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Street renovations may not usually be cause for celebration and fanfare, but the town of Edmonston had something unique to celebrate Tuesday when they dedicated a renovated section of Decatur Street.

"Block by block, from the tops of the trees to the stormwater system underground, it is as environmentally responsible as possible," Mayor Adam Ortiz told the crowd of about 150 that had assembled for the dedication.

Ortiz joked that he wasn't sure if it was the greenest street in the country, but he would happily boast that was the case.

The $1.3 million renovation, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, incorporated several environmentally friendly design elements, including wind-powered LED streetlights, permeable pavement and rain gardens that help reduce polluted runoff. The "green" section of the street runs about half a mile, from Kenilworth Avenue to the CSX railroad crossing.

Ortiz said the genesis of the project came from the flooding Edmonston used to see during storms until a pumping station was installed three years ago. Ortiz told the crowd that just a few years ago, the section of Decatur Street they were gathered on and the houses around it were largely underwater.

"Although we're on the Anacostia River ... we never once flooded from it. We flooded from the runoff of parking lots and shopping centers, roofs, buildings and streets," Ortiz said. "We wanted to show that there's another way to build."

Maryland legislators including U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) of Pikesville, U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Dist. 4) of Fort Washington, state Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Dist. 22) of University Park, Del. Anne Healey (D-Dist. 22) of Hyattsville and County Executive-elect Rushern Baker III (D) of Cheverly turned out to support the project.

Several in attendance said Edmonston was now a role model for other communities around the county, state and even the country.

"We're pushing forward and using what they're doing here in Edmonston. ... We've made it one of our priorities with the state to help us fund green streets in all the [Port Towns]," said Sadara Barrow, Port Towns Community Development Corp. executive director, who also serves on the Colmar Manor Town Council.

"This brings attention to our community," Barrow said. "It's really about marketing ourselves."

Efforts have already begun to build a green street in Bladensburg, which was recently promised $4 million for design and planning from the state, said Bladensburg Town Administrator John Moss. Moss added that while it often takes projects like this several years to reach that level of funding, Bladensburg has been able to do it in one.

Town officials worked with residents during the past two-and-a-half years to develop ideas for designs for the street improvements.

Stephanie Duarté, 12, who had previously petitioned the town to install speed bumps on her street to improve safety and was personally tapped by Ortiz to be on a citizen's advisory committee for the Decatur Street project, said she wanted to make sure the roads were narrow, which helps slow traffic, and that the street was safe for bicycles.

Stephanie wasn't alone, and the completed project includes bicycle lanes that connect with the trail system along the Anacostia River and bump-outs, which are slight shifts in the positioning of the lanes and curbs that force drivers to slow down.

"I really like it," she said of the completed project. "It's so beautiful. ... I like how the streets at night are brighter."

dleaderman@gazette.net