PennDOT, State Police highlight litter enforcement efforts in NEPA

Bill O’Boyle, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·2 min read
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Apr. 11—WILKES-BARRE — 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 today 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 to highlight our efforts to reduce littering in Northeast PA," said Jonathan Eboli, Assistant District Executive of Maintenance, PennDOT Engineering District 4.

Litter Enforcement Corridors have 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 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.

Groups in PennDOT's Adopt-A-Highway program, which involves volunteers cleaning roadsides year-round, are longtime participants. Adopt-A-Highway volunteers collect litter on a two-mile section of state highway at least twice a year. In 2023, the program had over 4,400 participating groups, more than 117,700 registered volunteers, and over 9,000 miles of adopted state-maintained roadways resulting in 32,272 bags of litter collected.

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.

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

at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.