
A green alley near Branch Avenue and Erie Street SE, constructed using permeable pavement.
DDOT is advancing Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Sustainable DC goals by installing green alleys to curb stormwater and combined sewage from overflowing into local waterways.
Since 2012, DDOT has installed nearly 30 green alleys in the District aimed at reducing the quantity—and improving the quality—of storm water run-off within the District.

A map of the 28 green alleys that have been constructed in the District since 2012. (Click on the image to open the interactive map.)
Green alleys are often created using two types of porous surfaces: permeable pavement, a material that allows water to filter into the ground through pores in the asphalt, or permeable pavers. These green construction methods help filter polluted water that flows into nearby sewers and streams, which helps protect Washingtonians’ health, local wildlife, and the regional ecosystem.
“We had a major storm last week…and I came out and I watched the water,” said Stephanie Abney, a Ward 7 resident who lives near a green alley that DDOT constructed off of Erie Street SE. “Usually it flows like a river…I didn’t see that this time.”
For more information about DDOT’s green alley initiative, please see this video from our Youtube Channel:
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