Fighting the Blight of Litter in PennDOT's District 2

​Combating the blight of litter has been in the spotlight in 2021. District 2, based in Clearfield County, has been working hard to educate the public on this subject and has held two different events focused on littering.

In late April, District 2 held an event to explain the creation of and penalties of littering in a Litter Enforcement Corridor. As partners in this effort, PennDOT was joined at the event by the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful (KPB). 

During the event, the partners explained what a Litter Enforcement Corridor is, why they're important and what the penalties are for littering in them.

The event took place along Route 1001 (River Road) in Clearfield at Elliott's Park. River Road is one of nine roads in Clearfield County to be designated as a Litter Enforcement Corridor. Sections of Route 120 in Elk and Clinton counties have also been designated as a Litter Enforcement Corridor. To date, more than 350 miles have been designated in the three counties.

Litter Enforcement Corridors have a high aesthetic or historic value worth preserving or need some additional help with litter issues. Approved segments are marked with signs to notify motorists of additional litter fines: doubled penalties for motorists caught scattering rubbish and tripled when it is done by a commercial business. Litter Enforcement Corridors also offer increased safety for workers or volunteers who are picking up trash in a designated corridor.

In mid-June, District 2 held a celebration event to recognize the efforts of Adopt-A-Highway volunteer groups in Elk and McKean counties. The event was held at the Rails to Trails trailhead located in Mt Jewett. Two of District 2's long-standing Adopt-A-Highway groups attended the event. They are the Mt Jewett Rotary and the Spencer family.

Susan Skowyra, PennDOT Maintenance Manager for Elk and McKean counties, noted: "Our Adopt-A-Highway program is healthy and active thanks to our many volunteer groups. With more than 120 groups across the two counties, we are having a significant, positive impact on reducing the amount of litter across state routes. These volunteer efforts also help us stretch funding further. We were thrilled to note their achievements at the June event."

Additionally, all nine counties in District 2 dedicated Maintenance crews for a summer litter pick-up blitz. Between August 10 and September 3, each county cleared litter from high-traffic roadways. Combined, our crews addressed sections of 30 different roads across the district.

As an example of the impact litter clean-up can have, Elk County reported picking up 170 bags of trash. McKean County reported picking up 264 bags of trash, as well as 1.5 tandem loads of miscellaneous items, such as car parts, furniture, washers and more.