Uniontown, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) partnered with the Pennsylvania State Police to encourage the public to join the effort to be litter-free.
The media event was held at the Beau Street Park and Ride in Washington County to address the ongoing issue of litter on Pennsylvania roadways. District Executive Rachel Duda emphasized the costly impact of litter cleanup, stating, “In Washington County alone, our crews spent nearly 4,000 hours and over $216,000 removing litter—resources that could be better used for paving and repairs.” Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Rocco Gagliardi reminded the public that littering is illegal, with fines of up to $1,000 in Litter Enforcement Corridors. “Littering is not just an eyesore—it’s harmful and preventable,” he said. Washington County Foreman Kyle Blystone highlighted the safety hazards crews face while cleaning roadways. “We see everything from fast-food wrappers to bags of trash dumped on the roadside. It’s frustrating because it’s all preventable.” The event reinforced a shared message: don’t litter—take pride in keeping Pennsylvania clean and safe.
Annually, PennDOT spends upwards of $18 million per year on litter control, prevention, and remediation programs on the 40,000+ miles of state-maintained highways. PennDOT District 12, which includes Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties, spent over $772,000 last year on litter cleanup efforts. Unfortunately, this takes valuable resources away from other very important efforts related to maintaining our roads and bridges.
According to the Pennsylvania Litter Research Study submitted in 2020,the most common items found are cigarette butts (37 percent) and plastics (30 percent), with plastic film and beverage containers most prevalent. Over 40 million beverage containers and fast-food products are littered on Pennsylvania roadways. Motorists and pedestrians are the leading sources of litter, followed by improperly secured truck loads.
Prevention is the first step in being litter-free. Each of us can do our part in properly disposing of litter and unwanted items and encouraging others to do the same. Additionally, we invite individuals, groups, organizations, and businesses to participate in one of PennDOT’s beautification programs to reduce the cost of litter and enhance the beauty of state roadways.
- Volunteers who adopt highways through the Adopt-A-Highway program are valuable partners when it comes to helping remove litter in Pennsylvania. Statewide, thousands of participants perform litter pickups at least twice every year. To learn more about this program, please contact District 12 Adopt-a-Highway Coordinator Cristy Kasovich at ckasovich@pa.gov or 724-439-7340.
- The Sponsor a Highway program involves businesses and interested parties securing an agreement with a vendor for skilled maintenance forces to perform roadside litter removal. The sponsored roadway will have signs placed that recognize the sponsors.
- Adopt and Beautify provides opportunities to local citizens and community organizations to beautify sites they select and design to enhance the beauty of the roadside, provide a positive impression, and exhibit community pride. For additional information, please contact District 12 Adopt and Beautify Roadside Specialist Michael Maurer at michaemaur@pa.gov or 724-439-7374.
- Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful empowers Pennsylvanians to keep our communities clean and beautiful. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and PennDOT have partnered for 16 years on an annual Pick Up Pennsylvania campaign. The spring event in support of The Great American Cleanup runs through May 31 and participants are eligible for FREE work gloves, safety vests, and trash bags as supplies last. Visit Pick Up PA for more details and to register.
Thousands of Pennsylvanians volunteer in these local community projects, removing millions of pounds of trash. PennDOT greatly appreciates the help of these volunteers and organizations and the role they play in keeping Pennsylvania beautiful.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/district12.
Information about infrastructure in District 12, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D12Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
Follow PennDOT on X and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.
MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Maczko, 724-439-7135 or mmaczko@pa.gov
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