In the meeting today with The Sun's editorial board, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was asked about the city’s new recycling program, and an editor in the meeting told me that she said the city was moving in the right direction.

“We can’t go backwards,” she said, while noting that city officials would be reviewing the program soon, to “address kinks in the process.”

She must have looked at the data. In September, the city's Department of Public works said recycling was up by 50 percent since the new program began in July. I think that means residents who like having their recycling picked up once a week, along with once-a-week trash pickup, can rest assured the program will continue.

She wasn't specific about the "kinks." But she's said in the past that she's gotten complaints about the reduced trash pick up from residents. And she worried about an increase in illegal dumping. City officials have issued a bunch of tickets for that. Also, officials report that the jump in use of  municipal cans has died down.

Rawlings-Blake has also said that she planned to hold hearings on the subject. She won't be council president long enough to do that, but as mayor she could really have an even bigger say in changing the program. So, stay tuned.

On another green-related issue, she said she was happy that the city was in a position to seek federal funds for the Red Line light rail project. She does not want a project that would create dead zones in neighborhoods, but noted that rail technology continues to advance, so there is likely to be less impact on neighborhoods by the time the line is built.