Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Signals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DOT traffic‑signals chief: aging signals, fleet and staffing leave response gaps; about 34 technicians needed
Summary
Dan Mantick, DOT chief of traffic operations, told the budget committee the city’s traffic signal equipment is generally beyond expected life, many poles are leaning, and the agency is short dozens of electronic maintenance technicians needed to provide 24‑hour coverage.
Dan Mantick, newly hired chief of traffic operations at Baltimore DOT, told the council committee that the city’s traffic signal network is aging and understaffed, leaving many intersections without rapid repair capacity.
“We currently only have 9 technicians total and 7 of them are basically, at retirement age,” Mantick said. He added that many signals are “30, 40 years old or older” and do not meet current standards, and that bottom spans — tethers used to prevent signals and signs from flipping in bad weather — are commonly missing.
Why it matters: Mantick said failing equipment and low technician headcount explain frequent signal outages after storms and slow repair response times. He cited a Federal Highway recommendation of roughly one signal technician per 30–40 signals and estimated that, for Baltimore’s roughly 1,360 signals, the city would need about 34 technicians. “So we're way shorthanded,” Mantick said.
Key details: - Current staffing: 9 traffic electronic maintenance technicians, with multiple vacancies and several employees near retirement. - Fleet constraints: several bucket trucks retired and long procurement lead times for replacement; procurement delays reduce field capacity. - Technical constraints: many signal poles are out of plumb and do not meet MUTCD‑required mounting heights (17–19 feet from crown of road), complicating repairs and upgrades.
DOT’s near‑term steps: Mantick said he is working with HR to reopen entry‑level technician classifications and create career progression from technician I to higher levels to build a pipeline. Director Macbeth said the department is considering apprenticeship sponsorship and targeted hiring fairs to fill technical roles.
Council response: Members pressed DOT for a specific hiring plan and asked when 24‑hour signal coverage would be realistic; Mantick and leadership said meeting that service level would require roughly a threefold increase in technicians and additional fleet investment.
Ending: Mantick and DOT requested support from council and the administration to invest in technicians, fleet and replacement parts to reduce outages and restore safer, more reliable signal operation across the city.
