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Plan Overview

Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) is the largest Army installation in the western United States, and it isthe third largest employer in the State of Washington. Its presence is recognized throughout Pierce andThurston Counties and Washington State as a signicant economic benet to the South Puget Sound. Inturn, communities surrounding JBLM enhance the quality of life for military personnel and families byproviding high quality neighborhoods, schools, recreation opportunities, and other services.

Recent United States Congress and Departmentof Defense actions have enhanced JBLM’s positionas a “Power Projection Platform” with a specicfocus on the Stryker Brigade Combat Teams. Withthis designation, JBLM has experienced signicantpopulation growth to support its mission. Since2003, nearly 40,000 people have arrived at JBLMand more continue to arrive. The total military-connected population is estimated to be 136,000by 2016.

To ensure a mutually benecial relationshipcontinues, careful planning and coordinationare needed to ensure that local facilities andinfrastructure are adequate to meet theneeds of JBLM, as well as to ensure thatthe South Puget Sound region is takingfull advantage of the military assets in

its midst.However, growth has signicantlyaffected the region’s ability to

provide even the most basic services and infrastructure – namely housing, education,transportation, and health care, among others. There are also momentous economicopportunities that can be realized with an increase in targeted coordination.

The Joint Base Lewis-McChord Growth Coordination Plan identies key opportunities forincreased collaboration and support for our military personnel and families.

Prepared under a grant rom the Department o Deense, Ofce o Economic Adjustment,administered by the City o Lakewood, Washington.

Mobility is a signifcant challenge

to resolving many o the issues

related to base operations, access

to existing services, getting people

to and rom work, moving goods

and services, and the quality o lie o those who live in the study

area. Insufcient regional mobility

is an obstacle to the economic

opportunities extended by JBLM-

related growth, and the strategies

to encourage improved travel

options are complex and capital

intensive. Recommendations

include improvements to

Interstate-5, HOV and Transit

Improvements, TransportationDemand Management Policies and

Strategies, JBLM Gate and On-Post

Improvements, and completing the

Cross-Base Highway.

These recommendations were identied by the expert panel members who

were selected to guide the transportation planning effort of the JBLM Growth

Coordination Plan.

Transportation Recommendations forImproving Regional Mobility

December 2010

The following web sites provide more information about thetransportation needs in this area.

JBLM Growth Coordination Plan Web Sitehttp://www.jblm-growth.com/

WSDOT Project Web Sitehttp://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/i5/tlewismcchordtransportation/ 

• Joint Base Lewis-McChord

• Washington StateDepartment ofTransportation(WSDOT)

• Federal HighwayAdministration (FHWA)

• Puget Sound RegionalCouncil (PSRC)

• Pierce County

• Thurston RegionalPlanning Council(TRPC)

• Thurston County

• City of Lakewood

• City of DuPont

• City of Tacoma

• City of Lacey

• City of Yelm

• Town of Steilacoo m

• Town of Roy

• Washington StateMilitary Department

• Nisqually Tribe

• Pierc e Transit

• Sou nd Transit

• Inte rcity Transit

• Clover Park SchoolDistrict

Participating Agencies

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STEILACOOMLAKEWOOD

SPANAWAY

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LEWIS MAIN

LEWIS

NORTH

McCHORD

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ROY

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Improve Regional Mobility ThroughI-5 Improvements

JBLM’s primary mission is threatened by increasingcongestion and safety issues on I-5. Base personnel

and regional travelers currently experiencesignicant amounts of delay along the stretch of I-5that bisects the JBLM facilities.

• Install Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) improvements.• Begin design and environmental analysis for interchange and mainline

improvements.• Develop a long-term master plan for I-5 through Thurston County.• Reconstruct the interchanges and add one additional northbound and southbound

lane between Mounts Road and Thorne Lane.

Transportation infrastructure on-post and at the gates is in need ofsignicant upgrades. The lack of connections between McChord Air

Field and Lewis Main creates circuitous travel patterns for on-post trips.

• Construct improvements at the Center Drive Interchange to improvethe existing emergency access gate foruse during peak demand times.

• Continue with signicant upgradesto the base entry points and considerinstallation of potential diamond lanesto encourage alternative modes.

• Complete the Joint Base Connectorroadway to provide a direct connectionbetween Lewis and McChord.

The Cross-Base Highway (SR 704) will provide regional travelerswith a new highway between Lewis and McChord. It is expected to

signicantly improve regional east–west travel, reduce I-5 and SR 512congestion, and improve overall accessibility to the base.

Few opportunities or incentives exist for regional travelersand base personnel to consider alternative modes when eithertraveling to JBLM or between Thurston and Pierce Counties.

• Promote changes in DoD policies that eliminate barriersto provide transit services; incentivize carpooling, vanpooling, or transit throughenhanced security requirements; and, mandate military installations to developTDM programs.

• Fund and provide on-post shuttles through a contract with local service providers.• Provide diamond lanes for carpools, vanpools, and buses at major entry points to

JBLM to encourage the use of carpooling and transit.• Construct yover bus stations and/or multi-modal hubs at major entry points.

Reducing trafc congestion along I-5 and the surrounding access roadways in part relies on effective TDMstrategies. Additional emphasis needs be placed on the installation to reduce their number of vehicle trips.

• Expand the federal workforce program, including a requirement for all installation personnel to obtain amonthly bus pass.

• Implement a program to allow JBLM personnel to use a vanpool/vanshare system for on-post mobility.• Develop a multi-agency marketing campaign and branding strategy to promote base-related transit and

TDM services.• Increase the role of the base Commute Trip Reduction

(CTR) Coordinator and designate and fund as a full-time position.

• Coordinate with on-post service providers to locatesome services off-post to reduce the amount ofservice-related trips to the installation.

High Priority TransportationRecommendations

Improve Regional Mobility Through HOV andTransit Improvements

Complete the Cross-Base Highway

Reduce Trafc Congestion Through TransportationDemand Management (TDM) Policies and Strategies

Reduce Military-Related Impacts on I-5 Flow ThroughJBLM Gate and On-Post Transportation Improvements

LEGEND

GATE IMPROVEMENT

INTERCHANGE

IMPROVEMENT