Last year, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), Adopt-A-Highway volunteers and inmates collected nearly 400,000 bags of trash from Ohio’s roadways. That’s 10 bags of trash for every lane mile of state, U.S. and interstate routes in Ohio.
“Litter is a persistent and preventable problem,” said ODOT Director Jerry Wray. “Not only is it expensive to pick up, but it takes us away from more important work, like pothole patching, culvert replacements and guardrail repairs.”
Statewide last year, ODOT spent more than $4 million picking up trash. That money could have been used to purchase 28 new snow plow trucks or pave a 28-mile, two-lane road.
ODOT’s 1,500 Adopt-A-Highway groups clean a two-mile section of highway, or an interchange, a minimum of four times a year for two years. On average, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers pick up 25,000 bags of trash, saving ODOT $280,000. Groups wanting to adopt a section of highway or an interchange can apply at transportation.ohio.gov/litter
This spring, ODOT crews and volunteers will pick up litter in conjunction with the Great American Cleanup. This nationwide event brings together more than 2.5 million people who spend 8 million hours cleaning, beautifying, and improving 15,000 communities.
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