The crackdown on litterbugs in Northeast PA has revved up with PennDOT and Pennsylvania State Police joining forces to spearhead the battle against trash offenders. In an event held in Lackawanna County, they detailed the repercussions that await those who disregard the cleanliness of local roadways, as reported on the PennDOT website.
PennDOT Engineering District 4-0's Assistant District Executive of Maintenance, Jonathan Eboli, announced the initiative highlighting "our partnerships with the Pennsylvania State Police, the Department of Corrections (SCI Waymart and Dallas), and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful" in their concerted effort to trim down littering. Motorists caught littering in Litter Enforcement Corridors face doubled fines, and if the perpetrator is a commercial business, the penalty triples.
The corridors targeted for enforcement are not just any stretches of road, but areas with exceptional aesthetic or historic value that deserve protection, or spots particularly plagued by littering problems. To notify motorists of the enhanced penalties, signs are posted throughout these zones. Additionally, the safety for workers and volunteers during cleanup is amped up in these designated corridors – similar to precaution seen in construction zones.
Aside from punitive measures, PennDOT is also on the lookout for volunteers to take part in their Adopt-A-Highway program, with the aim to keep state-owned roadside landscapes pristine. In 2023, the program saw over 4,400 groups and more than 117,700 volunteers participate, resulting in a collection of 32,272 bags of litter across over 9,000 miles of adopted roadways, as stated on PennDOT’s website.
Volunteers are provided with gloves, trash bags, and safety vests by PennDOT, supported by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and Pick Up Pennsylvania. Anyone interested in donning a vest and making a difference can apply online and manage their involvement, acquire supplies, and report post-event cleanup statuses via the program's website.
