BID upping Clean and Green game with new strategy, workers
The York Road Improvement District has ramped up its cleaning and greening program with a new strategy and a new team of ambassadors.
“Early observations indicate that the York Road Corridor is looking noticeably better,” says Sam Storey, executive director of the York Road Improvement District. “Corridor cleanliness is our most visible service and directly affects business confidence, pedestrian comfort, and the overall perception of safety and investment.”
The new strategy was developed by community outreach coordinator Phyllis Gilmore and program manager Diamyn Wilson and is aimed at providing more structure for the cleaning and greening effort.
Key aspects of the new approach include addressing hotspots proactively and working with individual shopowners on ways to keep their adjacent sidewalks clean. “We’re trying to address certain barriers or concerns that are along the corridor, but doing it in a way where we’re building a nice relationship as well,” Wilson says.
“From what the team has observed, the bus stop areas tend to accumulate more litter than other spots,” Wilson says. “It seems to build up over time, so our team pays a little extra attention to keeping those areas clean.”
Another issue is specific stores that either attract a lot of foot traffic or that are making use of the city’s sidewalk trash cans to dispose of their own refuse. “We’ve been having the [Clean and Green] Team, along with Miss Phyllis and I, going in and introducing the team,” Wilson says.
She believes the personal connection makes a difference. “We’re introducing the team and letting the businesses know, ‘Hey, this is what our team does, and how can we collaborate to keep the corridor clean?”.
The new ambassadors include Adrian “A.J.” Wood, who is 37 and has lived in Woodbourne-McCabe since 1990. His ties to the neighborhood are making a difference with the retailers on the Corridor, Wilson says.
“What helps is that Adrian already knows a lot of the business owners. So that’s been the biggest help, the fact that he already knows a lot of them.”
Wood is a graduate of Reginald F. Lewis High School who studied at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. In his spare time he likes to listen to music and watch movies, and he also likes to move around to different parts of the city.
“I like to venture out and explore things,” he says.
The other new member of the Team is Maurice Caldwell, 28. He is a graduate of Parkville High School who attended the Community College of Baltimore County. In his off hours he likes to play piano and percussion as well as watch his favorite football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
They said they are getting a good reception from businesses as well as a lot of compliments. “Throughout the two months we’ve been here, we’ve been getting a lot of recognition from people, a lot of good words, a lot of shout-outs,” says Wood.
“When people see us do the work, it gets a lot easier for us,” says Caldwell. “They’ll stop doing it,” or at least be somewhat more careful. Even if some people are still dropping trash, “it won’t be as much as what it was before.”
The two begin their shifts at 7 a.m., typically starting at the north end of the corridor and working their way south. With the warmer weather, more people are out and about, which means more litter to remove.
“Somedays we start where the most trashiest parts are,” Caldwell says, and then go from there. If the city trash cans are overflowing, the BID will empty them and take the contents to the dump.
With so much through traffic on the Corridor, many of those littering are people who have no ties to the neighborhood. But whoever is responsible, York Road ends up with a lot of litter.
“The amount of trash, man, I’m collecting throughout the day, I say, ‘Man, we’re gonna be billionaires with all the trash we pick up,’” Wood jokes.
The Team estimates that it collects about 20 bags of trash a day in the beginning of the week and 10 to 12 toward the end. It can clean all the way from Northern Parkway to 42nd Street in one day, and make a trip to the dump.
One of the things that Wood appreciates about working for the BID is the people he works with. “I like actually coming to a workplace that I like, and doing a job that I like.”
After working a series of odd jobs, Caldwell says being a part of the Clean and Green Team is “one of the best jobs I’ve had. I’m not rushed, and it’s just chill.”
As spring and summer approach, Caldwell and Wood will be expanding their responsibilities to include planting and upkeep of green spaces on the corridor. This will entail making specific block assignments, Wilson says.
As much as they like their jobs, the two wouldn’t mind getting more collaboration from people who use the Corridor.
“We’d ask everyone to throw their cigarette butts in the trash can,” Caldwell says. “It’s a little bit harder to try to sweep when they’re all over the place.”