Healthier Streets: How Superblocks and Congestion Pricing Can Help Reduce Air Pollution in Washington, D.C.
Type
Policy Brief or Report
Year
2021
Level
City or Town, State
State(s)
Policy Areas
Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Transportation & Mobility
The report outlines the current air pollution and transportation issue in Washington, D.C. which looks to reduce the use of cars and their impact on air pollution and smog in the city. The concentration of air pollutants in DC makes it a top 20 city with the highest smog in the United States, which is the rationale for the need to implement combative policies. Two of the policy recommendations in this report are to establish a pilot superblock in a DC mixed-use zone, which would be a feasible and low-cost way to create car-free areas, and to implement congestion pricing, which would be used as a financial incentive to reduce traffic. These policies would work to achieve the goals of reducing air pollution in the metro DC area and lower the use of cars to do so.