ST PAUL, Minn. — Editor's note: The video above first aired in November of 2018.
Navigating Minnesota's highways and byways would be a far trashier experience were it not for an army of volunteers that cleans up what others leave behind, or even toss out the window.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) revealed Wednesday that Adopt a Highway volunteers picked up enough garbage to fill 42,100 bags in 2023. Their efforts keep the state's roadsides and rest stops clean and free of littler, and MnDOT is looking for even more volunteers to help in the effort.
Last year, more than 2,000 volunteer groups put in nearly 100,000 hours walking their adopted stretch of roadway and picking up paper, glass, metal, and just about anything else you can image. MnDOT says the average length of road assigned to an Adopt a Highway volunteer group is two miles.
Transportation officials say about 900 sections of road are currently available for adoption, and they encourage groups to step up by checking out MnDOT's Adopt a Highway webpage. Those who volunteer are asked to make a minimum two-year commitment.
For its part, MnDOT provides safety information, trash bags and safety vests to every volunteer. State Maintenance crews will pick up the filled bags of trash that volunteers leave along the side of the road. Motorists are asked to slow down, move over and use caution when they see a volunteer picking up trash along the roadway.
The Adopt a Highway program has been a part of MnDOT's maintenance operations since 1990.
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