Committee advances Veronica Macbeth as DOT director after detailed questioning on repairs, overtime and project delivery

Veronica Macbeth, nominated to lead the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, was advanced by the Legislative Investigations Committee on a 4-0 vote after an extensive hearing in which council members and the committee chair scrutinized agency performance, staffing, project delivery and financial controls.

Macbeth described a 20‑plus year transportation career spanning local, state and federal roles, including prior service as Baltimore DOT’s transit bureau chief and a recent appointment as a deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation. “My extensive experience in transportation policy, grant management, and project implementation at the federal, state, and local levels uniquely position me to lead BCDOT,” she told the committee.

Why it matters: Council members framed the hearing around an operational challenge: they said DOT carries large responsibilities but has repeatedly failed to deliver projects on time, with particular concerns about a stalled Greenway Trail purchase and the department’s backlog on routine matters such as traffic calming, pothole repair and parking enforcement.

Operational priorities and reforms: Macbeth outlined an agencywide agenda including modernizing traffic signal operations, data‑driven safety protocols (Vision Zero strategies), streamlining capital project delivery, improving permitting and right‑of‑way processes, updating records and instituting standard operating procedures and succession planning. She said one goal is reducing reliance on high‑cost contract services and rebuilding in‑house capacity.

She pledged to increase community engagement and standardize outreach: “We will implement a robust community engagement strategy that includes standardized SOPs for consistent outreach and successful outcomes,” Macbeth said. She also proposed public dashboards for project timelines and metrics to show progress on key work.

Council concerns raised in the hearing included: - Project delivery and grant use: Council President (name not specified) flagged the Greenway Trail project and the return of $1.5 million in state funds; Macbeth said the department must better track projects “from the cradle to the grave” and acknowledged gaps that allowed that funding to lapse. - Overtime: Members pressed Macbeth on excessive overtime in DOT, citing an example from the hearing transcript of an employee who logged “just under 3,000 hours of overtime last year” with a payout of about $130,000. Macbeth said her team will conduct an overtime audit and implement checks and balances, including pre‑authorization and sign‑offs on overtime where appropriate. - Parking enforcement and equity: Council members raised concerns that parking enforcement focuses on downtown commercial corridors while residential neighborhoods see dumped or abandoned vehicles and long waits for enforcement. Macbeth said the department plans a 24‑hour enforcement pilot, use of heat‑mapping and better coordination with the city’s Office of Performance and Innovation to target enforcement more equitably. - Traffic calming backlog: Macbeth acknowledged a significant queue of traffic calming requests. She said the department’s traffic staff is “very lean” and that there are approximately 22,058 traffic‑calming requests in the backlog; she described plans to improve SLA definitions, prioritize requests, and brief council on a 3‑1‑1 backlog reform.

Macbeth also said she supports further work on the Red Line corridor and expects DOT to be an “integral partner” with MTA and MDOT if the project returns in some form. She stressed workforce development proposals including apprenticeships for trade positions at DOT.

Public testimony: Two witnesses testified in support of Macbeth during the hearing. Liz Gordon of the Maryland Transit Administration, who has worked with Macbeth in multiple roles, called her “steady” and an effective supervisor, while Meg Young, a former DOT and FTA official now at the Maryland Department of Transportation, said Macbeth’s “leadership and knowledge can help us reform policies and implement processes to improve our transportation system in Baltimore City.”

Vote and next steps: Vice President Middleton moved to approve EA25‑001, seconded by Councilman Gray. Chair Schleifer, Vice Chair Glover, Vice President Middleton and Councilman Gray voted aye; Councilman Dorsey was absent. The committee clerk recorded “4 votes in the affirmative, no negatives.” The item was advanced for second reading before the full council.

Reported discussion only: The hearing produced operational commitments and pledges from the nominee but no binding policy changes; Macbeth said the department will follow up with auditors and council offices on overtime, backlogs and communications.