District 7 Clean California

Envisioning What’s Possible

Trash has plagued California’s streets and highways for decades. Clean California proposes significant investments in litter collection, community engagement and education to ultimately transform unsightly roadsides into spaces of pride for all Californians. This is truly a statewide effort with potential projects in all 58 counties and with a third of the funds going directly to cities, counties, tribes and transit agencies to clean local streets and public spaces. 

 

Cities for Landscape Design

El Monte Community Visual Preference Survey - English El Monte Community Visual Preference Survey - Spanish

  • Clean California Inglewood Public Engagement Meeting (October 5, 2021 @ 5:30pm)
  • Inglewood Community Visual Preference Survey

Inglewood Community Visual Preference Survey - English Inglewood Community Visual Preference Survey - Spanish

 

  • Clean California Compton and Paramount Public Engagement Meeting (October 6, 2021 @ 5:30pm)
  • Compton and Paramount Community Visual Preference Survey

Compton and Paramount Community Visual Preference Survey - English Compton and Paramount Community Visual Preference Survey - Spanish

Program Impact

Clean California - The three impacts

Create career opportunities and jobs for veterans, students, artists, people experiencing homelessness, and those re-entering society from incarceration

Significantly reduce litter along state highways, local roads, tribal land, parks, pathways and transit centers

Beautify our state’s transportation network through art and litter clean-up projects in undeserved, rural and urban communities throughout the state

 

Caltrans removed 267,000 cubic yards of trash in 2020 — enough to fill 18,000 garbage trucks. Clean California will remove an additional 1.2 million cubic yards, or 21,000 tons, of trash from the state system alone.

This much trash:

  • Fills 81,000 garbage trucks
  • Fills the Rose Bowl 3 times
  • Fills enough trash bags to cross 3,000 miles — the length of the U.S. from east to west
  • Weighs the equivalent of 135 Statues of Liberty

These figures are only for trash on the state highway system and does not include local litter collection. 

$418M: Litter Abatement over three years

$287M: State Beautification Projects over two years

$296M: Local Beautification Projects over two years

$33M: Public Education over two years

$62M: Project Design, Construction, Local Support and Engagement 

Caltrans estimates that Clean California will create an estimated 10,000-11,000 jobs over three years, including state jobs and opportunities for people experiencing homelessness, at-risk youth, and people re-entering society following incarceration.

Communities along state highways in all 58 California counties stand to benefit from Clean California. Caltrans will ramp up trash collection efforts and incorporate sustainable landscapes along state highways. Caltrans will fund projects on local streets and roads, tribal lands, parks, pathways and transit centers through a new grant program to clean and enhance public spaces.
Caltrans is currently developing the criteria to equitably award the local grants to underserved, rural and urban communities throughout the state. Communities with unique and significant projects that meet the program’s criteria will be eligible to receive funds based on need, population and the number of proposals. Caltrans will match local investments using a need-based formula that provides additional state support to underserved communities with a goal of funding more than 100 local projects throughout California a year.
This initiative focuses on driving a cultural shift of shared responsibility and community pride for the cleanliness of our roadways through education on properly throwing away trash and the impacts littering has on natural resources, waterways, public safety and health to encourage Californians to do their part to keep our state clean.
It won’t. The funding for Clean California is separate from the budget for the state’s highways and bridges. Senate Bill 1, the transportation bill signed into law in 2017, invests $5 billion dollars a year to repair and upgrade bridges, pavement, local roads and transit. Learn more at rebuildingca.ca.gov.

Key Action Areas  

1. Engage & Invest in Communities

Create jobs and support local artists while cleaning and beautifying local roads through community grants. 

 

2.Education

Drive a cultural shift of shared responsibility for the cleanliness of our roadways through litter prevention education campaigns that focus on properly throwing away trash and the impact littering has on natural resources, waterways, public safety and health. 

 

3. Expand Litter Pick-Up

Significantly reduce trash from state highways and local roads by strengthening trash collection by Caltrans, community service programs and local volunteers. Increase access to waste facilities and provide free monthly disposal sites throughout the state. 

 

4. Enhance Infrastructure

Implement sustainable beautification projects that improve safety and transform dividing highways into spaces that unify communities.