A 20-year, $2.6 billion Clean Rivers Project intended to eliminate sewage discharge into D.C. area waterways will benefit the entire region. So, Carol O’Cleireacain asks, why only stick Washington's residents with the bill?
In an opinion piece for The Washington Post, O'Cleireacain, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program, argues that because the entire region will benefit from the ambitious project being led by D.C. Water to clean up area waterways, they should be an integral part of planning, implementing and funding the cleanup strategy.
"Cleaner water flowing from the Anacostia and Potomac rivers in the District means that downstream jurisdictions have less of a pollution problem to address. Additionally, the effectiveness of water quality improvements taken by jurisdictions upstream of the District are lessened if the Potomac and Anacostia rivers become more polluted while passing through the District."
Citing regional transportation planning as a precedent for cross-jurisdictional cooperation to address regional challenges, O'Cleireacain recommends that, "The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and D.C. Water should bring together the federal government, the states of Maryland and Virginia, the District and local jurisdictions to sort out a more rational system of payments for the benefits from the area's clean water."
"While no one looks forward to a new cost, the current, fragmented efforts do not match the scale of the problem."
FULL STORY: D.C.’s big sewer dig: Why the whole region should pitch in

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie