MDOT: This year's Adopt-A-Highway pickup starts Saturday
(CBS DETROIT) - This Saturday, April 22, the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) Adopt-A-Highway program will begin, where volunteers pick up litter from state highway roadsides.
Each year, volunteers across Michigan participate in the Adopt-A-Highway program to help keep Michigan roadsides clean.
The first pickup of the season will happen from April 22-30 for the state's lower peninsula. The first pickup for the Upper Peninsula will happen from May 6 to 14, after spring has had more time to set in.
"Our thousands of Adopt-A-Highway volunteers are dedicated to keeping roadsides in their communities clean," said MDOT Acting Director Brad Wieferich. "They make a huge difference every year. Let's help them stay safe while they're out there – keep an eye out for the volunteers and drive cautiously during the pickup periods."
Volunteers pick up litter from the roadsides three times a year. In addition to the pickup this weekend, there will be a summer pickup from July 15 to 23 and a fall pickup from Sept. 23 to Oct. 1.
According to MDOT, program volunteers wear yellow-green safety vests, which are required by federal regulations. In addition to providing the vests, MDOT also provides trash bags and makes arrangements for the trash to be hauled away.
Volunteers must be at least 12 years old, and each group must have at least three people.
Each group is asked to adopt a section for at least two years, and there are still sections available for adoption. MDOT says there is no fee to participate in the program.
The program began in Michigan in 1990, and volunteers collect 60,000 to 70,000 bags of trash in an average year.