Grab a Friend, Get a Ride

The roadways around Fort Meade aren’t getting any less crowded, so local officials are hoping workers team up with colleagues to cut down on the number of vehicles passing through the military installation.

A transportation demand management plan outlined by officials from Fort Meade and local governments calls for the increased use of carpools and vanpools, putting as many as a dozen workers in a single vehicle. 

“All of this is designed to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles crossing the installation,” said Bert Rice, the director of transformation at Fort Meade.

Carpools and vanpools aren’t a new concept. In simple terms, they involve getting together workers with similar commutes and work schedules that are willing to share a ride.

For the most part, workers can arrange carpools on their own, though it’s possible to find a small group of like-minded commuters through some online resources set up by local government and business groups. Two sites of note include meaderide.com, which is run by the BWI Business Partnership, and commuterconnections.org, a site coordinated by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Some federal agencies may also have internal systems designed to help their workers find one another.

Vanpools to and from Fort Meade are set up more formally through meaderide.com, where workers can fill out a survey and be connected to fellow employees with similar schedules and residences. Currently, the BWI Business Partnership has contracts with Enterprise and VPSI to run vanpools. 

At least eight and preferably more than 12 people are needed to form a vanpool, officials said.

The National Security Agency currently has a robust vanpool program, and the Defense Information Systems Agency is also rolling out efforts to promote them.

Aside from helping to cut down on the number of vehicles on the road, carpooling and vanpooling can have its advantages for commuters. At Fort Meade, all multi-occupancy vehicles (MOVs) can bypass the long traffic lines at the main gates and go through a dedicated entrance at the Llewellyn gate of Route 175. The MOV entrance is open to inbound traffic from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and outbound traffic from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The MOV lane is currently being used on a trial basis. 

"You can just go zipping through there," Rice said. "We're looking at various options as far as the multi-occupancy vehicles."

Carpoolers and vanpoolers can also use dedicated parking spaces that are closer to major buildings on base.

“If you’re in a carpool or vanpool, you won't have to walk a half-mile, you'll only have to walk 100 yards or so,” Rice said. 

In most case, the cost of riding in a carpool or vanpool is reimbursable for federal workers for up to $230 a month.

Use of a carpool or vanpool does come with some loss of flexibility for workers. Employees who must leave early due to an emergency or find themselves stuck at work late can take advantage of the Guaranteed Ride Home Program, which allows a free ride home via cab, bus, train or rental car up to four times per year.

The Maryland State Highway Administration recently began a push for greater usage of carpools and vanpools, especially with gas prices rising. The SHA operates more than 100 Park-N-Ride lots in Maryland. All are free to use and are open 24 hours.

The SHA said the use of ride share has cut 102.7 million vehicle miles traveled, and reduced the carbon dioxide emissions in Maryland by an estimated 51.4 tons per year. The SHA also said the ride sharers have reduced their commute by an average of 26 hours per year. 

However, the SHA said more than 5,500 parking spaces at rideshare facilities across the state go unused.

Editors note: This is Part III of a special series examining commuting options to Fort Meade. On Thursday in Part IV, we will examine bus routes to the military installation.