The return to office executive order implemented by the Trump administration went straight to the point.

Soon after taking the helm from the former administration, Trump’s administration issued this directive: Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary. This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law.

The order caused a crush of traffic at all six Redstone Arsenal Gates and, presumably, impacted traffic for all local drivers.

Amelia Hice with the Garrison Public Affairs office said Arsenal administrators are doing what they can to address any issues related to the executive order. She added that the number of the nearly 46,000 Redstone returning employees from remote working isn’t exact because she’s not sure if the garrison has those numbers from all companies on the property.

“Each of our more than 65 tenant organizations is responsible for the talent management of their employees, including tracking the number of employees and their work status and location,’’ she said. “In total, there are approximately 45,500 civilian and contractor employees who work on Redstone Arsenal.’’

One of those most visible tenants, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), said the order didn’t have much of an impact on their workforce.

“We have a lot of different systems that we have to be in the office for,’’ public affairs liaison Alicia Irmsher said. “Our classified and top secret networks – we have to physically be in the office. So, if we had employees that were on telework status, it was typically situational. ‘I have a doctor’s appointment today. It’s in the middle of the day. I’ll work in the morning, and then I’ll work in the afternoon when I get home.’

“So it’s all very situational. It wasn’t something like ‘I’m only in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I’m teleworking Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays’. Nothing was like that.”

However, the rush did cause heavy traffic around the state’s biggest employee site. Redstone responded by ensuring each gate entrance was fully manned.

“The Garrison’s Directorate of Emergency Services continuously monitors gate operations and adjusts staffing as needed to efficiently and safely handle gate operations,’’ Hice said. “We have hired as many gate guards as possible and continue to recruit more. The level of throughput at the gates was already higher than pre-covid numbers as many agencies returned to work at the end of last summer.

“Currently, we have roughly between 46 and 48 thousand people coming through the gates daily. For context, those numbers include more than just the workforce, but also retirees, spouses and family members, people who live on post, recreation badge holders, deliveries and more.’’

Huntsville administrators are being proactive.

“We have received an increase in complaints about signals not holding green phases long enough,’’ said Nicholas Nene, Huntsville’s Director of Traffic Engineering. “When roadways reach or approach capacity, congestion and backups naturally increase. We are currently analyzing recent traffic volume data to quantify the increase in demand due to the ‘Back to Work order’. While peak congestion remains localized to specific times of day, we are reviewing problem areas that have been identified to determine if any adjustments can be made to improve traffic flow. We will know in a few weeks.’’

The city has not assessed the impact of the return to work order for federal workers.

“We have not yet fully quantified the impact, but we are aware that congestion has increased, particularly at major intersections where traffic queues are extending longer than usual (due to new volumes),’’ Nene said. “As with our ongoing review of traffic volumes, we are working to determine the extent of these increases and identify potential mitigation strategies where feasible.’’

Hice said Arsenal leaders will continue to review the current traffic situation.

“Team Redstone will fully execute and implement all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued by the president, ensuring that they are carried out with utmost professionalism, efficiency, and in alignment with national security objectives,’’ she said “Additionally, working for the U.S. Army Garrison isn’t very conducive for telework in most instances, so we don’t have much experience with that as an organization. Our workforce is present to run the installation so we were here full-time during the pandemic.’’

Local traffic, which has already been affected by population growth and related construction, has created discussion.

“The primary concern we hear from citizens is the perception that they are not receiving sufficient green time at signals,’’ Nene said. “Some complaints suggest a lack of coordination or improper timing. While occasional equipment issues can contribute, the more common cause is driver behavior—such as inattentiveness leading to signals gapping out or excessive speeds disrupting coordination along a corridor, resulting in unnecessary stops. Additionally, we receive requests for new signals at perceived problem intersections, which require thorough studies to evaluate feasibility. These studies take time to conduct and analyze to ensure any modifications align with safety and operational best practices.

“The city has a dedicated team of signal timing specialists and signal technicians who continuously monitor and adjust signal timings to optimize traffic flow. While capacity constraints limit what can be done during peak congestion hours, we proactively mitigate issues by fine-tuning signal coordination and reviewing operational improvements. Additionally, we collaborate with private entities and developers to review and update traffic management plans to minimize disruptions and enhance efficiency.’’