Haley vows continued fight against litter

Today’s effort is part of NJDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway program. The Commissioner’s Office adopted a section of Route 29 between Sullivan Way and Lower Ferry Road in Ewing Township in 1992 and have held yearly litter pick-ups.

The Adopt-A-Highway program currently has 650 volunteer groups participating, with 876 of the state’s 2,400 highway miles adopted.

"We are committed to solving the litter problem along roadways in our state," the Commissioner said. "In April our starting point was Newark, but the entire state of New Jersey is our goal. This is a quality of life issue."

"We have been concentrating our efforts in three key areas: education, enforcement and action," the Commissioner said. "Educating the public helps to stop litter at the source; active enforcement aids in deterring littering; and the action we have been taking is to focus our litter pick-up efforts on a series of areas that historically have been litter problems."

"One of the best ways to combat litter is through our Adopt A Highway program. The program not only helps with litter control, it instills a sense of responsibility in all of us. Our department will commit to making sure that the Adopt A Highway program has the resources its needs," the Commissioner added. "We want to match new Adopt A Highway groups with these areas. We are also looking for partners in New Jersey’s corporate community to aggressively build on that program."

The Adopt a Highway program, along with the Inmate Litter Program, have been the lynchpins of DOT efforts to control litter. The DOT also established earlier this year a toll-free hotline to report litter, 1-800-524-7455.

"Our goal is to not only expand our litter pick-up efforts, but to more effectively communicate with communities, civic groups and interested people who want to join us in declaring war on litter," the Commissioner said.