Newsroom

Construction will soon begin on a $13 million traffic safety project near Mount Vernon Triangle after the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) secured a court win preventing a delay on the project. On June 3, 2019, a resident tried to stop construction by suing the District’s Department of Transportation for allegedly violating laws governing historical preservation and government procurement. OAG acted quickly, and after hearing from both sides over two days the Superior Court dismissed the lawsuit, finding that the resident’s claims could not win in court, and that the resident did not have standing to bring the lawsuit.

With this greenlight from the Court, construction can immediately begin on this project, which has been in the planning stages for years. This is good news for taxpayers because any delays could have cost the District up to $20,000 per day.

District residents will also benefit from enhanced safety for all users of the roadway from this project on New Jersey Avenue NW between H St. and N St. The current goals of this project include the following:

• Converting it to a two-way street from its current one-way configuration
• Installing high-visibility crosswalks and bike lanes
• Updating all sidewalks to meet requirements set by the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Upgrading all lighting to LED lights
• Re-timing signals to reduce car accidents
• Updating landscaping to increase beautification

OAG defends the District and its officials in civil lawsuits that seek monetary and non-monetary relief.