Directions and Parking Arrangements
USU is located on the campus of the National Naval Medical Center, at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue (Route 355) and Jones Bridge Road, across the street from the main campus of the National Institutes of Health. To gain access to the USU campus, you must provide security guards at the NNMC gate with either a federal employee ID badge, military ID (retired, reserve, or active-duty), or a special visitor pass provided by event organizers plus a photo ID. NNMC has five gates, two on Wisconsin Avenue and three on Jones Bridge Road.
Gate schedules change based on security levels, so be sure to check the USU website (www.usuhs.mil) just prior to Research Week for an up-to-date listing of hours for each gate.
Due to construction projects on the NNMC campus and other USU activities, there will be no open parking available for non-USU employees during Research Week. Transportation and parking arrangements for speakers and other invited guests of the University will be made by the session organizers. There is also limited parking available for persons with disabilities, but prior arrangements must be made through the Office of Research (POC: Mary Kay Gibbons, 301-295-9817).
Other Means of Travel:
- METROBUS and MONTGOMERY COUNTY RIDE-ON BUSES do not enter the NNMC campus due to increased security procedures at the campus gate. Instead, they stop at the Medical Center METRO stop across Wisconsin Avenue (Route 355).
- METRORAIL - The National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) is on the MetroRail's Red Line at the Medical Center Station. As you exit the station via the escalators, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) complex will be directly in front of you. The NNMC campus will be behind you, across Wisconsin Ave. (Rt. 355).
From the Metro station, you can walk 15-20 minutes to the University's campus or take one of several shuttles:
PEDESTRIANS: Cross Wisconsin Ave. and enter the NNMC gates at Southwood Rd. You will need to show the guard at the gate a federal employee ID, a military ID (active duty, reserve, or retired, any service), or an official USUHS pass with a driver's license. If you are an invited guest or speaker but do not have an appropriate ID, your point of contact should send you a pass before the day you are scheduled to attend. After passing through the security checkpoint, take the first right. You will be on Palmer Road, walking between the main hospital complex and a helipad. Follow Palmer Road over a curving overpass; then pass (in order) AFRRI, the Fisher House, and the Navy Lodge. The University is at the end of Palmer Road, on the left side of the street.
SHUTTLE BUSES (limited schedules): You can pick up any of the following shuttles at the first bus stop you approach when emerging from the Metro, but only during the morning rush period (6:00 am to 9:00 am) and evening rush period (2:45 pm to 5:30 pm). At the University end, all shuttles pick up and drop off passengers in the tunnel outside the Security Office, ground floor Building B. AAA buses also pick up and drop off at the flagpoles on Palmer Road, between Buildings B and C.
At the security checkpoint just inside the NNMC gate, each passenger must show a federal employee ID, military ID (active duty, reserve, or retired, any service), or an official USUHS pass with a driver's license. If you are an invited guest or speaker but do not have an appropriate ID, your point of contact should send you a pass before the day you are scheduled to attend.
- NNMC SHUTTLE BUSES - The NNMC Blue and Gold shuttles run from the Metro station to several different locations on the base. Only the Blue line buses stop at the University. However, Gold line buses do stop at AFRRI, a 2-minute walk up Palmer Road from the University. You can ask the bus driver to announce your stop.
- ALL AMERICAN (AAA) shuttle buses run continuously between 6:10 am and 8:55 am, and 2:45 pm and 5:30 pm, arriving at any given stop approximately every 15 minutes.
USUHS SHUTTLE - The University runs a shuttle van that goes from the Medical Center Metro stop directly to the University. The University vans display the USU shield and name on their sides. In the mornings, the vans run in a continuous loop between 6:45 am and 8:15 am. In the evenings, they depart from USUHS at 3:33 pm, 4:05 pm, and 4:33 pm.