Trash Is Rampant on Roadways Despite State Efforts
There are all kinds of trash. It seems to be everywhere. And no one's happy about it.
“I just don't like litter,” said Edna Utley, a driver with whom WRAL spoke Monday. “There's not enough done. They should be using more of the inmates.”
Inmate work crews pick up trash Monday through Friday year-round. They pull eight-hour shifts each weekday as long as the temperature is below 95 degrees and above 24.
The correctional officers who keep shotguns at the ready as they supervise the trash crews say they've noticed a pattern.
“That section that was just cleaned up is the section of I-40 from Highway 42 to Highway 70. The trash we've collected is bagged and still on the roadside. People are already throwing trash out in that area again,” one officer told WRAL.
The re-trashing of just-cleared roadsides creates an endless cycle for the state Department of Transportation.
“It's very frustrating,” says Jason Holmes, an engineer with the DOT. “As much effort as we put into picking up trash and trying to keep the roads clean, it seems that we can pick up all of I-40 and within a week it looks like we haven't been out there in months.”
The answer depends on the drivers, not the cleaners.
“We need less people throwing stuff out of their cars, but I don't know how you convince them to do that,” driver Steve Goodman said.
- Reporter: Mark Roberts
- Photographer: Terry Cantrell
- Web Editor: Ron Gallagher
47 Comments
-
- Wake County temporarily closes H1N1 vaccine clinics
Updated 5 minutes ago | Slideshow |
- Raleigh among most dangerous cities for pedestrians
Updated at 12:10 p.m. - More people seeking help from Salvation Army
Updated 41 minutes ago - Police investigate delayed response to 911 call
Updated 2 minutes ago |
- No rest for the weary as rest areas close
Posted at 1:45 p.m.
- Wake County temporarily closes H1N1 vaccine clinics
- Most Viewed Slideshows
- Hurricane Ida
Updated at 9:02 a.m. - Photos: Cheerleading Championship
Nov. 7, 2009 - Weather maps and cams
Sep. 2, 2009
- Hurricane Ida
(9 votes) cyclist dies following weekend collision
(9 votes) germany celebrates fall of berlin wall
-
H1N1 vaccine clinicFamilies came out to the H1N1 vaccine clinic at the Wake County health department offices on Sunnybrook Road in Raleigh on Nov. 9, 2009.
-
Photo: Fall of the Berlin WallThe 28-year-old Cold War symbol along East Germany's fortified border crumbled on the evening of Nov. 9, 1989, a pivotal moment in the collapse of…
-
Fort Bragg homecomingThe 82nd Airborne's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, or Panther Brigade, is coming home after a year-long deployment to Iraq. Families greeted 200…
-
N.C. honors veterans with paradesNorth Carolina honored veterans Saturday with annual parades in Raleigh and Fayetteville and a ceremony at the State Capitol building.
-
Photos of the weekThe snow-covered Wilder Kaiser, part of the Alps, is reflected in Lake Schwarzsee in Austria. It's among the best photos taken by Associated Press…





STORIES
VIDEOS
SLIDESHOWS


Welcome to GOLO, where WRAL.com visitors can comment on stories and create profile pages, blogs and photo galleries.
You must be a registered WRAL.com user to use these tools. Click here to register or log in.