The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) is currently focused on clearing snow from alleys across the city in the aftermath of last week’s winter storm. Gabby Gross, a resident from Canton, shared her concerns: “Our trash bins have been overflowing for a week and a half. We have a pile of recyclables stacking up in our kitchen, but we can’t take them out because there’s no place to put them.”
Both Mayor Brandon Scott and the DPW emphasize that maintaining the alleys is primarily the responsibility of homeowners, which is why this snow-clearing operation is intended to be temporary.
The DPW issued a statement regarding the alley clearing efforts, which mentioned in part: “The city has not previously implemented a citywide snow and ice clearing initiative for alleys, and this effort should not be construed as a lasting change to alley maintenance duties. This temporary measure does not eliminate or substitute residential responsibilities for snow and ice removal as temperatures rise and conditions improve. We appreciate the patience and cooperation of our residents and will continue to provide updates as the operation progresses.”
Mayor Scott reiterated, “(The alleys) are technically not the city’s responsibility; they are meant to be maintained by homeowners. However, now that we have increased resources, we are engaging more contractors to assist residents.”
The clearing operations commenced on Sunday, with crews originally working 12-hour shifts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. As of Wednesday, the operation transitioned to a round-the-clock schedule. So far, over 300 alleys have been successfully cleared.
The DPW approaches alley clearing according to a predetermined schedule. Alleys that are assigned to be cleared earlier in the week receive priority over those scheduled for later. During this week, residents are requested to position their trash and recycling bins alongside their alleys or at the front of their homes.
The DPW estimates that the alley clearing process will take approximately two weeks, contingent on weather conditions.
