Increase In Roadside Litter Addressed By Chester Township Mayor

CHESTER, NJ — If you've noticed an increase in roadside trash recently, you're not alone. Several residents have reported seeing more litter along Route 206, the state highway that runs through the town.

Chester Township Mayor Mike Inganamort addressed the trash issue at the council meeting on Tuesday, April 18, stating that the roads will be completely clean soon.

"I was contacted by a resident, recently, about large amounts of trash alongside the highway and worked with the Morris County Sheriff Jim Gannon and Sergeant Raymond Dykstra to deploy the Sheriff's Labor Assistance Program to begin cleaning up the roadway," Inganamort said.

The crew was on-site in the township cleaning the roads as part of the effort to maintain them, and they will return to the township on Sunday to continue their work. They cleaned the roads all the way from the Chester Borough border down to Old Chester Road and will continue to move south this weekend.

"Let's give them plenty of space and also do our part to keep this highway clean," Inganamort said.

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti also announced today that the state will commence its annual litter removal campaign.

NJDOT's annual pothole repair campaign, which began in March, will be followed by an emphasis on litter, graffiti, and vegetation removal. Although pothole repairs will continue throughout the year, NJDOT crews will now concentrate on a variety of cleanup maintenance operations along specific corridors, transforming the area visibly in a matter of days.

"Beginning this month, NJDOT will dedicate increased resources to collecting litter, removing graffiti, pruning trees, and mowing grass on the 2,300 miles of state highways," Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. "NJDOT’s Highway Operations Technicians will be working hard to tackle litter hot spots and keep the shoulders, medians, and ramps on our roadways clean and litter-free."

By partnering with the New Jersey Clean Communities Council to run the statewide Adopt-A-Highway volunteer program, NJDOT maximizes litter removal efforts.

Community groups and organizations that participate are assigned a stretch of highway that has been determined to have low traffic and is safe for volunteers. Training, safety equipment, and litter removal equipment are provided to groups four times a year to clean up their designated section of the highway.

Everyone can help keep the roads clean by putting litter in its proper place. The Department encourages motorists to keep trash in their vehicles until they can properly dispose of it in a recycling bin or garbage can at their destination.

To report a roadway maintenance issue on a state highway, motorists can call 1-800-POTHOLE or click on the Highway Maintenance Reporting button on the NJDOT homepage at www.njdotproblemreporting.com.