Litter collection effort ramps up on I-476 in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, amid complaints about highway trash
It's something people who drive on the Blue Route are tired of seeing — trash all along the side of the highway, including everything from food wrappers to furniture.
On Tuesday morning, contractors with PennDOT set out to clean up as much of it as they could. They had their work cut out for them picking up trash on the side of I-476 in Haverford Township.
"It's not right to throw things on the ground," Denise Calvi from Havertown, who drives on the Blue Route frequently, said. "It's just a disgrace."
State Representative Lisa Borowski, whose legislative district includes Delaware County, said there's been a recent uptick in complaints about trash on the Blue Route. She said she's received about 35 calls and emails from people complaining about the eyesore.
"Any time you have one of our state roads that looks unsightly and full of trash, it only I think encourages more trash to be dumped," Borowski said.
A spokesperson for Pennsylvania State Police said so far, troopers have issued one citation for littering on the Blue Route in Delaware County this year. The fine for littering is $300.
"We stop seeing the litter because we're so used to it," driver Rhonda Rowland from Ardmore said.
It's an even bigger problem affecting highways throughout the Philadelphia area. PennDOT said last year, it spent $6.3 million on litter removal in southeastern Pennsylvania. But the agency said it's short-staffed on maintenance workers, making it harder to keep up.
"PennDOT is working hard to address it," Borowski said. "I think a lot of it is around the availability of resources."
Many drivers just want the littering to stop.
"Take it home," Calvi said. "Throw it in your trash can."
It's a message aimed at keeping our communities beautiful.
