PennDOT - District 6 News
PennDOT, Pennsylvania State Police, DEP, and Keep PA Beautiful Highlight Anti-Littering Efforts, Including Litter Enforcement Corridors
King of Prussia, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful (KPB) collaborated today along a Philadelphia region litter enforcement corridor on U.S. 202 (Parkway) to highlight anti-littering efforts, and explain the creation of and penalties of littering in a Litter Enforcement Corridor.
PennDOT, PSP and KPB held a series of events statewide to explain what Litter Enforcement Corridors – like those located on U.S. 202, Interstate 476, and U.S. 30 in the Philadelphia Region - are, why they are important, and the penalties for littering in them.
"PennDOT is proud to be collaborating with the Pennsylvania State Police and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful to build awareness of Litter Enforcement Corridors," said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. "We encourage our municipal partners to reach out to their local PennDOT District Office for more information on designating a Litter Enforcement Corridor in their area."
Litter enforcement Corridors have a high aesthetic or historic value worth preserving or need some additional help with litter issues. Approved segments will be 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.
"Waste continuously being disposed of into our environment is a complete eye soar, and it makes Pennsylvania look like a sad place to live," said Trooper Loretta Miree, PSP Community Service Officer. "To avoid a ticket, be considerate and Dispose your trash in a can."
For more information on establishing a Litter Enforcement Corridor, consult PennDOT's Roadside Enforcement Manual on www.PennDOT.gov.
In addition, PennDOT, DEP, and KPB highlighted ongoing anti-littering efforts and urged the public to please help by not littering and consider joining the litter clean-up effort through volunteer groups.
"Litter has been and continues to be a problem throughout Pennsylvania and our roadways and communities suffer because of it," said Robyn Briggs, PennDOT District 6 Community Relations Coordinator. "Any help from the public to not litter or joining or creating an Adopt-the-Highway (AAH) group, frees up resources and money for roadway infrastructure."
Programs such as AAH allow PennDOT to focus resources on maintaining and improving state highways, instead of money spent on cleaning up litter. PennDOT spends over $13 million a year on litter efforts statewide and nearly $5 million a year in the Philadelphia region alone.
"Litter pollution is a stain on Pennsylvania, from our roads and neighborhoods to our countryside and woodlands. It affects our health and safety, our economy, and the natural environment we depend on and cherish. With PennDOT and Keep PA Beautiful, DEP has supported volunteer cleanup events that have been an amazing help, removing many tons of trash," said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. "As litter continues to pile up, however, this Litter Enforcement Corridor is a good example of the direction we must move in, prevention. We're excited to continue our strong partnership in coordinating development of a new littering action plan that will include data-grounded strategies in enforcement, outreach, infrastructure, and community support to reduce littering statewide."
"Beautiful communities start by keeping streets and public rights-of-way cleared of litter. Our volunteers annually remove 7 million pounds of trash through various cleanup programs in public spaces throughout the state, including our roads," said Lisa Howdyshell, Executive Director Keep Norristown Beautiful, on behalf of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. "The start of this litter enforcement program is another tool to keep all of Pennsylvania beautiful."
For more information on how the public can help with anti-littering efforts to keep our state highways clean see PennDOT's Roadside Beautification webpage. Please also see PennDOT's website for District 6's Student Anti-litter campaign.
MEDIA CONTACT: Robyn Briggs, 610-205-6799, robbriggs@pa.gov
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