TRANSPORTATION
Subcommittee Leadership
​Eleanor's post as the Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee’s Highways and Transit Sub-committee gives her and the District a lead seat at the table. It means Eleanor has jurisdiction over Metro, streetcars, buses and other surface transportation; in addition to highways, bridges, roads and infrastructure development, and can get the district the infrastructure it deserves. No one else combines Eleanor's seniority with her understanding of infrastructure issues and commitment to responsible environmental stewardship. She is uniquely positioned to work for DC.
Creating New Neighborhoods For D.C.​
Eleanor is using her Committee role to build new neighborhoods from unused land, with no displacement of residents or businesses. Her bills are revitalizing entire sections of the city - the Wharf, Capitol Riverfront, NOMA, Walter Reed and St. Elizabeth west campus for the Department of Homeland Security, the largest federal construction in the US, bringing federal agencies across the Anacostia to Ward 8 for the first time spurring the Ward’s economy and amenities.
​​
In addition to developing new sites, Eleanor’s work to bring unused land to gainful use is helping D.C. make up for lost space due to the Heights Act. The federal Heights Act is important too because it protects our historic Mall sites that stimulate the city’s tourist economy, D.C.’s record highest source of revenue. Developing unused land without building is bringing millions of dollars in revenue for the D.C. government and a new set of thriving businesses, housing and park land for D.C. residents.
Long-term Transportation Funding
Eleanor knows the importance of a strong infrastructure, both in the District, and nationally. That's why she supports substantive, long-term funding of infrastructure programs in a bipartisan bill. Not even Republicans support President Trump's backwards infrastructure bill. Eleanor believes it's time for Congress to step up, and work seriously toward rebuilding our nation's roads and bridges.
Fighting for the District's Economic Development, and Winning
Economic and infrastructural development in D.C. have always mattered to Eleanor. As a senior member of the T&I Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, she's been able to make vital progress on this important issue. Eleanor has been instrumental in developing two new neighborhoods in the District – NoMa and Capitol Riverfront – and in the beginning revitalization of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Ward 8.