The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is seeking volunteers to participate in the northwest region’s Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) program, which involves cleaning litter from state-owned roadsides.
“Memorial Day typically marks the unofficial start to summer in northwest Pennsylvania. With it comes increased times outdoors for recreation and travel. It also means an increased awareness of the litter left along state-owned roadways,” said Cheryl Wimer, AAH coordinator for PennDOT’s northwest region. “We are once again appealing to the public to help us keep our state beautiful by disposing of garbage in the proper manner and assisting with cleanups through Adopt-a-Highway.”
Through the department's AAH program, volunteers collect litter on an approximately two-mile section of state roadway at least two times a year, typically the spring and fall. In 2024, 23,000 volunteers belonging to 4,600 groups supported the collection of more than 39,000 bags of trash from Pennsylvania roadways.
PennDOT’s District 1, which includes Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties, had 521 groups participate in the program last year, adopting nearly 1,266 total miles. Participants reported picking up 1,640 bags of trash.
More than double that number of roadways, 2,779 miles, is available for adoption, along with a variety of other areas, including park and rides in Crawford and Erie counites, scenic views in Forest, Venango, and Crawford counties, and interstate interchanges.
Roadways and other areas can be adopted by individuals or organized groups such as clubs, schools, churches, businesses, and families. In return for their participation, PennDOT posts signs along the roadway giving the volunteers credit for their efforts.
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 through May 31, 2025.
Interested groups and individuals can sign up for the Adopt-A-Highway program online, where they can also do the following:
- Apply for the program online.
- Use an interactive map to ‘point and click’ to select a roadway when applying.
- Request supplies for an event.
- Enter trash collection requests.
- Notify PennDOT after the event that bags are ready for pick-up.
- Update group information, such as contact name, phone number and email address.
- Renew or cancel an agreement.
Returning groups are reminded to renew their commitment to the clean-up effort by completing the online form every two years.
“Thank you to all our returning groups who have already scheduled or completed their annual spring cleanups. Litter is a challenge that PennDOT can only overcome through the generosity of their time and effort,” Wimer said.
Additional information on Adopt-A-Highway is available online at www.penndot.pa.gov.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
Find PennDOT news for the northwest region on X or Facebook.
CONTACT: Jill Harry, jharry@pa.gov or 814-678-5035
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