Dear PoPville – Protesting the De-funding of Georgia Ave Great Streets

Photo of ‘Park Rd. & Georgia Ave., NW’ by PoPville flickr user rockcreek

“Dear PoPville,

Your readers may be interested in an effort to reverse Mayor Gray’s decision to remove the remaining $1.44M from the Georgia Avenue Great Streets Project. This is an area, which includes the storefronts around Howard University that has receive countless unfulfilled promises for development and assistance over the years.

The Great Streets Project has a history of recouping costs through increased tax revenues in just a short number of years. To me, it just seems like another example of poor judgment from the Mayor’s office. There is an opportunity to change course, though. As the Washington Business Journal reports, “D.C. Council members Jim Graham, D-Ward 1, and Muriel Bowser, D-Ward 4, …issued a joint disapproval, delaying the funding move until after the council’s summer recess”.

What is Georgia Avenue Great Streets? Great Streets funds were set aside to improve the streetscape of Georgia Avenue including lighting, trees, bicycle lanes, traffic control, and sidewalks. The Lower Georgia Avenue segment, from Otis Place to Florida Avenue was never implemented and funding for this area has been moved to projects in other parts of the city. Mayor Gray has just proposed moving the remaining $1.44 million to a project in NE.

What does the resolution I’m signing say? The resolution issues a strong and formal protest of the Mayor’s actions and requests a meeting with the Mayor’s office and the DC Department of Transportation to discuss projects that will benefit the residents and small businesses of Lower Georgia Avenue.

You can sign the petition online here.”