Alleviating parking concerns at the Navy's oldest shipyard

LOT 20 AKA "I" LOT "I" Lot is one of the most popular general parking lots at the shipyard because it is centrally located. It is also one of the first parking lots to fill up each morning.

Lot 1 at the north end of the shipyard behind Bldg. 51 is rarely used.

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Alleviating parking concerns at the Navy's oldest shipyard

By Anna Taylor • Public Affairs Specialist When an installation actually pre-dates the country that owns it, there are bound to be some unique challenges and growing pains during the course of its history.

Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), which celebrates its 250th anniversary this November, certainly falls into that category.

One of the most common problems associated with a busy industrial area, especially one located in a bustling city like Portsmouth, is space.

The shipyard is surrounded by neighborhoods and businesses, so finding enough land to accommodate more than 12,000 employees and all their personally owned vehicles is a serious job.

According to a parking study conducted by a contractor in coordination with Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Public Works Department (PWD) last year, there are approximately 14,636 parking spots at NNSY, including spots that are technically located outside the shipyard’s main fence,

like the spaces along Portsmouth Blvd. between Gates 10 and 14A, or at Southgate.

In theory, this is more than enough to accommodate the 12,000 civilian employees and Sailors who work at NNSY every day.

But that figure does not include personnel assigned to tenant commands, contractors who work at the shipyard, or the Sailors stationed on the four submarines and one aircraft carrier currently undergoing maintenance on the waterfront.

According to George Fitzgerald, the former Business and Strategic Planning Office manager, the number of employees working at the shipyard on any given day is actually closer to 20,000. But the parking study found only 71 percent of the shipyard's parking spaces are occupied on an average morning, and parking lots that aren’t centrally located, like Lot #1 on the north end, are seriously underutilized.

When you take into account the number of spaces unavailable due to equipment and

material laydown and dispoal, the building of new structures and other facility upgrades, along with the spaces that will be absorbed as Anti-Terrorism Force Protection setbacks are applied and enforced, the shipyard stands to lose another 3,300 or more spaces in the next couple of years.

A parking garage has been proposed more than once, but the question of funding continues to be a barrier. If the money were ever approved, the construction would take years, and hundreds of spaces would be forfeited in the meantime.

Statistics like this are enough to make anyone feel discouraged by their parking prospects, but the Base Support Office (Code 800) is working hard to alleviate the problem, reduce traffic congestion, and expand transportation alternatives.

One of the most popular ways to avoid the morning parking struggle is to ride share. The Navy has implemented the Transportation Incentive Program (TIP) for its employees to help reduce their daily contribution to traffic congestion and air pollution, as well as expand their commuting choices.

The Department of Defense will pay employees a monthly stipend if they use

public transportation to and from work, or if they participate in a van pool.

Code 800 is also working with local officials and considering the practicality of establishing a Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) route to and from the shipyard, so employees can park in Chesapeake, Norfolk, or Suffolk city lots and ride the public bus to work.

While not immediately related to parking, NNSY offers a shuttle service to take employees from building to building. The buses run between 21 stops in approximately 15- to 20-minute intervals from 5 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The shuttle eliminates long walks in heat or inclement weather and ensures employees can transit across the yard quicker and easier.

According to Base Support Manager Jim Tishko, parking is a topic he deals with on a daily basis.

“There are a lot of pieces to this pie,” he said. “We’re trying to do our best, but people will park where it’s convenient. But you might not have a space right in front of your building, and that has to be okay.”

In that vein, the Base Support Office has been granted approval to remove a fence near Lot 1 to make it easier for employees to walk

around Bldg. 51 and gain access from the parking lot to other buildings at the north end of the shipyard.

In that vein, Code 800 has been granted approval to realign a fence bordering Lot #1, making it easier for employees to access the installation. This change will provide access from Lot #1 to Trophy Park and other buildings at the north end of the shipyard without making employees walk around Bldg. 51.

It’s always a good idea to be familiar with all the options. Examine the shipyard’s gate schedule and parking map, and know the alternatives for days when parking is particularly difficult. Employees should resist the urge to park illegally on the grass or in unauthorized spaces because they may be ticketed or towed.

The process of finding a permanent solution is ongoing, and Code 800 has established a dedicated parking feedback email to address employee concerns.

Employees can send questions and suggestions to james.tishko@navy.mil.

For more information on TIP, contact Regina Hall at 967-4269.

Public Affairs Specialists Troy Miller and Jennifer Zingalie contributed to this report.

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