Fall Sweep Week: Sept. 26 – Oct. 2
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 26, 2016) – Now that it’s officially fall, thousands of volunteers with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Adopt-a-Highway program will give the Commonwealth’s roadsides a “Fall Sweep” from Sept. 26 through Oct. 2 to clear litter before it gets buried by leaves.
“Our Adopt-a-Highway groups deserve our thanks and appreciation for taking pride in the natural beauty of Kentucky,” said Cabinet Sec.Greg Thomas. “These volunteers sacrifice their time and effort to ensure Kentucky always presents the cleanest and most scenic version of itself.”
Each year, KYTC employees and contractors spend 200,000 hours removing 96,000 bags of highway litter. To assist those efforts, in 1988, KYTC established the Adopt-a-Highway program to reduce roadside litter, keep Kentucky’s highways beautiful, promote a cleaner environment, foster civic pride and save taxpayer dollars.
Today, Kentucky’s Adopt-a-Highway program has nearly 700 groups and volunteers remove thousands of bags of litter from approximately 1,400 miles of roadside.
Any permanently established business, association, community or public organization, or government entity can adopt a stretch of highway. Local businesses, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, high school organizations, service clubs, veterans groups, college fraternities and sororities, professional organizations, sports teams, church groups, and many others participate in the program.
To encourage safety for participants, groups are reminded to review the program’s roadside safety brochure before every outing. Motorists are asked to look out for Adopt-a-Highway volunteers and to proceed with caution through areas in which a cleanup is taking place.
For Gov. Matt Bevin’s video message on Adopt-a-Highway and the 2016 Fall Sweep and 2016 Adopt-a-Highway Art Contest, please click here.
HOW DO I JOIN?
Groups interested in joining the Adopt-a-Highway Program can find details and district coordinator information at http://transportation.ky.gov/Adopt-a-Highway.
Groups adopt two-mile sections of road under a two-year, renewable contract with KYTC.
Litter pickups are held at least four times per year or as many times as necessary to keep adopted areas reasonably litter-free. The cabinet coordinates three annual clean-up events.
The Adopt-a-Highway district coordinators help explain the program, assist groups in finding a section of road to adopt, and coordinate communication with the county maintenance crew superintendent to arrange warning sign placement on the date of pickup. Trash bags and safety vests can be obtained at each state maintenance facility, and once full, trash bag removal is provided by state highway crews.
Roadside safety information is provided to groups and should be reviewed with all participants prior to each cleanup. The Roadside Safety Information brochure and a Roadside Safety Video are available at http://transportation.ky.gov/Adopt-a-Highway.
For more information, visit http://transportation.ky.gov/Adopt-a-Highway. For questions or comments, contact Keith Buckhout, 502-564-3419, or e-mail Keith.Buckhout@ky.gov.
