Stuart Sirota, deputy director for planning at the Baltimore Department of Transportation, was told to resign last week, a reported victim of departmental infighting and upcoming delays in street resurfacing projects promised by the mayor.

“It’s pretty insane. He was bringing in talent, and that’s not commonplace in this department,” said a source, who said Sirota was told to immediately leave his $175,000-a-year position after the 2026 budget was approved by the City Council and Board of Estimates.

Hired in 2023 after stints at the Maryland Planning Department and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Sirota was rapidly promoted to deputy director under the agency’s previous director, Corren Johnson, who was dismissed last December.

Johnson was replaced by Veronica P. McBeth, a Biden administration appointee who came to Baltimore in January from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Lane-striping Woes

McBeth and Mayor Brandon Scott recently announced that DOT planned to resurface 110 lane miles in the 2025 paving season (a 50% increase over last year), step up pothole and sidewalk repairs, and install curb ramps as part of a consent decree to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

In all, $94 million in state Highway User Revenue (HUR) funding has been allocated in fiscal 2026 for capital projects. “This increased investment will not only improve the quality of city roadways but will contribute to the economic vitality and quality of life in Baltimore,” Scott proclaimed in a May 30 press release.

But lane-striping designs, which are needed to convert repaved streets to Complete Streets specifications and for traffic calming, are far behind schedule and are liable to delay the resurfacing program.

Another highly publicized project- to build a cap over a block of the “Highway to Nowhere” in West Baltimore and remove highway overpasses above Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard – also faces delays.

Sirota was responsible for handling planning for the $200 million project (here and here), of which $85 million was granted in the final days of the Biden administration. Tensions have reportedly flared up among other officials, including Asia Scott, DOT deputy chief of community engagement and Mayor Scott’s cousin.

“He’s been the scapegoat for a lot of [agency] problems,” said the source.

Asked about Sirota’s departure, DOT issued the following statement:

“While we do not comment on individual personnel matters, we can confirm that Stu Sirota is no longer with the Baltimore City Department of Transportation. We remain firmly committed to advancing our mission of delivering efficient, equitable and sustainable transportation solutions for all Baltimoreans.”