Mayor's Office of Infrastructure Development (MOID) to launch storymap to track progress of projects

BALTIMORE, MD. (Thursday, November 2, 2023) — Yesterday, at a post-BOE media availability, Mayor Brandon Scott announced a new storymap website focusing on strategic infrastructure investments as part of his commitment to the Building a Better Baltimore initiative.

“The overarching goal of my Administration has been to overcome the decades of disinvestment that have plagued our neighborhoods, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act provide once-in-a-generation opportunities to accomplish that work,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “This is the first time in years that Baltimore City has both a governor and president who are ready and willing to invest in cities. I applaud President Biden for his leadership in securing these investments and I want to thank Governor Moore for his ongoing support and commitment to Baltimore. When you have the nation, State, and City aligned, monumental change can happen.”

In July 2022, Mayor Scott created the Mayor’s Office of Infrastructure Development (MOID) and appointed the City’s first Infrastructure Czar to align agencies on funding opportunities and project priorities. Since its creation, MOID has taken shape and prioritized project development and management, contract improvements, and grant coordination and application.

The Infrastructure Office has coordinated with City agencies to apply for more than $114 million in competitive federal grants under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, securing an impressive $55.8 million thus far.

Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Baltimore City’s federal share of transportation formula funding has increased by a remarkable 40 percent, from $30 million to $42 million.

Monthly reports on the projects and initiatives that are announced will be provided to the Mayor Scott and City Administrator Leach each month and will also be placed on the website. Finally, the Infrastructure Office will hold monthly sessions with agencies to ensure these projects are moving forward and to help proactively address potential issues that may arise.

To kick off this effort, Mayor Scott highlighted three major projects: Baltimore City’s $4 million award by the EPA under the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant to build a new composting facility at its Eastern Sanitation Yard on Bowleys lane. The City will provide $1 million in local funds to match this grant, bringing the total cost of the project to $5 million. Once completed, this will be the first composting facility the City has ever pursued and aligns with the Mayor’s commitment to reduce waste and to ultimately moving away from incineration and landfilling.

Next, Baltimore City submitted a $6 million application under the Reconnecting Communities grant program for Druid Park Lake Drive. For far too long, Druid Hill Park and the surrounding neighborhoods have been disconnected due to outdated, inequitable, and often dangerous transportation designs. This application seeks to reimagine the entrance to Druid Hill Park and the surrounding roadways to promote better connectivity between the community and the city’s largest park. 

Lastly, last week the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Baltimore City a $9.9 million Safe Streets for All grant, slated for demonstration projects for the City’s implementation of Complete Streets. It is the largest grant award under the USDOT program in the nation.

Mayor Scott’s Infrastructure Initiative will focus on progress and implementation, as well as providing transparency and accountability to the public on strategic infrastructure projects and priorities. Over the coming weeks, Mayor Scott will announce various projects and initiatives, which will be tracked on the new website, which can be found here.