Today was the first day of the city's new trash program (if you don't count yesterday, when there was no pick up in some neighborhoods for the first time in 40 years.)

And like yesterday, there seem to be no early problems. Though, not everyone seemed to have gotten the message. Every few houses in the alleys of Wyman Park -- where I met up with a city trash crew -- didn't have trash out for pick up. We didn't know if they didn't get the news, if they were out of town or just didn't have trash. You can read my early account here.

A good percentage did seem to know about the changes: Once a week trash pick up, down from twice a week, and once a week recycling pick up, up from twice a month.

The city says once everyone gets on board, the program will be more efficient, will encourage more recycling and will free up crews to respond to 311 calls about messy alleys.

The crew I followed was worried that it would mean a lot more trash would accumulate for them to get. They already know the changes mean longer routes and days for them because they got longer routes to free up those alley sweepers.

They were also concerned people would pile up garbage outside of the cans with lids. That means more rats, maggots and oppossums to deal with. (They city can fine residents who do that, though officials didn't seem like they were targeting residents who put out lid-less cans on trash morning. It's the people who leave it out over night in a vulnerable bag that officials say they are most concerned about.)

Officials do plan to monitor compliance and the effectiveness of the new program. They're also looking into supplying cans to homes, maybe even with bar codes so they know where they belong. It's a work in progress. Let them know if you have a problem at 311.

And if you don't know your day for trash and recycling pick up, type your name into the city's map.

Baltimore Sun photo of Reggie Ware (left) and Terrance Perry/Jed Kirschbaum