Since then, Bahr says, the outpouring of trash washing out of the storm outfall in Canton appears to have fallen by as much as half. To build on that, Bahr says, he's trying to persuade the city to provide 5,000 more trash cans to give to residents. With that gesture, which Bahr estimates would cost the city $70,000, he says neighborhood leaders have pledged that they'll police their blocks and call out residents who persist in putting bags of trash out for pickup.

City officials say they've no money and besides, they've given away inexpensive trash cans before, only to see them disappear. But Bahr contends the effort is worth trying again, that the potential gain is worth the relatively small cost.

If neighborhoods as different as Canton and Patterson Park and Darley Park can work together to clean up trash, Bahr hopes that will lead to other improvements mapped out in the Harris Creek plan, such as creating more parks and community gardens on vacant lots. And maybe it can serve as a model for the rest of the city.

There are those who doubt that Baltimoreans can come together like that, he acknowledges. The city has a lot of other pressing problems pulling people in different directions. But he says he believes that cleaning up and greening neighborhoods not only will restore the harbor, it can help make the city safer and a better place to live and work.

"It's a challenge," he says. "But to me, it's what bringing Baltimore back is all about."

Baltimore Sun reporter Meredith Cohn contributed to this article.

tim.wheeler@baltsun.com



Baltimore city sewage overflows



2005: 122 overflows, 4,754,828 gallons

2006: 75 overflows, 69,505,394 gallons

2007: 74 overflows, 549,564 gallons

2008: 133 overflows, 1,620,464 gallons

2009: 226 overflows, 2,167,752 gallons

2010: 181 overflows, 1,565,074 gallons

SOURCE: Maryland Department of the Environment

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