Ohio is a beautiful state and has one of the most efficient and safe highway systems in the nation. However, every year Ohio becomes more populated and the volume of traffic increases. These combined increases also lead to a rise in litter scattered along Ohio’s highways, and even the most scenic views can be marred by trash. In 1999, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) spent about $2 million on trash removal alone.

Since 1989, more than over 1,800 volunteers have joined forces through ODOT’s Adopt-A-Highway Program to help beautify Ohio by picking up litter along state highways. Each year, more than 200,000 bags of trash are collected from Ohio’s highways.

When volunteers participate in the Adopt-A-Highway Program, a grassroots partnership is created that cleans up the community and fosters a sense of civic pride.  We appreciate people who take the time to get involved in our program to make Ohio a cleaner place to live and travel.  It is very important that groups volunteer because we want to ensure that Ohio’s roadways are not only clean and pleasant places to drive for Ohio residents but for our out-of-state travelers as well.

The Adopt-A-Highway Program also allows ODOT work crews more time to devote to its core functions, including road maintenance and construction projects. In District 6, it means approximately thousands of  miles of roadway, 147 rest areas, and 11 Travel Information Centers that ODOT crews do not have to spend as much time on in terms of litter pickup. Each Adopt-A-Highway group saves ODOT approximately $800 in litter pickup costs per year. By volunteering to clean a two-mile stretch of highway, four times a year, individuals are caring for the environment, their community, and helping to minimize ODOT’s maintenance cost.

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