Headquarters photo
By Rebecca Parnianchi
Headquarters public information officer
Most Californians would not immediately make a connection between the state’s litter removal efforts and highway worker safety, but Caltrans Public Affairs aimed to change that by hosting a cleanup and safety awareness event on Broadway and State Route 99 in Sacramento.
On Dec. 5, media members were invited to the well-traveled onramp on to witness maintenance personnel collecting litter during the predawn hours – a mere few feet from rush-hour commute traffic.
The event drew attention to the risks faced by Caltrans crews working near fast-moving vehicles and encouraged motorists to follow the “Move Over” law. The litter cleanup event also highlighted the volume of litter that can accumulate along roadways and shared public spaces.
California’s “Move Over” law requires drivers to change lanes, when safe, or slow down when approaching vehicles with flashing amber lights, including Caltrans trucks and crews.
The invitation to view litter collection operations coincided with the department’s twice monthly “litter stand-downs” across the state. Stand -downs allow maintenance crews to dedicate time to ridding our highways. These litter abatement tasks are a continuation of established Clean California efforts to maintain consistent roadway cleanliness and keep our shared spaces free of unsightly garbage and debris.
Headquarters photo
The event aimed to emphasize the importance of highway worker safety, as litter stand downs, maintenance activities and other vital roadside tasks increase exposure to high-speed traffic.
“We’re here today to spotlight the safety needs of our maintenance crews as they go about making the highway system safer and cleaner for all,” explained Caltrans Spokesperson Jeff Burdick at the event. “It’s more important than ever for the traveling public to be work-zone alert, slow down when you see our trucks and move over a lane when safe to do so.”
Since its inception in 2021, Caltrans and its local partners have picked up more than 2.7 million cubic yards of litter – enough to cover nine lanes of Interstate 5 with trash from San Diego to the Canadian border. This substantially increased the department’s previous trash collection efforts and can largely be attributed to Clean California, along with other Caltrans litter removal efforts.
Caltrans has hosted more than 600 free dump days in communities throughout the state resulting in the collection of more than 14,000 mattresses and 52,000 tires. The initiative has also enlisted more than 60,000 community clean-up volunteers and created more than 18,000 jobs, including positions for individuals who were formerly incarcerated, on probation, or experiencing housing insecurity.
“We have more maintenance crews out than ever, working to clean up roadside litter,” Burdick added. “Safety is a top priority for Caltrans, for both its workers and the traveling public.”
Drivers are urged to remain vigilant in work zones, change lanes or slow down near flashing amber lights, and help ensure a safer, cleaner, California for all.