up and drop-off area on the east side of Route 355 (currently there is only 1, on the west side).  They are summarized as follows:

1. No build. A pedestrian refuge would be built on a widened median, providing a safe waiting area.  This would require widening the west side of Wisconsin Avenue by ~10 feet. This option increases pedestrian safety, but does not decrease the number of pedestrians crossing the intersection and conflicting with vehicle turning movements.  The projected cost is $0.7 million.

2. Deep elevators.  Three elevators would extend ~100 feet underground to the platform area.  Elevator entry would require moving the NNMC security fence now at ground level.  A short tunnel would lead from the elevator exits to the existing station platform area.  This arrangement would serve Metro users but not bus users and pedestrians such as those crossing to the west side Kiss & Ride area.  It would eliminate ~80% of pedestrian crossings and associated conflicts.  The projected cost is $30.5 million.

3. Shallow tunnel. A shallow tunnel would be constructed about 30 feet deep under Wisconsin Avenue.  It would not connect to the existing Metro station.  It would require building two elevators, an escalator, and a sheltering canopy on each side of Wisconsin and moving the security fence on the east side. It would serve all transit area users, although it would not reduce travel time. The location of the tunnel entrance is critical to whether and how people use it.  Projected cost is $31.5 million.

4. Deep elevators & shallow tunnel. This option combines numbers 2 and 3 above. Metro users would take the deep elevators; pedestrians and bus riders would take the shallow tunnel.  Projected cost is $59.4 million.

5. Pedestrian bridge. A bridge would connect the east and west sides of Wisconsin Avenue. Location of the bridge is an issue because the most convenient location could conflict with the existing traffic signals.  In addition, this plan could trigger additional review since there could be visual impacts to the historic view from Wisconsin Avenue towards the NNMC tower.  Projected cost is $14.6 million.

Alternatives 1 and 2 increase pedestrian safety.  Numbers 2 and 4 reduce pedestrian travel time to 3.3 minutes vs 6.7 minutes for the others.  Vehicular delay would be high for alternative 1, medium for 2, and low for 3, 4, and 5.  Because this Metro station serves a hospital, access to an elevator must be guaranteed, but it might be possible to replace escalators with stairs.  Traffic disruption is low for alternatives 1 and 2 and medium for 3, 4, and 5.

The report has been drafted and comments from agency stakeholders received.  It should be finished in about 3 weeks.  Next steps are to finalize the report, assist the Navy in obtaining a DAR certification, and convene follow-on meetings at the county and state levels.

Discussion
Mr. Coleman said that station access improvement is one aspect of a complicated and crowded transit services area, which includes both kiss-and-ride and bus/shuttle stop areas in addition to Metro station access.  Moreover, regional, state and federal agencies are all involved, so communication and coordination is also more complicated.  For example, NNMC's transportation plan assumes that the existing Kiss & Ride area on the NIH side will be expanded, as will shuttle service to and from NNMC.  Ms. McElhenny said that WMATA is not planning to expand the Kiss & Ride area and that there will be fewer spaces in the future for people to be dropped off.  

Ms. Hinton explained that the Navy’s definition of expanded is that more people will be using the transit services area, not that the area will be enlarged.  Mr. Coleman said that more users on one hand and no expansion on the other supports his concern about whether capacity of the transit services area will be adequate to meet post-BRAC demand. 

Ms. McElhenny reminded everyone that all WMATA plans for station access improvement call for an additional pick-up and drop-off area on the east side Route 355, and that this will help mitigate increased demand on the existing west side transit services area.  The shuttle service between Building 10 (the NNMC hospital) and the Metro station is already being increased so that it now runs in a continuous loop.  Mr. Coleman observed that ride-on buses and NIH shuttles have designated places to stop at the transit services area, but he wondered whether NNMC shuttles have a dedicated place to stop.  Ms. McElhenny said that NNMC shuttles do have a designated stopping place, but it is not near the existing station entrance escalators, so the shuttles tend to stop closer to the escalators, which can temporarily block other buses.  

Ms. Benson is working with Jeff Miller, the NNMC transportation coordinator.  She realizes that multiple users access the transit services area now and better coordination is likely to be necessary in the future given increased traffic and space constraints.  There is an empty bus bay that can be offered to NNMC shuttles when full scale BRAC operations commence.  Deborah Michaels noted that if option 4 is selected, it should reduce the number of shuttles coming across Route 355, which in turn should limit circulation blockage in the transit services area.

Ginny Miller observed the need for careful monitoring of how well things are working and flexibility to address problems, regardless which alternative is chosen. Ms. McElhenny thought option 2 would reduce pedestrian traffic; option 3 (a tunnel) and 5 (the bridge) would be good for everybody.  Options 3, 4, or 5 remove more traffic.  Funding is an unmet need for all options, but solving that requires that the options be defined first.

Mr. Coleman brought up Mr. Hayden’s efforts to determine whether and how to increase the South Drive turning radius for buses entering and leaving the transit services area.  The larger the bus, the more likely that turning in or out of South Drive could require two movements, which is another source of blocking traffic on South Drive or worse, Wisconsin Avenue. 

Mr. Hayden said that a preliminary study had been done last year, but no funding was immediately available to take a next step.  He noted that existing demands on the transit services area (especially during peak commute hours), the multimode nature of its use (Metro, buses, shuttles, drop offs, NIH thru traffic) and the coming increase of use as a result of BRAC required creativity and resources.  For example, Mr. Hayden reported that he has been meeting with WMATA staff about NIH restoring the Kiss & Ride area from its temporary use for vehicle inspection while Gateway Center was under construction.  The area sidewalk will soon be repaired, but pavement-wise, NIH must wait to see what the State Highway Administration (SHA) does with regard to its proposed widening of Wisconsin Avenue.  Also, the Kiss & Ride area will soon be re-striped to allow at least a temporary return to its former function.  Longer term, there is a need for tour bus parking at the transit services area (so passengers can get screened at Gateway Center) and also a need for parking spots for the disabled.  Mr. Coleman commented that the more uses there are for the transit services area, the more its design and circulation must resemble the precise workings of a Swiss watch.

Sally Kaplan noted that security must also be factored into design and operation of the transit services area.  Ms. McElhenny assumes that security cameras will be part of station access improvement, but who will “own” and manage them has yet to be determined.  If a renovation connects directly to Metro, ownership and management  would belong to Metro, but if the renovation does not connect (e.g. the shallow tunnel or the bridge), ownership and operation becomes debatable.

Joan Kleinman suggested that one ingredient of success is incenting the public to do what is desired by facility designers.  For example, moving the pedestrian crosswalk so that using it is less convenient than entering and using the tunnel is something that could help ensure that the tunnel works as intended. 

ENVIRONMENT
No topic this month

SPECIAL PROJECTS
Not topic this month

INFORMATION FORUM—Dennis Coleman, OCL Director, CLC Co-Chair
The information forum handout is as usual organized into separate sections based on the scope, reach or impact of the information presented; namely, NIH, local, county, region, state and federal.  The outline page at the front shows highlighted topics in color.  Since a few minutes are available before the 6 PM adjournment time, Mr. Coleman briefly explained those highlights for which a clarifying graphical exhibit is available.  These included:

• NIH recently released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for proposed transport of potentially exposed biolab workers from Fort Detrick to the NIH Clinical Research Center (CRC, the new hospital) for observation and if necessary, treatment.  Renovations have turned a 5th floor corridor of the CRC into a special containment facility called the SCSU (Special Clinical Studies Unit).  A public hearing is scheduled for this evening from 6 to 9 PM at 6001 Executive Blvd.  A 60-day period for public comment on the DEIS expires July 24.  The handout includes an NIH press release which provides background and contact information for those wishing to review and/or comment on the DEIS.

• A map published in the Gazette locates existing and proposed new hospitals in Montgomery County.

• The County's latest Highway Mobility Report (published this month) includes some interesting tables which summarize all residential and commercial development throughout the county, both approved and remaining (i.e. left until "buildout" of the County's land use plan is reached). The report also lists and maps the most congested intersections.  The report is detailed enough to warrant consideration by the agenda committee of a more detailed future presentation to the full CLC.

• A study of how people get to Metro reveals interesting trends such as a significant increase in bike access.

• The latest counts of traffic on state roads surrounding NIH, NNMC and Suburban Hospital have been posted on the MD DoT web site.  Mr. Coleman added county data for Cedar Lane and Jones Bridge Road to the state map.  The data again show that traffic to and from local medical facilities is less than that generated by other commuting, business and residential activity up and down the Wisconsin Avenue and Old Georgetown Road corridors.

• A overview of the extensive (~$55M) highway project underway at Wisconsin Avenue and Montrose Road just north of White Flint shows 2 phases, which may take another year or two to complete.

• A listing of FY2010 appropriation requests with local significance by MD congressmen is in the packet.

• A prior handout provided location and schedule information for numerous (13) local traffic impacts expected to occur during the next few years.  Today's handout provides part 2 of this picture; namely, the status of funding for mitigation of BRAC traffic impacts.  Progress has been made by elected officials with respect to requesting more resources, but not all identified needs have as yet been met.

• A figure published by the MD Transit Administration shows why transit may not be the total answer to congestion management around the area's medical facilities.  In this case, the wide distribution of where NNMC patients live extends far beyond the boundaries of Metro or the proposed Purple Line.

ROUND ROBIN—Ginny Miller, CLC Co-Chair

• Dr. Ozarin reported that the south lawn has standing water from recent rains.  Puddles need treatment to prevent them from turning into mosquito breeding ponds.  Tony Clifford will contact grounds keeping staff (Jim Davies) in this regard.

• Since NIH has focused all inbound truck traffic (~500 vehicles/day) at the CVIF, Beth Voltz inquired about the safety of the public traveling on Rockville Pike if a truck bomb were to be discovered and explode there.  Mr. Coleman said that space for a protective berm, wall or anything else between the CVIF and Rockville Pike was limited to begin with and now, NIH property in this area is proposed to be used for SHA's BRAC traffic mitigation efforts.  Brad Moss had said at a previous CLC meeting that he would at least find out whether any analysis of explosion risk had ever been done during CVIF design.  Mr. Coleman will inquire whether such information is available.

• Marilyn Mazuzan said that someone in her neighborhood claimed that if your spouse works at NIH you can get an extended visitor pass to open pedestrian gates and cross the campus to get to the Metro station.  Mr. Coleman said he understood that regular business on campus was required to get such a badge and simply being married to an NIH employee didn't sound like it met that criterion.  Mr. Coleman will ask Mr. Moss to clarify this point.

• Deborah Michaels said that in view of limited funding and comment by both local officials and the public, SHA is rethinking their initial proposal to improve 4 local intersections to mitigate existing and coming BRAC congestion.  Several comment letters have been posted on the Montgomery County BRAC Web site.

ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 5:50 PM.  Next meeting:  July 16, 2009

PARTICIPANTS
CLC Members
Marian Bradford, Camelot Mews
Harvey Eisen, Edgewood Glenwood
Lesley Hildebrand, Huntington Terrace
Darrell Lemke, Parkview
Deborah Michaels, Glenbrook Village
Ginny Miller, Wyngate
Marilyn Mazuzan, Oakmont
Lucy Ozarin, MD, Whitehall
Beth Volz, Locust Hill
Jeannette Wade, Whitehall

NIH Alumi Association
Kira Lueders

NIH Staff
Anthony Clifford, ORF
Dennis Coleman, OCL
Tom Hayden, ORS
Susan Hinton, ORF
Brad Moss, ORS
Lynn Mueller, ORF
Sharon Robinson, OCL

Guests
Sara E. Benson, Civil Engineer, WMATA
Sally Kaplan, Western Montgomery County Citizens' Advisory Cmte
Joan Kleinman, Congressman Chris Van Hollen’s Office
E. Robin McElhenny, Manager, Station Area Planning, WMATA
Ken Reichard, Senator Ben Cardin’s Office
Winfield Swanson, Audio Associates

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