BALTIMORE, MD (Saturday, April 27, 2024) – Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott launched the next iteration of the #BuildBetterBMore 90-day City services sprints for the 2024 Spring season. The city services sprints are meant to bring attention to the work that city agencies and employees do on a daily basis, foster healthy competition between agencies and crews, and engage with residents on how to submit 311 requests for city services.

Mayor Scott kicked off the Spring sprints during the annual Spring Clean-Up and Day of Service where hundreds of volunteers at dozens of clean-up sites across the city worked together to beautify neighborhoods, pick up trash, and build community connections.

The goals set for Spring 2024 sprints include: fill 20,000 potholes; remove 1,000 graffiti markings and launch a graffiti task force; abate high grass and weeds at 1,500 vacant properties and lots; and prioritize litter removal service requests and launch a community litter patrol.

“Our city services sprints have quickly become a favorite across Baltimore – for both residents and city employees,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “This work happens day-in and day-out and it doesn’t stop when the sprints are over, but this allows us to create healthy competition and bring attention to the hard, often thankless work city employees do. It also lets us challenge crews to go beat their own expectations and remind residents about what city services are available through 311. We’ve taken significant steps to modernize our approach and strengthen our core city services – and we will continue to build on that work every single day.”

In last year’s Fall 2023 sprints, City agencies were tasked with conducting 36,000 rat inspections and providing necessary treatments to address rat infestations, cutting and cleaning 800 tree wells, installing 90 speed humps to help with traffic calming, and addressing 900 abandoned vehicles. In total, City agencies beat all of their declared goals, conducting 46,370 rat abatements, maintaining 1,008 tree wells, installing 182 speed humps, and removing 945 abandoned vehicles.

In the initial spring City services sprint launched in April 2023, City agencies were tasked with repairing 9,000 potholes, removing 900 graffiti markings, resurfacing nine miles of city roads, and targeting illegal dumping hot-spots in Baltimore. Ultimately, Within just 60 days, on June 12, 2023, crews filled 19,831 potholes, repaved 10.1 lane miles, removed 1,142 graffiti markings, and cut down on illegal dumping across the city.