City Report: Veronica McBeth, DOT of Baltimore

January 9, 2026 Sofia Feeney

Veronica McBeth, DOT for the City of Baltimore, Md., shares her outlook for 2026

After working as a Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation during the Biden Harris Administration, I returned to Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) last January to serve as Agency Director. I’m very proud of the progress we’ve made in the last 12 months resurfacing city streets, installing new pedestrian safety infrastructure and expanding our free bus service to new neighborhoods in South Baltimore. We installed nearly 600 ADA-compliant ramps throughout the city and implemented traffic calming measures at a number of key intersections to reduce vehicle speeds and improve visibility. I’m very grateful for the hard work of our traffic and safety teams, who directed traffic on gamedays, kept residents and visitors safe during special events like the Baltimore Marathon and worked day and night on both routine and emergency repairs that keep all of us safe. Special thanks should be given to our crossing guards, transit drivers and snow operations teams who make a difference in the lives of Baltimore residents every day.

One of the busiest times of the year for Baltimore City DOT can be the snow season. When I came on as Director last January, I was thrown headlong into the action. Snow emergencies always present a complex challenge as we make sure roadways are brined, salted and plowed, equipment is inspected and saltboxes are filled (please remember that the saltbox salt is for roadways only!) Snow operations were moving right along when I arrived in January and a great deal of credit is due to all our departments who kept a steady hand steering the ship until I arrived. Everything we do would not be possible without the hard work of hundreds of staff members. From our communications team who make sure that information on emergencies and road closures is available to the public as soon as possible, to the salt dome workers who prepare brine throughout the fall so we are well prepared to keep our city streets ice-free in the winter. We are beyond fortunate to have so many talented staff members who are committed to providing a high standard of service to Baltimore residents.

BCDOT is excited about a number of improvements on the horizon in 2026. Our work this year will include reconstructing 20 intersections throughout the city, with updating signals, increasing crosswalk visibility and implementing traffic calming measures to keep pedestrians, drivers and cyclists safe. These projects will pave the way for comprehensive traffic signal modernization and retiming throughout the city in the next few years, as well as a large-scale road repaving initiative that will see 110 miles of city roadways resurfaced by the end of next year. All these improvements will include the construction of hundreds of new ADA-compliant ramps, deepening the city’s commitment to ensuring our streets and sidewalks are accessible and safe for all members of our communities.

Significant changes are coming to the city’s vehicle fleet over the next decade, with several new EVs joining our ranks this year. The Department of Public Works will be introducing one fully electric garbage truck into their operations this year and over at BCDOT we have already acquired a fully electric street sweeper that will be hitting bike lanes across the city in 2026. We are also implementing a pilot program to introduce hybrid EV ferry boats to the Harbor Connector, Baltimore’s fare-free ferry service. The Harbor Connector logged nearly 300,000 passenger trips this past year and will see additional improvements in 2026. This includes 3 ferry landing reconstruction projects slated to be completed to improve accessibility for wheelchair users and all abilities on all of our ferry boats.

There are several long-term projects like making repairs and improved maintenance on the Hanover Street Bridge. Baltimore City has a tremendous opportunity to improve quality of life for city residents by advancing work on equitable and sustainable transportation options in the coming years. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to MTA and Mayor Scott for their tireless efforts to advance this urgently needed and long overdue improvement to the city’s transit infrastructure.

As we look to the year ahead, it is important to remember that our city agencies could not perform their duties without the help of Baltimore’s residents. We encourage everyone to continue to submit 311 requests to alert BCDOT to damage to signage or other potential hazards that jeopardize the safety of our road users. Many thanks to the individuals and organizations working toward a brighter future for Baltimore’s renaissance.

Veronica McBeth is the Director of Transportation for the City of Baltimore, Maryland. She can be reached at veronica.mcbeth@baltimorecity.gov.