The installation command has taken another step toward reducing the number of vehicles traveling on Fort Meade's streets.

With more workers coming to the installation because of the Base Realignment and Closure, efforts are being made to promote carpooling.

Beginning Monday, the entry gate at Llewellyn Avenue will only be accessible to vehicles occupied by two or more passengers carpooling to work from 6 to 8 a.m.

During the evening hours, when the gate is open only for exiting traffic, any vehicle can use the gate -- regardless of the number of people riding.

The Llewellyn gate is open Monday through Friday and will continue to be open only in the mornings and evenings.

According to Col. Howard T. Yates, director of the Directorate of Emergency Services, any vehicle with less than two workers trying to enter the installation from the Llewellyn entry gate will be diverted to other gates for entrance onto the installation.

The new carpooling policy is intended to cut back congestion on the installation and in surrounding areas, said Joseph Shinskie, chief of physical security at the Directorate of Emergency Services.

"The gist of it is to get people to carpool," Shinskie said. "Our road networks don't support the number of cars coming [with BRAC]."

The policy, signed Oct. 25, 2010 by Installation Commander Col. Daniel L. Thomas, supports the Installation Traffic Demand Management plan, which Shinskie said is preparing the post for all the additional traffic expected with BRAC.

"We let people get through the holidays, into a routine, before starting the pilot program," Yates said.

In 60 days, the policy will be re-evaluated for its effectiveness, Shinskie said. Garrison staff will look at the usage of the new carpool gate and determine if the policy is achieving its objective of cutting down on the number of vehicles on installation roads.

The installation's emphasis on limiting the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the road has created numerous commuter programs such as a shuttle program to pick up employees at the MARC station and an internal shuttle to bus employees throughout the post.

Retired Col. Bert Rice, Fort Meade's director of transformation, said many of the agencies coming to the installation are promoting telework, working from home.

While the number of new workers at Fort Meade is still low -- Rice said the Defense Information Systems Agency has so far phased in 500 to 600 employees to its new facility -- it is important to get the programs started now before the post is overwhelmed by traffic.

"We want to set up the programs and open them to the pubic," Rice said.

As employees use the new programs and promote them to co-workers, Rice expects that will create more usage and fewer single-occupancy vehicles on the roads.

"The sooner the programs begin, the more the word will spread," he said.