TOWSON, Md. — The Baltimore County Inspector General is out with a new report highlighting several past traffic projects that resulted in more than $125,500 in wasteful spending.
On top of the list was a raised crosswalk that was supposed to be constructed in front of an elementary school on Compass Road, but was mistakenly built down the street near an already existing speed bump.
"The error was uncovered after the school inquired about the status of the crosswalk. Subsequently, the Program Manager informed the traffic calming contractor of the mistake, and the contractor installed a second raised crosswalk at the correct location near the elementary school," the report states.
At least one other raised crosswalk was incorrectly placed along a state owned portion of Kenwood Avenue in Rosedale, rather than on County property.
"The investigation confirmed the County paid for both the installation and removal of this raised crosswalk. This error resulted in waste totaling $27,389.75," the Inspector General wrote.
Another key takeaway centers around a former Baltimore County Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning Division manager.
The report alleges the manager, who was in charge of these projects, without authorization, approved the installation of speed humps on a road where they and their family owned property.
"At a minimum, this resulted in the appearance of a conflict of interest if not an actual conflict of interest," the report states. "Based on the interviews conducted, the Office was also able to substantiate the allegation that there was a lack of awareness among supervisors in the Program Manager’s chain of command regarding the Program Manager’s decisions on traffic calming matters."
All of the waste occurred between April 2024 and February 2025.
The Inspector General goes onto complain about a lack of access her office was provided to County systems and records while conducting the investigation.
"The initial records provided were incomplete and did not include certain projects that were within the requested time period. The Office does not know whether the failure to provide these project files was intentional or a mere oversight. Regardless, it was concerning since the request for these records was made to the Division, which had direct responsibility for maintaining such records. This example highlights why direct access is a best practice within the oversight community. The Office needs direct access, when feasible, to any and all County systems and records so that the Office is not relying solely on the agency for document production."
In response, the County said a new policy manual will be implemented by the end of the year.
"To ensure projects are handled with the appropriate expertise, specific responsibilities have been reassigned. Public requests for Traffic Calming will continue to be submitted to the Bureau of Transportation for review against program standards. Ifa request meets the criteria for speed humps, it will remain with Transportation. However, if the requested location requires more complex structural improvements such as roundabouts, bump-outs, or similar measures, the project will be transferred to the Bureau of Engineering & Construction for implementation."
The full report can be read here.
