$15.82 million allocated for alley maintenance in FY 2016 with “AlleyPalooza 4.0”

Photo by PoPville flickr user Jamelle Bouie

From a press release:

“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser joined District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Director Leif Dormsjo to launch the District’s fourth AlleyPalooza campaign and announce historic investments in Washington, DC’s alleys. Through increased budget allotments, better financial management, and aggressive program management, the Bowser Administration has been able to increase funding for alley maintenance and rehabilitation to unprecedented levels. In fiscal year 2014, $4.13 million was spent on alley maintenance and rehabilitation. In fiscal year 2015, this funding increased to $13.95 million – more than three times the amount spent the previous year, and in fiscal year 2016 the funding increased again to $15.82 million.

“We are investing in Washington, DC’s alleys at historic levels because they are a key part of our infrastructure and their condition is of vital importance to the health of the District,” said Mayor Bowser. “AlleyPalooza 4.0 builds on a highly successful initiative and demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that Washington, DC’s infrastructure is safe and reliable.”

AlleyPalooza is the Mayor’s initiative to repair and renovate alleys in all eight wards. Since launching AlleyPalooza in 2015, nearly 300 alleys have been improved throughout Washington, DC.

The District has more than 350 miles of alleys and receives several hundred service requests for alley repairs each year. To ensure that alleys most in need of repair were selected for AlleyPalooza, DDOT implemented a data-driven approach to selecting alleys by creating an assessment tool similar to the system used for roadways. The factors used by the assessment tool include: the condition of the alleys; number of service requests; age of the service requests; and community feedback.

“Mayor Bowser’s focus on infrastructure is crucial and has enabled us to enhance the quality of life for residents in all eight wards,” said DDOT Director Leif Dormsjo. “We’re investing approximately $10 million to repair or reconstruct alleys for AlleyPalooza 4.0. This type of targeted investment will pay dividends now and in the future.”

“I have seen firsthand how AlleyPalooza has benefited communities and improved the District’s infrastructure,” said Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Hector Huezo (ANC 1C02). “Mayor Bowser’s focus on improving DC’s alleys is much appreciated.”

More than 70 alleys have already been repaired in 2016, and the District will continue its momentum of tackling the worst alleys as part of its core program.

Track the daily progress of work at all 64 AlleyPalooza 4.0 sites at ddot.dc.gov and follow @DDOTDC on Twitter for regular updates.”