The New Jersey
Department of Transportation
(NJDOT) launched
several initiatives
to bring a renewed
focus to the important
job of improving
the appearance
of our roadways.
Clean highways
send a message
to residents and
visitors, including
business owners
thinking about
relocating to New
Jersey, that we
are serious about
maintaining a high
quality of life
and are serious
about competing
for jobs.
In August 2010, NJDOT began its Clean Up NJ! campaign. This campaign continues to add new components to help attain the objective of cleaner, neater highways. The components include:
Deployment
of NJDOT
crews
The campaign started with a new approach
in how NJDOT deploys its work crews.
Throughout the year, NJDOT's maintenance
workers combine forces to attack all
the maintenance needs of specific corridors.
All the needed resources are brought
to a single location, including mowing,
litter, brush-clearing, pothole, guiderail
and graffiti crews, where they attend
to all maintenance needs and make a visual
impact on the location. Crews had not
been deployed in such a fashion in the
past. Under the normal scheduling of
work, specific maintenance needs were
attended to sequentially, meaning that
areas always looked as if they were in
need of some sort of maintenance. |
|
New Jersey Department
of Corrections
(NJDOC) inmates
In Spring 2011,
NJDOT enlisted
the help of the
NJDOC
which provided
ten crews of ten
inmates each to
pick up litter
and perform close-cutting
with weed wackers
near sign posts
and guiderails.
NJDOT and NJDOC
worked together
through the spring
and summer to utilize
inmate labor in
helping clean up
roads. In Spring
2012, an agreement
that duplicates
2011's successful
inter-agency cooperative
effort was attained
with the Department
of Corrections.
Adopt-A-Highway
In Spring 2012,
NJDOT announced
the revival of Adopt-A-Highway,
providing civic
groups and businesses
the opportunity
to volunteer
their time and
effort to keep
stretches of
highways free
of litter.
Sponsor A Highway
NJDOT works with
two private companies
that provide sponsorship opportunities
for groups that
would like to
promote cleanliness
by paying to
have professional
companies pick
up litter along
sections of highways.
Urban
Youth Corps
In 1998 NJDOT established a Youth
Corps Urban Gateway Enhancement Program. The youth corps initiative is a federally funded, on-going community service project designed to partner NJDOT with local government agencies, not-for-profits, community-based organizations or other entities with established youth programs to carry out transportation-related training and community projects. The Urban Gateway Enhancement Program will be implemented in summer 2021 and will award more than $300,000 in federal funds to support up to 12 community based organizations or local governments to carry out beautification projects. See 2021 Application and Background
| Residents and
motorists can help
the campaign succeed
by putting litter
in its proper place. To report a roadway
maintenance issue,
motorists can call
1.800.POTHOLE or
use the online
Pothole/Highway
Maintanence Reporting form. |
|
