FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- The Directorate of Public Safety sometimes receives complaints or questions about traffic congestion and backup of traffic at access control points.
Primarily, complaints revolve around the Daleville Gate during early morning traffic and when people are returning from lunch.
Understandably, waiting in line for any reason is an inconvenience.
The Daleville Gate receives more traffic than any other gate during the morning rush and during lunchtime.
During the early morning rush-hour the backup of traffic normally begins at approximately 7:15 a.m. and lasts until around 7:45 a.m. At lunch time the traffic backup normally begins around 12:45 p.m. During these peak periods the average wait time is around 10 - 15 minutes.
When additional personnel are here attending a conference, an exercise, training or other event this additional traffic of hundreds more vehicles creates a backup when the majority of them arrive at the same time as the regular Fort Rucker traffic between 7:15 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. or at 12:45 p.m. when returning from lunch.
DPS is doing what it can to alleviate the backups at the access control points; however, Fort Rucker commuters can work to help improve the wait times and safety by adjusting their driving habits.
If commuters eliminate the "arrive just on time to work" habit and adjust their driving schedule to arrive to work a little earlier, they can reduce the amount of cars at the gates at peak times.
Traffic surveys indicate the Daleville Gate processes an average of 800 to 900 vehicles from 7 to 8 a.m.; however, the vast majority of these vehicles arrive at the gate during a 15 minute period -- 7:15 to 7:30 a.m. This norm results in a backup of traffic.
Still, what can people do to reduce their average wait time'
If commuters adjusted their driving habits to arrive a little earlier to the installation, they wouldn't have a 10 to 15 minute wait. Employees who arrive a little early can stop and get some coffee or pick up a paper at their convenience before reporting to work. The same principle applies at lunch. The vast majority of people who go off post to lunch go to Daleville. Most return and arrive at the gate at about 12:45-12:50 p.m., so they can be back at work "just on time" at 1 p.m.
Another habit people can cultivate is being prepared for the gate guards.
People should have their valid identification cards and any other information needed regularly by the gate guards out and ready before lining up at the access control points. People rummaging through wallets, purses and briefcases not only slow the line down, but are unsafe because drivers have to take their eyes off the road.
Prior to lining up at the gate, mobile personal electronic devices such as cell phones should be put away or turned off, unless that device is being used with a "hands free" device. A cell phone placed on a speakerphone setting is not a hands free device.
Not only is it dangerous to talk or text on a cell phone while driving, it is also prohibited on post by federal law and local regulation.
Fort Rucker Regulation 190-5 states "Use of cellular phones, personal data assistants global positioning devices or video game players and similar devices can distract its user and reduce the user's situational awareness if used while driving. These devices can impair driving and mask or prevent recognition of emergency signals, alarms announcements, approach of vehicles, and human speech."
Furthermore, the regulation cites 32 Code of Federal Regulations Part 634.25(c)(3), Driver Distractions and Army Regulation 190-5, "Vehicle operators on a DoD installation and operators of government-owned vehicles shall not use cell phones unless the vehicle is safely parked or unless they are using a hands-free device."
People waiting at the access control points should not be making last-minute phone calls before they get to the guards. Whatever it is can probably wait a few minutes until they arrive at the office, or at least the parking lot. A fender bender while in line will make people even more late to work.
How much time people waste in traffic at the gates, whether it's seven minutes or 20 minutes, is something they can influence by taking the time to plan accordingly, adjust their driving habits and consider arriving earlier to process at the gate so their time is not wasted.
Social Sharing