Ongoing military relocation at Maryland's Fort Meade

Officials at Maryland's Fort Meade say while they've already seen 7,000 new workers as part of the government's Base Realignment and Closure strategy, the Washington Post reports that the area is still preparing for further jumps as the military relocation continues.

Among the many agencies that are moving to the area is the Defense Information Systems Agency, which is moving from Arlington, Virginia. The paper reports that roughly 75 percent of the agency's 2,500 civilian workers said they planned to relocate to their new offices.

As the proejct continues, the paper reports that so far, the main issue from the relocation is traffic issues caused by all of the new workers.

"It's clearly an issue," J. Michael Hayes, director of military and federal affairs in Maryland's Department of Business and Economic Development, told the Post. He added that, given the current job market, most employees feel that some traffic congestion is much better than not having a job at all.

Potential traffic problems from the influx of moving workers is also causing debate in Alexandria, Virginia. A new building in the city will house 6,400 workers, but isn't close to public transit. WUSA-TV reports that studies have shown that the influx of cars on area highways could add hours to the daily commute.

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