Yep, blame it on the homeless folk; nevermind the slobs who toss out dirty diapers, fast food bags, soda bottles filled with pee or ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts. Ignore those morons who fly down the highways with crap flying out of the back of their pickup trucks, trailered boats, and RVs.
In my neighborhood we have our share of idiots who can't seem to understand that trash bags go into dumpsters and are not supposed to be tossed into the middle of the Bell road. It's gotten so bad around here that Tdot has installed cameras on the road to catch the skanks who keep doing this.
Funny thing is, I rarely see homeless folk here, and this area is rife with the trappings of a disposable society....
TDOT to clean up trashy underpass
PROBLEM: Linda Cooper has noticed garbage accumulating under a highway overpass in Nashville where it appears homeless people stay. She says she's surprised it hasn't been cleaned up, as it's a huge eyesore and a health hazard, too.
ACTION: Litter pickup is definitely something the state highways department does. But it doesn't have the manpower to keep all locations picked up all the time, says B.J. Doughty, spokeswoman for Tennessee Department of Transportation'
She forwarded Cooper's problem area to TDOT's maintenance department for attention.
Litter is a budget problem for the state highways office, too. It spends more than $6 million a year for its own crews to deal with litter. Meanwhile, $5 million in annual funds collected through a tax on the soft drink and malt beverage industry is used to assist local communities with litter collection and litter prevention education.
The public can help a lot by not littering. People need to bag their garbage, keep trash container lids closed, and secure loads on trucks and trailers so plastic doesn't rip off or items don't fall off while trucks and trailers are on the road.
There's also a volunteer program, in which groups "adopt" a section of highway.
Groups are asked to adopt approximately two miles of roadway for at least one year. Groups commit to doing four litter pickups on their adopted stretch of roadway. One pickup per quarter/season is recommended, although groups may conduct pickups more frequently.
TDOT provides volunteers with all necessary supplies and safety materials, and TDOT crews remove filled trash bags from the roadsides. A sign is posted recognizing a group, too.
Volunteer groups are also permitted to separately bag recyclable items and turn them in to redemption centers for fundraising cash.
WHO'S WORKING ON IT: To contact TDOT, call 1-877-SmartWay (1-877-762-7892
For information about the Adopt-A-Highway
DAYS ON OUR LIST:2
ACTION: Litter pickup is definitely something the state highways department does. But it doesn't have the manpower to keep all locations picked up all the time, says B.J. Doughty, spokeswoman for Tennessee Department of Transportation'
Litter is a budget problem for the state highways office, too. It spends more than $6 million a year for its own crews to deal with litter. Meanwhile, $5 million in annual funds collected through a tax on the soft drink and malt beverage industry is used to assist local communities with litter collection and litter prevention education.
The public can help a lot by not littering. People need to bag their garbage, keep trash container lids closed, and secure loads on trucks and trailers so plastic doesn't rip off or items don't fall off while trucks and trailers are on the road.
There's also a volunteer program, in which groups "adopt" a section of highway.
Groups are asked to adopt approximately two miles of roadway for at least one year. Groups commit to doing four litter pickups on their adopted stretch of roadway. One pickup per quarter/season is recommended, although groups may conduct pickups more frequently.
TDOT provides volunteers with all necessary supplies and safety materials, and TDOT crews remove filled trash bags from the roadsides. A sign is posted recognizing a group, too.
Volunteer groups are also permitted to separately bag recyclable items and turn them in to redemption centers for fundraising cash.
WHO'S WORKING ON IT: To contact TDOT, call 1-877-SmartWay (1-877-762-7892
For information about the Adopt-A-Highway
DAYS ON OUR LIST:2
