Baltimore, MD— The Baltimore City Council's Committee on Land Use and Transportation will hold a hearing to discuss issues related to the Department of Transportation and Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) to address persistent delays in streetlight repairs across Baltimore City, which pose serious public safety and quality-of-life concerns.
Systemic inefficiencies — including the absence of a formal agreement between the Department of Transportation and BGE, fragmented communication systems, inconsistent reporting across 311 and BGE platforms, a lack of tracking of knocked down lights, and frequently cited materials shortages — have left many outages unresolved for months or even years. The Council aims to identify actionable solutions to improve accountability, streamline operations, and ensure timely repairs.
The Committee on Land Use and Transportation will conduct the hearing on April 10 at 9:30AM.
Statement from Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen
The Land Use and Transportation Committee’s investigation reveals that the Department of Transportation has largely abdicated responsibility to BGE for street lighting maintenance without a formal contract. But these are our lights, and it’s our obligation to our residents. Our commitment is to collaborate with the administration to deliver better results for Baltimoreans on this key public safety issue.
Statement from Land Use and Transportation Chair Ryan Dorsey
The Department of Transportation has no contract with its principal street light maintenance vendor, no coherent reporting system, and no discernible system of asset management. I don’t see how this could possibly be expected to deliver for the citizens of Baltimore. This hearing is about putting that on the record and securing commitments to change.
Who: Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen, Chairman Ryan Dorsey, the Baltimore City Council Land Use and Transportation Committee, leadership from the Department of Transportation, and representatives of Baltimore Gas & Electric.
What: An informational hearing on street lighting maintenance
When: Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Where: Baltimore City Hall, 100 Holliday Street, City Council Chambers
A livestream of the hearing will be provided on CharmTV. Members of the press wishing to attend should arrive no later than 9:15 AM.