Via Twitter.

Via Twitter.

Update: The headline incorrectly stated that this is the first ‘green street.’ In fact, DDOT has built green street projects on Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE, Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Georgia Avenue NW, and in the DOEE RiverSmart Washington projects in Petworth and Chevy Chase, according to Department of Energy and Environment spokesperson Julia Robey Christian.

Original:

After nearly 40 years, O Street between 1st and 3rd Streets NW reopened today, and it’s fresher than ever.

Dubbed a “Green Street,” Mayor Muriel Bowser, Department of Energy and Environment director Tommy Wells, and other officials were on hand to inaugurate the section of the road, which has technology to capture thousands of gallons of untreated stormwater.

Thirty-three new “rain gardens” featuring native plant life—which also add to the street’s aesthetics—operate as bioretention areas. This means a substantial amount of contaminated stormwater will be blocked from the city’s combined sewer system, and ultimately, the longtime polluted Anacostia River.

“As a steward of this government, I know that this city belongs to current and future generations,” Bowser said in a release. “I am thrilled with the hard work and collaboration of District agencies, our federal partners and the Chesapeake Bay Trust to make this project a reality. It is my charge to make this city greener, more sustainable, and more environmentally responsible—and today marks an important step toward that goal.”

The section of O Street had been closed since 1977.

Bowser also announced today the appointment of Retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Christopher E. Weaver as director of the D.C. Department of General Services. Weaver will assume responsibility for the agency in the coming weeks, with interim DGS director Jonathan Kayne transitioning to the role of COO.

Filed Under: bowser, green street, muriel bowser, o street,