Some federal workers return to Navy Yard offices Monday

WASHINGTON - Traffic congestion near the Washington Navy Yard is expected as nearly 17,000 employees are returning to work in person on Monday.

FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick said parking is definitely a problem in the neighborhood, with fewer than 5,000 spaces available for all the employees. However, it seems most got the message and took transit. 

READ MORE: Traffic, parking concerns grow as thousands of federal employees return to office Monday

Mixed Reactions to In-Person Return: Crowds and Commute Challenges

What we know:

People heading to work on Monday morning noticed the new crowds. "It’s a bit mixed…it’s like on the one hand you’ll have a lot more people able to talk to each other on an in-person basis, but on the other hand, you know a lot more heads in the office. It’s probably going to be  lot harder to just get around," said Henry, who works at the Navy Yard.

"It’s just really nice to see things getting back to normal, spaces being utilized for what they were built for, paid for for, so it’s nice," said Charlee, who lives in the neighborhood.

One of President Trump’s first actions on Inauguration Day was the order for all departments and agencies to terminate remote work arrangements and require federal employees to return to work in person, full-time. 

The order says "as soon as practicable," and for Navy Yard employees, that day is Monday. 

Parking Shortage: Fewer Than 5,000 Spaces for 17,000 Employees

By the numbers:

Pre-pandemic, the base had around 16,000 workers. The daily average recently was only 6,000. 

Some will be working in conference rooms until new office configurations are made. Naval Support Activity Commander Captain Ryan Gaul told us they are welcoming and supporting everyone back.

"This is definitely an adjustment, there’s no question about that, and change can be hard. We are fortunate that we have some of the smartest, most capable people in the whole United States and certainly the United States Navy that work behind this gate right here, so we can figure it out," said Capt. Ryan Gaul, commanding officer of NSA Washington.

To manage the crowd, the Navy Yard opened additional gates and added manpower. Volunteers at garages will track capacity and alert when full. The base has also coordinated with the city and D.C. police for assistance with traffic control.

How many federal workers return to the office is still an open question. On Monday afternoon, a judge will hear arguments whether the deferred resignation offer is legal.