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As your traveling the highways across California you may not think much about it, but many
people are responsible for that road under you. People designed it, built it, and maintain;
all so that you can get to where you need to go. In this video series we visit those
people and the transportation projects they work on. "Welcome to On The Job With Caltrans"
Hello and welcome to "On The Job With Caltrans", California Department of Transportation. I'm
David Anderson, and you know, California has many spectacular; beautiful sites, but we
need your help to keep California clean. I'm sure you can't go a mile down the freeway
without seeing trash and litter along the side of the road, and litter not only is an
eye sore; it's also a safety concern. A safety concern for you as a motorist and also for
the Caltrans workers who pick up litter alongside the freeways. We were curious if people realized
just how much tax payers spend every year on litter clean up along the highways and
freeways, so we thought we'd ask. So, how much do you think it cost taxpayers
in California last year to pickup litter and trash off all the highways in California?
$500,000. A million dollars.
I don't know, more than $50,000. I mean a lot, a lot I assume.
$2.5 million. $10 million.
Last year alone Caltrans picked up nearly 10,000 garbage trucks full of litter. If you
would put them end-to-end it would stretch 50 miles! $52 million last year alone;
that's how much it cost the taxpayers to pickup litter, trash and garbage off the highways.
Wow, that's amazing! Wow! That's pretty crazy!
Litter removal is a major priority for Caltrans when it comes to keeping our highways safe,
clear and clean. And today we're going to meet some of the men and women of Caltrans
who are out there working hard to keep the highways clean and clear and safe; for everyone!
We're also going hear about some of the programs that Caltrans offers as far as litter prevention,
the adopt-a-highway program for example. I'm here along a busy freeway with Wendy Davis.
Wendy thanks for joining us today. Hi Dave.
Where does all this trash come from? It usually falls from an unsecured load from
a vehicle or by careless motorists throwing stuff out they're vehicles.
Throwing it out their cars. Yup!
Let me ask you this, what is the most unusual item you ever found discarded alongside the
freeway? Keep it G-rated now!
I'd have to say that was a hot tub that came flying off a vehicle. It was unsecured on
the back of a truck and that was the most unusual thing we came across.
I cannot imagine what it would be like working along side a freeway and seeing a hot tub
coming at you. Yeah, yeah. You know, the most important thing
when you're hauling something in your vehicle is to make sure that stuff is secure with
a tarp, bungees or what ever, because it can be pretty d a r n dangerous out there.
Well Wendy thanks very much for joining us today and thanks for the great job you guys
do keeping the roadways clean. Thank you very much.
Austin thanks very much for joining us today. Yeah, it's no problem Dave.
You know Austin you've been out here working for years. You've worked on freeways picking
up trash and debris it's got to get dangerous job. Have you ever had any really close calls?
Yes I have had some close calls. We were actually on the highway working, me and a couple of
my crew members, and we experienced a mini-van trying to stop. It hit the attenuator and
smashed it all the way back. She veered back into the lane, before that happened I actually
noticed the glass, coming in front of my face-
-and I just-
oh, wow!
dropped all the way back to the sound wall to get out of the way.
Austin is there anything you'd like to say to the motoring public, you know, about working
alongside the road? I hope you please pay attention to the signs
when were out here - giving us a lane would be most appreciative we would really like
that extra lane so we have that comfort as well.
It's good to have you here safe
and sound
and doing a great job.
Yes, yes, yes, thank you.
Well joining us now is Andy Morse. Andy is in charge of the adopt-a-highway program for
Caltrans. Andy thanks very much for being here.
Thank you. Andy you know this is truly a worthwhile program.
It, you know, it saves taxpayers millions of dollars, it's all volunteer...people pick
up litter. Some government programs are not as popular as others, but this program
really is a win-win for the public and the state of California, so talk a little
bit about it.
Since 1989 the Caltrans adopt-a-highway program has provided an avenue for individuals, organizations
or businesses to help maintain sections of road side within California's state highway
system. To date more than hundred and twenty thousand people have participated in the program;
which helps to keep state highways safer, cleaner, and more attractive.
In fact adopt-a-highway volunteers save taxpayers approximately sixteen million dollars a year!
Sixteen million! Yes.
A year? Yes.
Wow. It would also be interesting to know that
our volunteers and participants do more than just pick up litter and debris. They plant
trees and wildflowers, remove graffiti and control vegetation.
And if someone is interested in getting involved in the adopt-a-highway program how do they
do that? Well it's a good thing you asked that Dave,
because we everyone involved to keep California clean. Please visit our adopt-a-highway website
and click on the logo for more information or call the number on your screen. We need
everybody to do their part to keep California clean for residence and visitors.
Andy is the adopt-a-highway program just for organizations?
No, individuals can do it too. You, yourself can adopt-a-highway, Dave.
Adopt-a-highway? Yeah.
It seems like a pretty big commitment. I'm not sure I'm ready for that; maybe I can just
be a surrogate father? I don't think we have programs for that Dave.
All right, I'll think it over. Thanks for joining us today.
Thank you, thank you very much. Well I'm here with Trent Manning. He is the
Statewide Litter Abatement Program Manager for Caltrans, and Trent, tell us in a nutshell;
what you do? Being the program manager for litter abatement,
I manage the litter abatement budget. The most important thing that I can do, is, I
try to reach out to the public and get them to understand, you know, the consequences
of when they litter out in California. Well you know, obviously litter is a big problem
here in California. Tell us about...what about the economic impacts and how does litter effect
the environment here in California.
Litter has a huge impact on the economy. Caltrans spends lots of money every year picking up litter.
And in fact, last year Caltrans spent fifty two million dollars to remove litter.
It clogs drains; it also contributes to roadside fires...very bad impact on our water quality
and also the wildlife. Yeah, it's just...
It's devastating. It's bad all around. Now what we do with what's
collected out here. I mean, if you find an empty pizza box, I'm sure we just dispose
of it. But if you find something valuable what you do with that?
Caltrans treats everything that they pick up as litter, except if it as a value of more
than ten dollars. If we find something out here that has a value of more than ten dollars,
the department holds on to it for ninety days to see anybody claims it. If nobody claims
it, then what we try to do is we try to give it to the local law enforcement.
Let's talk a little bit about the danger here that these workers face when they're out here
picking up litter. I mean, cars are whizzing by just feet from us; sixty to seventy miles
per hour. It's kind of the equivalent of being an office worker and having your desk...
Yeah...
right next to the freeway.
Tell us about a little bit about the dangers.
This is probably one of the most dangerous environments to work in. When our men and
women are out here working on the highway they are in danger. And uh, you know, it's...it's
unfortunate but the department loses on average two employees a year to motor vehicle accidents.
So, it's a very dangerous environment, you know, and so one thing we want you to do is
to go ahead and when you're hauling something, secure you're load properly, you know, don't
throw your trash out the window, somebody out here has got...you know...has to pick
it up.
Yes.
Whenever you see, you know, our people working out here or an emergency vehicle, you know,
you want to move over, slow down, it's the law!
Well, it's a great message Trent, thank you very much for joining us today,
Thank you!
So the next time your driving one the freeways in California, you may be hauling trash, you
have litter in your car, just make sure that trash is properly secured and wait until you
can probably discard of the litter. You know, here at Caltrans we are doing everything we
can to keep the highways clean and safe, but we need your help. It's going to take everyone
to make sure the roadways are clean and safe in California. Until next time, I'm David
Anderson, thanks for watching "On the Job with Caltrans", and remember, please don't
trash California.