TRENTON – New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti announced May 3 the resumption of the Inmate Litter and Adopt-A-Highway programs to complement the efforts of the NJDOT highway operations crews, as the annual statewide litter removal campaign to beautify New Jersey’s highways continues.
“After a harsh winter and a busy pothole repair campaign, the department is focused on collecting litter, removing graffiti, pruning trees, and mowing grass to beautify the 2,300 miles of state highways,” Gutierrez-Scaccetti stated. “Beginning today, NJDOT’s efforts will be bolstered by the resumption of the Inmate Litter and Adopt-A-Highway programs that help keep the shoulders, medians, and ramps clean and litter-free.”
According to a release, NJDOT crews began to focus on beautification efforts, such as litter and graffiti removal, in April, after a busy pothole repair campaign that began in March. Pothole repair is ongoing, while we continue to prioritize litter cleanup.
The Inmate Litter and the Adopt-A-Highway programs, which began May 3, augment the work of the department’s highway operations crews. This allows NJDOT staff to perform other necessary work, including sign maintenance, vegetation control, continued pothole repair, as well as litter and graffiti removal.
The Inmate Litter and the Adopt-A-Highway programs were put on hold at the beginning of 2020 due to the pandemic. They are now resuming these programs while adhering to CDC-recommended Covid guidelines.
NJDOT crews employ a tactic that focuses multiple maintenance functions on targeted corridors, so within days, the location is transformed. This effort includes litter and graffiti removal.
Since 2018, the department has removed more than 76,500 square yards of graffiti along state highways.
Everyone has a role to play in keeping New Jersey beautiful by putting litter in its proper place. The department encourages motorists to keep their trash in their car until they can dispose of it properly in a recycle bin or garbage can at their destination.
With litter crews out in full force, the department reminds drivers of New Jersey’s Move Over Law, which requires motorists to move over if it is safe to do so when they approach an emergency or service vehicle stopped on the side of the road. If you cannot safely move over, slow down.
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