Sustainable Green Alleys

How green is your alley? The question may soon become a popular one as DC recently completed its first “green” alleys, a Sustainable DC initiative designed to control stormwater runoff and pollution that ends up in the sewer system, rivers and streams. Three sites in DC’s Northeast section were included in the Green Alley Pilot, a partnership between the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the District Department of the Environment (DDOE). The newly constructed alleyways, located along the Watts Branch Watershed, use a cutting-edge urban design that allows stormwater to seep into permeable concrete rather than run into storm drains. A new alley could be coming to a site near you. DDOT will construct a fourth green alley this summer and eight others are planned for locations in Wards 3, 4 and 5. They will use other permeable materials—including asphalt, paver blocks and grid systems—to capture the stormwater runoff.