Category: News || By Submitted Report

Allegheny County and two partner agencies have announced a new "adopt-a-highway" program for county-owned roads and bridges.

The program --- similar to the program run by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation on state-owned roads and bridges --- is open to any group or organization or any interested individual person age 18 or older.

"Adopting roadways is a proven and effective way to address persistent dumping and littering issues and to keep our communities trash-free," said Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive. "All it takes is a concerned individual or group of volunteers and a commitment to be part of the solution in keeping Allegheny County and Pennsylvania clean."

Legislation creating the Allegheny County Adopt-a-Highway Program was introduced by Allegheny County Councilman Bob Macey, West Mifflin Democrat, and passed council unanimously.

"I believe this an effective way for organizations and groups to show their pride in their community by 'redding up' and helping beautify our county roads and communities," said Macey, who represents McKeesport and other Mon-Yough communities.

The county will partner with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and Allegheny CleanWays to administer the program.

Adopting organizations, groups and individuals are asked to organize regular roadside clean-up projects, with a minimum of two events annually. Volunteers who work on the clean-ups must be 14 years of age or older.

The county will erect signs recognizing the individual, group or organization adopting each stretch of roadway. For a list of county roads and bridges up for adoption, as well as program requirements and application form, visit the county's website.

The first organization to adopt a road is a group from St. Clair Hospital in Mt. Lebanon. The hospital's "green team" has adopted a stretch of Bower Hill Road from Cochran Road to Vanadium Road, a distance of approximately 3.4 miles.

The team held its first cleanup Sept. 15 with 32 volunteers, including members of the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department, Kirwan Heights Fire/EMS and Scott Township Police Department. Volunteers picked up 15 bags of trash and five bags of recyclables. The most unusual item encountered was a shopping cart.

Editor's Note: Written entirely from a press release by Allegheny County spokesman Kevin Evanto.

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