Press Release: Mayor Bowser Announces DC Build Back Better Infrastructure Task Force

By Press Release On Mar 24, 2022 Last updated Mar 24, 2022

News Release — Executive Office of the Mayor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

March 24, 2022

CONTACT:

LaToya Foster (EOM)

Rich Harrington (EOM)

Taskforce Will Advise on Funding Received Through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the creation of the DC Build Back Better Infrastructure Task Force, which will advise on priority projects to be funded through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Task Force, made up of experts from District agencies and external partners, will ensure the District’s effectiveness in securing and deploying federal dollars while creating transformative, equitable, and sustainable projects that will impact residents across the District and generations of Washingtonians to come.

“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be transformational for our country, and this task force will ensure DC is ready to secure and deploy the funding that becomes available in very intentional ways,” said Mayor Bowser. “We believe we have a strong model in the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge project – not only a model for DC but for the nation. With that project, local and federal government worked together, we contracted with local businesses and put residents to work, and we built a bridge that is sustainable, resilient, and that our community can be proud of. Now, we want to replicate that model to invest in our roads, bridges, and pipes, to better connect DC, and of course, to renovate and expand Union Station.”

The DC Build Back Better Infrastructure Task Force will be responsible for making recommendations on how to maximize this once-in-a-generation funding opportunity to bolster DC’s competitiveness and resiliency in the region, nationally, and globally. The Task Force will make recommendations on how to prioritize projects that can be funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including formula and competitive grants, and solicit feedback from the public and external stakeholders.

The DC Build Back Better Task Force is made up of members chosen for their expertise in one of the 5 subcommittees: Transportation Innovation, Technology Innovation, Workforce Capacity Building, Environment and Resilience, and Administration, Compliance and Procurement. An executive committee will review initial committee findings and guide the overall process.

Initial Appointments – DC Build Back Better Infrastructure Task Force Members

Executive Committee Members

Co-chair Former Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater
Co-chair Jan Adams, President and CEO, JMA Solutions
Jenny Reed, Director, Office of Budget and Performance Management
Lucinda Babers, Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure
Tommy Wells, Director, Department of Energy & Environment
Deryl McKissack, President and CEO of McKissack & McKissack

Environment and Resilience Subcommittee

Brandi Collander, Chair of the Board of Directors, DC Green Bank
Liz DeBarros, Interim CEO, District of Columbia Building Industry Association
David Gadis, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, DC Water
Eli Hopson, CEO, DC Green Bank
Emile C. Thompson, Interim Chairman, Public Services Commission

Transportation Innovation Subcommittee

Everett Lott, Director, District Department of Transportation
Dan Tangherlini, Former Administrator, U.S. General Services Administration
Cheryl Cort, Director of Policy, Coalition for Smarter Growth
Ketan Gada, Director, Hill East District Redevelopment

Technology Innovation Subcommittee

Co-chair Gabe Klein, Founder of Cityfi
Co-chair Lindsey Parker, Chief Technology Officer and Assistant City Administrator
Anita Cozart, Interim Director, Office of Planning
Blue Jenkins, President, Washington Gas

Workforce Capacity Building Subcommittee

Co-chair Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes, Director, Department of Employment Services
Akosua Ali, President, NAACP Washington, DC Branch
Dyanna Forester, President, Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO
Dr. Amber Hewitt, Chief Equity Officer
Otto Madrid, President of the DC Hispanic Contractors Association
Ahnna Smith, Executive Director, DC Workforce Investment Council
Kristi Whitfield, Director, Department of Small and Local Business Development

Administration, Compliance and Procurement Subcommittee

George Schutter, Chief Procurement Officer, Office of Contracting an Procurement

When considering which projects should be prioritized, the Task Force will consider recommendations that will improve economic opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities, create greater equity amongst DC neighborhoods and residents, withstand future shocks and stressors, and accommodate growth throughout the District. Project recommendations must meet three core principles:

Transformational – Big, creative ideas that do away with historical barriers and ensure systems and resources are combined to build back better
Equitable – Cement racial equity into all stages of the projects
Sustainable – Address the climate crisis and build resiliency while also being able to continue when the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding is no longer available

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a $1.2 trillion, five-year infrastructure bill that was signed into law on November 15, 2022. It seeks to rebuild American competitiveness through infrastructure by reauthorizing and increasing funding for existing and new programs. The District is expected to receive more than $3 billion over the next five years and will be eligible to apply for additional funding competitive grants.

During the event, Mayor Bowser also highlighted how her Fiscal Year 2023 Fair Shot Budget invests in the District’s infrastructure, including $200 million for longer-term streetscape projects to redesign our most dangerous roads and intersections, $143 million to DC Water and the DC Department of Energy and Environment to support efforts to remove all lead pipes from DC, and $100 million to enable ubiquitous connectivity across the District.

For more information on the DC Build Back Better Infrastructure Task Force, please visit infrastructure.dc.gov.

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