Beyond the Byline: Step up litter enforcement effort

It’s time to trash littering.

Get it?

Time to toss litter in the garbage.

Time to bag it.

The point is that there really is no excuse for littering. Streets, roads, highways, and other throughways in your town be cleaned up if people just get out and chip in to help.

The message has always been clear and simple — don’t litter! And if you see litter, pick it up.

A wise man once said, it’s about curb appeal — it’s really critical.

Littering that is visible to travelers can have a negative economic impact. Tourism is an important contributor to the region’s economy — nearly $1 billion per year.

Perception matters, that wise man also said. This is a community issue and the community can fix it.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) have collaborated to discuss penalties for littering and littering in a Litter Enforcement Corridor.

PennDOT and PSP held a press event this week in Lackawanna County to explain what Litter Enforcement is, why it’s important, and what the penalties are for littering.

“PennDOT Engineering District 4-0 is proud to continue our partnerships with the Pennsylvania State Police, the Department of Corrections (SCI Waymart and Dallas), and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful today to highlight our efforts to reduce littering in Northeast PA.” said Jonathan Eboli, P.E., Assistant District Executive of Maintenance, PennDOT Engineering District 4-0.

PennDOT defines Litter Enforcement Corridors as having a high aesthetic or historic value worth preserving or need some additional help with litter issues. Approved segments are marked with signs to notify motorists of additional litter fines — doubled penalties for motorists caught scattering rubbish and tripled when it is done by a commercial business.

Litter Enforcement Corridors also offer increased safety for workers or volunteers who are picking up trash in a designated corridor.

When drivers in these areas see traffic control devices, they must yield the right of way, as in a construction work zone. For this reason, it’s important to plan a cleanup event with local or state authorities involved when possible.

For more information on establishing a Litter Enforcement Corridor, consult PennDOT’s Roadside Enforcement Manual on PennDOT’s website.

Additionally, PennDOT is in search of volunteers to participate in the northeast region’s Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) program, which involves cleaning litter from state-owned roadsides.

”PennDOT, our partners, and the dedicated volunteers in our Adopt a Highway program are committed to keeping roadways clean and free of litter.” Eboli said. “We ask the public to do their part and dispose of their trash properly.”

Through the department’s Adopt-A-Highway program, volunteers collect litter on an approximately two-mile section of state roadway at least two times a year, typically in the spring and fall. In 2022, the statewide program had more than 4,500 participating groups, nearly 111,000 registered volunteers, and more than 8,500 miles of adopted state-maintained roadways.

Roadways and other areas can be adopted by individuals or organized groups such as clubs, schools, churches, businesses, and families. In return for their participation, PennDOT posts signs along the roadway giving the volunteers credit for their efforts.

Gloves, trash bags, and safety vests for the cleanup campaign are provided by PennDOT, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and Pick Up Pennsylvania, which runs from March 1 to May 31.

Interested groups and individuals can sign up for the program by going online at www.adoptahighway.penndot.pa.gov, where they can also do the following:

• Apply for the program online.

• Use an interactive map to ‘point and click’ to select a roadway when applying.

• Request supplies for an event.

• Enter trash collection requests.

• Notify PennDOT after the event that bags are ready for pick-up.

• Update group information, such as contact name, phone number, and email address.

• Renew or cancel an agreement.

Returning groups are reminded to renew their commitment to the clean-up effort by completing the online form every two years.

Additional information on the Pick Up Pennsylvania and Adopt-A-Highway is available online at — www.penndot.pa.gov.

Litter is just awful. It has to be stopped. People who litter must be punished.

Mother Nature’s beauty should never be treated like a dumpster.