MARYLAND - The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration has launched the "Operation Clean Sweep Maryland" initiative, that they say will almost double the frequency of litter pickup and mowing efforts along Maryland roads.
“Maryland’s highways connect us to friends, family, schools, jobs and recreation, and serve as the welcome mat for visitors to our state,” said Acting Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “We can’t allow litter to destroy the beauty of our communities and threaten our safety and the environment. We need the help of everyone to tackle this problem, and our state highway crews are prepared to lead the way.”
The administration says that litter finds its way into drainage systems and eventually in to Maryland's Chesapeake Bay tributaries. They say litter removal is critical to perform mowing operations safely and efficiently. In addition to hindering mowing and landscape efforts, the administration says trash severely impacts roadside drainage facilities, causing rain and snow melt to pond on the road, therefore creating a major safety hazard for the driving public.
Because of the mildness of this winter, the administration says that mowing will probably begin earlier than usual. This week, they say they will do sweeps through highly traveled areas to pick up litter, eventually doubling these operations throughout mowing season.
The State Highway Administration says they will reach out to local jurisdictions to coordinate additional cleanup efforts. Citizens can help by reporting issues of litter and high grass on state roads by clicking here or call 410-545-0300.
The administrations says that their annual maintenance budget increased more than 30% this year to almost $30 million to accommodate these efforts. Part of the initiative will include hiring new state employees for the pickup, as well as the purchasing of new mowing equipment, and developing contract resources to help keep the efforts going strong.
“We recognize more needs to be done to keep Maryland’s roads well-maintained and litter-free,” said State Highway Administrator Tim Smith. “We’re increasing our efforts, but we need the public’s help as well. We ask that everyone put trash where it belongs: in a trash can.”
According to the administration, they have spend an estimated $39 million over the last five years collecting and disposing more than 26,000 truckloads of litter along state roads. Annually, the agency collects approximately 5,300 truckloads of trash at a cost of more than $7 million.
The administration notes that litter crews work directly adjacent to traffic. As Operation Clean Sweep Maryland gets underway, they say drivers should pay close attention and reduce speeds and distractions when driving near work crews. They tell drivers to move over whenever possible when you see crews working on the shoulders, and help make sure everyone makes it home safely.
Operation Clean Sweep Maryland supports the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Be a Superhero! Put litter in its Place campaign, says the administration, which offers people of all ages educational materials to learn about the devastating effects litter has on Maryland’s economic development, tourism and quality of life.