As part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round, the DoD plans to relocate over 123,000 military and DoD civilian personnel, thereby increasing the staffing at 18 bases nationwide. In addition, DoD and local officials expect thousands of dependents and DoD contractor employees to relocate to communities near the BRAC 2005 growth bases. These actions will greatly increase traffic in the surrounding communities. This report assesses and reports on the impact of BRAC-related growth on transport. systems and on the responses of fed., state, and local governments. This report determined the: (1) expected impact on transport. in communities affected by BRAC decisions; and (2) fed., state, and local response to the expected impacts.

Military Base Realignments and Closures: Transportation Impact of Personnel Increases Will Be Significant, but Long-Term Costs Are Uncertain and Direct Federal Support Is Limited

The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round is the 5th such round undertaken by DoD since 1988 and is the biggest, most complex, and costliest BRAC round ever. With this BRAC round, the DoD plans to execute hundreds of BRAC actions affecting over 800 defense locations, relocate over 123,000 personnel, and spend over $35 billion -- an unprecedented amount, given that DoD has spent nearly $26 billion to implement the four previous BRAC rounds combined. This report assesses: (1) the challenges DoD faces in implementing BRAC recommendations; and (2) DoD's efforts to mitigate any challenges, and the extent to which any costs related to those mitigation efforts are being reported as BRAC costs. Illustrations.

"TRB Special Report 302: Federal Funding of Transportation Improvements in BRAC Cases explores federal funding of transportation improvements in Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) cases. The committee that produced the report concluded that traffic delays resulting from the BRAC decisions and short timeline for implementing the decisions will impose substantial costs on surrounding communities and may even be harmful to the military.

The Department of Defense (DoD) paid active duty military personnel over $18 billion in housing allowances in FY 2010. DoD sets housing allowance rates annually based on market costs of rent, utilities, and renter¿s insurance. Also, DoD has identified 26 installations significantly impacted by expected growth in personnel due to various rebasing actions. This report reviewed DoD¿s rate-setting process, among other issues. The report determined: (1) whether there are enhancements to strengthen DoD¿s rate-setting process; and (2) whether service members have encountered challenges in obtaining off-base housing. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand edition of an important, hard-to-find publication.

The unprecedented growth at 26 military installations across the country due to the implementation of several concurrent DoD initiatives is expected to stress transportation needs for surrounding communities. The Defense Access Roads program, while small when compared to other transportation funding sources, provides a means for DoD to pay a share of the cost of highway improvements due to unusual and sudden DoD-generated activities. This report: (1) assessed the use of the program to mitigate transportation needs; and (2) identified additional steps that may be necessary to address unmet transportation needs. Includes recommend. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand edition of an important publication.