I'd Like a Crack at That $300 Million

Executive director, Downtown

Cluster of Congregations:

I would argue for the most visible, common-sense projects that benefit the largest number of residents. To that end, let's do 20 projects costing in the $10 to $20 million range across the city that people can actually see and feel and enjoy.

· Plant trees in the 25,000 empty tree spaces that we have lost over the last two decades, and for safety's sake, take down all the dead trees / dead limbs that create havoc with power lines and raise safety concerns.

· Put $10 million to $20 million into a year-round job corps for citywide clean-up -- all the graffiti-tagged switching boxes, trash-strewn corridors, sidewalks, etc. Nothing restores folks to walking along retail areas like clean sidewalks, gutters, and attractive plantings. Not only do we get a cleaner city, we help put to work the over 20,000 D.C. residents who are unemployed.

· Get rid of all the useless, space-consuming, broken-down, frustration-causing parking meters once and for all, and replace them with the one-a-block, solar-powered meter mechanisms that Georgetown has. All our neighborhoods should be treated so well.

· Put up municipal parking in those off-the-main-track areas that are working to re-establish retail. Downtown Bethesda has a booming restaurant area because people know they can park; let's take similar steps for the transforming U Street area, Columbia Heights, Brookland, H Street NE, and other areas in order to keep growth going in these underserved communities.