July 7, 2021

Ward 3 Update: The T&E Budget

Dear Neighbors,

After weeks of budget oversight hearings, meetings, and community advocacy
efforts, each of the Council's ten committees have marked up their budget
reports and tomorrow the members will engage in a budget work session to
discuss and debate the provisions and recommendations in each report. While
nothing in the proposed budget is final, and major changes could certainly
occur, I strongly encourage residents to [1]take a look at the reports to
see where financial investments are being made and how the Council is
proposing to spend the District's $17.5 billion budget. We often refer to
the budget as a reflection of our values, and it is important to share what
those values will actually look like during the upcoming year of economic
recovery and social progress.

This newsletter highlights the projects and initiatives funded by my
committee, the Committee on Transportation & the Environment (T&E), and
will also flag those items of special interest to Ward 3. Committees are
always charged with addressing major topic-specific needs, and my committee
was no exception. Vision Zero, the District's major road, sidewalk, and
bike lane safety initiative, remained unfunded in the budget as proposed by
the Mayor. And, while [2]Vision Zero is expensive and requires around $40
million per year, the plan's extensive public safety improvements are
essential in the effort to save lives and greatly improve our local transit
system.

To fully fund Vision Zero, my committee proposes that the District dedicate
100% of new Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE) revenue towards funding and
implementing Vision Zero. Here's how it will work:

The Mayor's budget proposed adding a slate of over 100 new ATE cameras to
the District Department of Transportation's budget. ATE cameras capture
those [3]dangerous infractions such as the running of red lights, excessive
speeding, and stop sign violations. ATE camera revenue is quite variable
and differs based on a camera’s location, driver behavior, and other
factors. But, if these new cameras bring in just half of the revenue of the
current cameras, then we will have fully funded Vision Zero.

And to put this funding shift into perspective, currently, of the tens of
millions in revenue that ATE cameras generate, only $500,000 is required
for dedication to Vision Zero efforts. The rest is absorbed by the General
Fund. This is why dedicating 100% of new ATE revenue to Vision Zero is so
significant. It will provide dedicated funding for continuing
infrastructure and safety improvements, road design, sidewalk repair, and
so much more. Importantly, we should expect to see that revenue decline
over time as the built environment becomes better designed to deter and
reduce dangerous infractions. Effectively, Vision Zero will be funded by
those who engage in unsafe driver behavior.

Regards,

Mary

Please see [4]coronavirus.dc.gov for the latest District updates &
resources on COVID-19

The Public Health Emergency is currently in place through July 25th, 2021

Get vaccinated TODAY at any of the District's [5]walk-up vaccination sites

FY22 Resources from the Council's Budget Office

The Council's Budget Office has put together an excellent budget website as
a resource for residents, advocacy organizations, and Council staff on the
entirety of the budget process. For the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget site,
please click here: [6]FY22 Budget and Financial Plan.

This website includes an overview of what the budget process entails, the
upcoming schedule, and individual committee and agency documents. Each
committee budget report is available below:

[7]Committee of the Whole

[8]Committee on Business and Economic Development

[9]Committee on Health

[10]Committee on Government Operations and Facilities

[11]Committee on Housing and Executive Administration

[12]Committee on Human Services

[13]Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety

[14]Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

[15]Committee on Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs

[16]Committee on Transportation & the Environment

Budget Highlights:

The Committee on Transportation & the Environment FY22 Budget Report

Below is an outline of the major items funded or enhanced by the Committee
on Transportation & the Environment (T&E), Chaired by Councilmember Cheh.
This list does not include those funding items that were maintained from
the [17]Mayor's original budget, such as the $25 million dedicated to each
Ward for street paving.

As you'll see below, the majority of the programs relate directly to the
agencies and programs within the committee's portfolio, while other items
are funding transfers for important programs not within the T&E Committee's
purview:

Ward 3 Enhancement Highlights
* Increases funding over the next four years for the Wisconsin Avenue
Clean Team
* Provides $250,000 to support expanded wellness programming for older
adults living in Wards 2 and 3
* Funded a $200,000 seed grant for a Main Streets program in the
Palisades neighborhood to sustain and revitalize the commercial corridor
* Provides $300,000 to support economic development efforts in Friendship
Heights through the Friendship Heights Alliance (with the potential to form
a new Business Improvement District in the area)
* Supports a traffic analysis in the area around Hardy Park and MacArthur
Boulevard to help inform planning for the two proposed schools in the
community
* Provides $2.2 million to support the full design costs of the
Connecticut Avenue Reversible Lane study recommendations that will enhance
safety along this corridor and increase access for pedestrians and cyclists
* Provides $15,000 for the resurfacing of the skateboard park and
$125,000 for the design of a new dog park at the Palisades Recreation
Center and Park
* Designates $125,000 for the construction of a covered walkway along the
path between Stoddert Elementary School’s main building and the trailer
complex

Supporting Environmental Sustainability and Climate Resiliency
* Funds the Zero Waste Omnibus Amendment Act to further the District’s
Zero Waste goal of achieving 80% diversion from landfill or incinerator by
2032
* Establishes a new 'Protect Local Wildlife' license plate, with revenues
supporting an annual wildlife rehabilitation grant
* Provides, via a transfer to the Committee of the Whole, $40,000 to the
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments to improve the regional food
and agriculture system
* Provides grant funding for community-based groups working to remove
trash and invasive species, maintain trails, and engage residents in the
District’s park lands
* Adds enhancements over the four-year plan to the Office of Urban
Agriculture for outreach, infrastructure, and operating support for the
District’s urban farming community
* Provides $1,129,000 to strengthen the District’s Environmentally
Preferable Purchasing Program to decrease greenhouse gas emissions
associated with the District’s food procurement by 25% by 2030 via
implementation of the [18]Green Food Purchasing Amendment Act of 2021
* Dedicates funding to equitably expand UDC’s Master Gardener Program
* Provides the Committee of the Whole with $377,000 to fully implement
the [19]Electric Vehicle Readiness Amendment Act of 2020, which will
incentivize EV adoption by requiring that twenty percent of parking spots
in newly constructed or substantially renovated buildings be EV-ready
* Fully funds the Energy Efficiency Standards Amendment Act of 2020,
which sets energy and water efficiency standards for fifteen new appliances
and fixtures sold in the District
* Provides $428,853 over four years to support the hiring of a full-time
staff member for the Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency

Improving Quality of Life for Seniors
* Transfers $820,000 to the Committee on Housing and Neighborhood
Revitalization to support care navigators for persons living with dementia
* Provides funding to the Committee on Housing and Neighborhood
Revitalization for Alzheimer’s support services and programs, with a focus
on services, support groups, and activities that provide relief from social
isolation and stigma
* Provides, through a transfer to the Committee on Housing and
Neighborhood Revitalization, $200,000 for senior center programming with a
focus on serving seniors who speak a language other than English

Making Meaningful Improvements to Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety
Infrastructure
* Requires the dedication of all new ATE camera revenue to funding the
[20]Vision Zero Enhancement Omnibus Amendment Act of 2020 to ensure the
timely implementation of this critical safety legislation
* Provides $1.7 million for the design and implementation of pedestrian
and cyclist safety improvements on Georgia Avenue, N.W., one of the
District’s most dangerous corridors for the District’s vulnerable road
users
* Supports a pedestrian and public space study within the Downtown
Business Improvement District to explore how certain public spaces could be
repurposed for use by pedestrians
* Provides $580,000 in FY 2022 and $2,320,000 over four years to fund the
expansion of the [21]Washington Area Bicyclist Association Trail Rangers
Program to ensure our trail network continues to be safe and clean
year-round

Investments in Safe, Healthy Homes and Communities
* Funds Section 4 of the Residential Housing Environmental Safety
Amendment Act of 2020, enhancing requirements for landlords to remediate
lead paint hazards in District homes
* Fully funds [22]B23-0640, which ensures that pipes containing any
amount of lead are eligible for replacement through DC Water’s Lead Pipe
Replacement Assistance Program
* Establishes a Lead Service Line Planning Task Force to develop an
inter-agency plan for the removal and replacement of lead water service
lines throughout the District by 2030
* Accepts $250,000 from the Committee on Business and Economic
Development to enable DOEE to purchase air quality testing equipment for
more rapid response to resident complaints

Invests in Community Infrastructure
* Provides $500,000 to fund a Georgetown Livability study to improve
multi-modal transportation and infrastructure in the neighborhood
* Accepts from the Committee on Business and Economic Development
$250,000 to support streetscape enhancements and traffic safety
improvements in the Langston and Carver Communities in Ward 5
* Accepts from the Committee on Business and Economic Development
$500,000 to support streetscape enhancements in the Lamond-Riggs Community
in Ward 5
* Provides, through a transfer to the Committee on Recreation, Libraries,
and Youth Affairs, $7,000 to support community run or walk event series

Safeguards Taxpayer Funds
* Provides, through a transfer to the Committee on Judiciary and Public
Safety, $535,000 over four years to fund a trial attorney at the Office of
the Attorney General to review and intervene, where appropriate, on qui tam
false claims brought against those who have engaged in large-scale fraud
against the District government

Our Office is Open!

Connect with our staff - While Councilmember Cheh's physical office is
closed during the public health emergency, she and her staff are
teleworking and will remain accessible for residents.

You may continue to reach us via phone through our main line at (202)
724-8062 with legislative ideas, budget requests, and constituent services
requests.

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Mary Cheh
Mary Cheh Ward 3
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NWSuite 108
Washington, DC 20004
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