GREEN STREETS | GREEN JOBS | GREEN TOWNS INITIATIVE
Hie Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns Partnership (G3) aims to stimulate the green jobs market and enable families to work
where they live and play. Small to mid-sized communities can boost their local economies and protect water resources through the
use of watershed planning, design and construction of stornrwater best management practices,
ANACOSTIA
WATERSHED
BUCHANAN GREEN STREET PROJECT -
CITY OF MOUNT RAINIER, MD
Mount Rainier demonstrates effective stonnwater management on its
municipal grounds.
MT.'RAJNIER
////

9o% zero run off effective
rate in a 2 inch rain event
2100 ft2 of rain garden
420 native plants
10 trees
1200 ft2 of impervious
pavement removed
Water from Buchanan Street in
Mount Rainier currently drains
directly into a small tributary of the
Northwest Branch. The combination
of aging infrastructure and large
areas of impervious parking causes
significant ponding of stonnwater
during heavy rain events. The
leadership of the City decided in
2012 it was time to solve both of
these problems.
The City leaders used the Decatur
Green Street in nearby Edmonston,
Maiyland , as a model when looking
for sustainable solutions for dealing
with both stonnwater and flooding
issues. The project plan integrates
urban best management practices for
stonnwater management with
pedestrian amenities to improve
drainage, reduce water pollution,
and provide a safe, attractive
environment for the community.
Improvements included a realigned
curb and reduced lane widths to
accommodate a bioswale between
the roadway and pool parking.
Buchanan Street will direct
stonnwater to the bioswale that will
capture, retain and filter stonnwater
nmoff. The lane diet will slow down
traffic in an area frequented by
children visiting the nearby
swimming pool, ball fields, and
nature center. Funds from this
program were used to design the
project, for which construction is
intended within two years.

*. ¦ ? •'; >
7
I'M
MDE
Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns Initiative // Stories of Green Infrastructure

-------
PROJECT ELEMENTS
•	Bioretention cells /stormwater planters- These features filter and reduce
stormwater runoff, allowing it to infiltrate into the ground before it enters into the
storm drain system.
•	Sidewalk trees/Tree boxes- Native trees reduce urban heat island effect, reduce
stormwater runoff, improve air quality, and increase property values.
•	Impervious pavement removal- The existing roadway was narrowed
significantly, allowing implementation of conservation landscaping.
•	Conservation landscaping - Native plants, which require less maintenance,
capture rainwater and hold soils in place.
•	Soil amendment- Soil amendments improve water infiltration permeability,
drainage, aeration and structure.
•	Permeable pavement - Permeable pavement allows stormwater to soak into the
ground. Several different kinds of permeable pavement are used at this site,
allowing visitors to compare and contrast options for their own use.
•	Green Jobs and Engagement of local businesses - Local management firms,
construction firms, and suppliers were engaged in the project, supporting local
jobs.
SUSTAINABILITY & GROWTH: ADDITIONAL GREEN ACTIVITIES
The City of Mount Rainier, MD, lias long understood that environmental
sustainability, quality of life, and economic prosperity are related features of the
most successful communities. In the early 1970s, the City committed itself to
improve air and water quality and establish an environmentally friendly city.
The City of Mount Rainier used this project, which they initiated in 2010, as a
launching point for a green initiative and a suite of green practices. The City
recently organized a tree commission, which has taken the lead on preparing a tree
inventory for the town and developing a planting and maintenance plan to protect
and increase tree canopy.
The City has taken the lead in articulating its goals to be "stormwater neutral"
through strong planning efforts. In 2011, the Mount Rainier Sustainability Plan was
adopted. In 2013, the City published its Urban Green Infrastructure Master Plan
which presents a set of tools to be utilized when selecting and implementing projects
to improve and reduce urban stormwater runoff. Neighborhoods, single blocks, and
even single lots can proactively use this document to identify tools and projects
that will enhance their individual areas in stormwater management. These efforts
signal Mount Rainier's continued commitment to collaboration and leadership
on the environment.
G3 Grant Awarded: $35,000
Match Contribution: $2500
Status: Completed 4/1/2013
Artists' Housing Green Roof
Mount Rainier lias also been one of the inaugural Sustainable Maryland Certified
communities, a program that recognizes municipalities that implement a series of
green practices from water quality implementation to renewable energy projects to
citizen engagement activities.
For additional information: visit wvwv.epa.gov and www.cbtrust.org.
Project Partners: City of Mount Rainier,
Biohabitats, Chesapeake Bay Trust, MD
Department of the Environment, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Low
Impact Development Center

-------