Michael Neibauer, The Examiner
2008-07-31 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

Protecting the National Mall and its visitors has kept D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton busy.

Every so often, the Democrat says, someone in Congress introduces legislation calling for a new memorial or a monument on the Mall grounds. And every time, Norton says, she’s making phone calls and knocking on doors to oppose it.

“I think we’ve been able to get the message across,” Norton said. “Hey, don’t go there.”

But the Mall is where everyone wants to be. Saying ‘no’ has not been easy.

Area planners generally recognize “the need to relieve some of the pressure for monuments, memorials and the increasing number of activities on the Mall by making other important locations in the city visible, well-known, convenient and easily accessible,” D.C. Planning Director Harriett Tregoning told a congressional subcommittee in May.

That means moving people off the Mall.

“A high-performing transportation system that provides convenient, safe and equitable access to the National Mall and allows residents and visitors to experience the city by foot, bike or transit is a goal that is shared among the entities responsible for stewardship of the National Mall,” Tregoning said.