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The District Department of Transportation plans to repair 64 alleys—eight in each of the city’s wards—by July as part of the third “AlleyPalooza” campaign, initially launched by Mayor Muriel Bowser in 2015.
The whimsical name refers to rather mundane infrastructure projects that the administration describes as a “core activity” for DDOT. But unlike a pothole repair a resident might report on an individual basis to 311, AlleyPalooza is conducted on an expedited timeframe. “Last year, DDOT repaired or renovated 128 alleys,” according to a release; this year, $10.5 million will support the work of AlleyPalooza’s third go.
We’re excited to kick off Alleypalooza today!Alleys are a vital, but often hidden part of our city’s infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/lfVrqKpSeA
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) April 27, 2016
D.C. has about 350 miles of alleys, according to DDOT, which says it “took a more data-driven approach to its alley selections” this year: “The agency developed a new alley assessment tool this year to ensure that the alleys selected for restoration were in the poorest condition.” That evaluation relied on community engagement and service requests, both in terms of their number and age.
See if you live near an alley that will get palooza-ed in the maps below (red represents upcoming projects):
Photo by Darrow Montgomery; maps via DDOT