50th and Last

Hawaii now has a law requiring motorists to move over a lane, or at least slow down, when approaching stopped emergency vehicles. It was the only state not to have a “move over” bill. Reports say the death of two police officers while on traffic stops made the difference this year after attempts in the past stalled.

At the same time, for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), employees who spend their days on state highways, work just got a little safer.

Missouri has expanded its 2002 “Slow Down and Move Over” law that protects law enforcement and emergency response vehicles parked on the side of the road. The new law requires motorists to slow down or change lanes when approaching these vehicles, and now also includes MoDOT vehicles parked with amber and white lights flashing.

Cleaning Up Our Alleys

D.C. has its first “green” alleys, where stormwater seeps into the permeable surface rather than running into storm drains – helping cut one of the major causes of waterway pollution.

“The water disappears, but it’s not a magic trick — it’s smart, green, cutting-edge urban design that puts the District at the forefront of sustainable practices nationwide,” D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray says. “Improving the health of our rivers and streams starts in our neighborhoods with creative solutions like these green alleys.”

Green Alley projects across the country are an effective and innovative way to manage stormwater runoff and pollution.

Chicago leading the alley way

In Chicago, for example, more than 80 green alleys have been successfully completed since 2006. The Chicago DOT is extremely proud of the lead they have taken in this work.

The D.C. Green Alley Pilot is part of the Mayor’s “Sustainable DC” initiative that he says is designed to make the District the nation’s greenest, healthiest, most livable city.

The alley project is a partnership between the District DOT and the District Department of the Environment.

Many alleys include a significant amount of impervious surface, but most do not have stormwater controls (such as water quality catch basins or grate inlets). To mitigate this, green alleys use sustainable design and Low Impact Development (LID) techniques that reduce the amount of stormwater and pollutants entering the sewer system, streams and rivers by increasing water filtration and treatment on site. In Washington, D.C., the city’s DOT constructed its pilot green alleys by removing gravel, impervious concrete, or asphalt surfaces and replacing them with a variety of permeable concrete, asphalt or brick paver materials and grid systems in areas where the storm sewer and sanitary sewers are separated.