Government of the District of Columbia Department of Transportation ake Hee sk x — C= . Office of the Director JUN 06 2017 The Honorable David Grosso Councilmember At-Large Council of the District of Columbia 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 402 Washington, D.C. 20004 RE: Rainbow Crosswalk Request for 17th Street, NW Dear Councilmember Grosso: Thank you for your letter to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) regarding the painting of the 17th Street, NW crosswalks in a rainbow theme. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) regulations prohibit DDOT from using permanent paint rainbow colors on any District crosswalk. The FHWA official Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) requires that aesthetic treatments for crosswalks be limited to the use of specific materials such as bricks, paving stones, and cobbles. Therefore, crosswalks should only be permanently painted with the designated material - complimenting shades of earth tones, such as rust, brown, burgundy, or tan. For more information on FHWA's official guidelines, please visit the following link: http://muted.thwa.dot.gov/resources/interpretations/3_09_24.html, However, over the course of the past month, DDOT has partnered with Ms. Sheila Alexander-Reid, Director of the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs, ANC 2805 Commissioner Randy Downs, other District agencies, and community stakeholders on alternative ways to celebrate the history and identity of the neighborhood. The first stage of this collaboration will paint temporary rainbow crosswalks on 17th Street NW from P Street to R Street on Saturday, June 10, 2017 in support of the LGBTQ community Pride Parade. Commissioner Downs is leading the volunteer effort to use ‘temporary chalk paint. He has coordinated with Capital Pride to ensure that volunteers can do the painting after the street is temporarily closed for the parade. District Department of Transportation | 55M Stret, SE, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20003 202 671.2800] dt de govThe Honorable David Grosso, Rainbow Crosswalk Request for 17th Street, NW Page 2 Beyond the Pride Parade preparation, DDOT has worked with multiple stakeholders to celebrate the history, present, and future of the District’s LGBTQ community in a more permanent way. We have coordinated with the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) on their Storm Drain Mural Project, operated in partnership with the Anacostia Watershed Society. They are currently seeking artists to create designs for storm drain murals along 17th Street, NW. The goal of these murals is to raise awareness of storm drains as a connection to our local waterways, as well as to promote the neighborhood's LGBTQ identity. Please visit the following Web link for more details on this program: http://www.anacostiaws.org/news/blog/call-artists-17th-street-storm-drain-project- promote-Igbtq-neighborhood-identity. DDOT and the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs will continue working with community stakeholders on other community-based initiatives to mark the identity of the neighborhood. Thank you again for your correspondence. Should you have additional questions on this matter, please contact our Chief Project Delivery Officer, Sam Zimbabwe at (202) 671-0534 or sam.zimbabwe@dc.gov. Sincerely, — Jeffrey Marootian Deputy Director Cc: Sheila Alexander-Reid, Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs Dist Deparment of Transportation | SSM Street, SE, Suit 400, Washington, DC 20003 [202 671-2800 | dod gov