Volunteers Needed for Road Cleanup

As winter slowly turns to spring, state transportation officials are looking for volunteers to help remove trash and litter that has collected on the side of Pennsylvania’s roads.

The is pushing the Great American Cleanup program that runs through May 31 and will enlist the help of thousands of volunteers to clean roadways, trails and shorelines.

Last year, 186,000 people helped clean nearly 20,000 miles of roads and collected 12 million pounds of garbage, according to PennDOT. Much of that cleanup was through the state’s Adopt-A-Highway program.

“Pennsylvania is very fortunate to have thousands of volunteers who turn out every year to clean up our communities and roadsides,” acting PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch said. “These dedicated individuals help keep Pennsylvania beautiful and save taxpayers’ money with their efforts to clean up after careless people who litter.”

More than 7,000 groups are currently enrolled in a two-year commitment of the Adopt-A-Highway program. Volunteers typically clean four times per year, including during the spring and “Pick It Up PA” that runs April 16-30.

PennDOT will provide gloves and safety vests to each of the groups participating in the Adopt-A-Highway and Great American Cleanup of PA programs.

Any groups in this area that are interested in cleaning a section of highway are asked to contact the PennDOT District 11 highway cleanup coordinator at 412-429-5011. For a listing of cleanup events or other information about the efforts, go to www.gacofpa.org.