New Locations For Federal Offices Create Sprawl

"In scattering employees to the region's outer edges, local officials and planners say, the federal government has undermined efforts to concentrate growth near public transit and the area's urban core -- the strategy local officials see as key to reducing traffic and conserving resources in a booming region."

"The U.S. government, they say, has become a kind of master planner, making decisions, with little local input, that will shape Washington's commuting and development patterns for years."

The FBI northern Virginia field office will move to Manassas in Prince William County, citing the need for more space. However, the move will create higher commuting costs for many of the office's 300 workers. In addition, agents will have to make long trips on overloaded Interstate 66 for their cases and for meetings with prosecutors in Alexandria.