As of December 7, DDOT has renovated 421 alleys over the six AlleyPalooza campaigns that took place from FY 2015 to FY 2018.
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) broke ground on the first AlleyPalooza in July 2015. Since then, DDOT has renovated more than 400 alleys over six AlleyPalooza campaigns, which are part of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s ongoing initiative to focus on rebuilding infrastructure in the District of Columbia. DDOT has averaged two AlleyPalooza campaigns each fiscal year (FY) since 2015 and has paved an average of 133 alleys each FY.
Historic Investment
DDOT is continuing its push to revitalize the District’s vast alley network. The agency kicked off its AlleyPalooza 6 campaign on October 11 and has restored 32 alleys as of December 7. During AlleyPalooza campaigns in FY 2017, the administration invested more than $20 million to pave 151 alleys: a benchmark for spending and performance.
Follow the Yellow Brick [Alley]
Alleys have not customarily been hallmarks of a city. They were often viewed as cast off segments of a city’s infrastructure network, visualized as dismal passageways surrounded by blight.
A current view of some of the District’s alleys, however, gives a different picture. The rejuvenation of Blagden Alley, in the District’s Shaw neighborhood, and other alleys in the city have led to a renaissance in how alleys are perceived. In an effort to cultivate the rebirth of such potentially vibrant spaces, DDOT replaces the old worn materials with new materials of the same category. For instance, new yellow bricks are used to restore an alley where the yellow bricks have deteriorated over time. The same goes for other materials like red bricks, asphalt pavers (shaped to look like bricks), asphalt, and concrete. These once forgotten spaces are forgotten no more.
Below is a look through some of the alleys that were renewed as part of AlleyPalooza 5, which began on April 17 and encompassed the renovation or repair of 65 alleys throughout in the District.
