Thursday, September 18, 2008

Survey results to ‘Paint Transportation Picture’

A week-long, installation-wide survey deployed last Thursday to all military and civilian employees working on post to gather information on their commuting habits and opinions of other potential transportation options.

“We are looking to the current work force to provide the master planners with their institutional knowledge and experience in commuting to and moving around Fort Belvoir,” said Col. Mark Moffatt, deputy garrison commander for Base Realignment and Closure and
transformation. “Traffic management is a complex challenge for a project of this size and geographical location, … we want to implement creative and innovative solutions.”

The survey asks approximately 20 questions ranging from current transportation usage, potential future usage based off of several potential options, current mass transit awareness, and potential on-post commuting options.

“With the influx of an additional 19,300 personnel to Fort Belvoir real estate by 2011, we must look now for a viable transportation system
to be in place before the new personnel arrive, said Claude McMullen, Fort Belvoir director of logistics. “Then, of course, we have to look for the money to make it happen.

“Additionally, it is extremely important that the current and future work force participate in our commuter surveys to assist us in planning public and private transportation provided by the county and private companies,” McMullen said.

The survey deployed in stages, using e-mail alerts, signs, news articles, and word-of-mouth advertising.

“As of 6:30 p.m. on the first day of the survey, there had been more than 1,530 responses to the survey,” said Matthew Fortney, Belvoir
New Vision Planner engineer. “We’re getting a large number of responses in the comment section, as well, that will provide additional information we can analyze.”

By the survey’s fifth day, more than 3,110 personnel had completed and submitted their responses, a figure that Fortney considers “respectable” for a survey of this type.

“This survey will help to paint a transportation picture for our master planners so they can see what options are currently used and what other options commuters are looking for, according to Don Carr, Fort Belvoir public affairs officer. “And, so far, we have gathered responses from nearly 14 percent of the installation’s work force of approximately 23,000 personnel. We can rely on what the analysis of responses shows as very well representative of the total.”

According to Fortney, surveys are one of the most effective tools used to evaluate how employees use the transportation choices that are made available to them. They help determine current commuting behavior, percentage of employees using each mode of travel, the number of vehicles being used to transport employees to the site, and arrival and departure times.

“Surveys also provide useful information regarding employee perceptions on transportation choices and their attitudes toward particular commuting methods,” Fortney said. “This information assists engineers in planning appropriate measures to reduce the use of single-occupant vehicles. A reduction in SOVs can greatly reduce traffic during the morning and evening rush hours.”

Planners are looking for Belvoir Eagle readers who work on the installation to take the survey if they have not already done so, which may create a final “surge” of responses on the final day of the deployment, according to Carr.

The survey is hosted on the Belvoir New Vision Web site, http://www.belvoirnewvision.com, which also provides information on BRAC-related events, activities, and information alerts.

Editor’s note: More information is available from Travis Edwards, BRAC outreach branch chief, 703-805-2019; or from the Web site.