LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Several viewers complained to FOX5 about trash and debris along highways in the Las Vegas valley, with some saying it’s not cleaned up fast enough.
It’s not only an eye sore, it’s dangerous for those who have to pick it up, including the official and unofficial maintenance crews responsible for keeping our roadways safe and clean.
A section near the airport, eastbound on 215 near exit 10 right by the airport could be leaving a bad first impression for visitors.
Maintenance crews with the Nevada Department of Transportation have removed debris from this section of roadway eight times in the past couple of weeks.
But it’s a big task for NDOT. In District 1, which covers Las Vegas, NDOT maintenance workers oversee close to 5,000 miles of roadway.
NDOT’s public information officer, Kelsey McFarland says, they’re keeping up as best as they can.
“Nevada has some of the best maintained highways in all of the country,” McFarland says. “A lot of these problem areas that may see a lot of trash and debris, you’ll see our maintenance crews out there once or twice a week, they work really hard to get that trash out of any problem areas.”
NDOT isn’t alone in its mission to keep the roadways clear.
That’s where people like David Squier come in. He’s in charge of the Highway Clean-up Project with the Las Vegas Rotary Club.
Squire goes out four times a year to help collect trash, and he says this time of year tends to keep trash collectors busy.
“The spring and summer seasons, there’s more activity there, so we’ll see more trash and more debris left behind,” Squier said.
But he doesn’t do it alone. Squier says a group of band students from Palo Verde High School even pitches in, and he thinks they’re making a difference, in spite of what made people write into FOX5.
“We have seen it over the course of the last several years get cleaner and cleaner the more consistent we are.”
But the job doesn’t come without risk. Since 1948, 27 NDOT employees have died in the line of duty.
McFarland has a message to those who carelessly toss trash out of the window. “The nature of the job can be a dangerous job. You’re near active traffic, and especially if drivers are not paying attention. Unfortunately, it does create a safety risk.”
She is encouraging the public to do their part in keeping the roadways clean and clear. In response to the deaths, NDOT is reminding drivers to to heed the “Move Over Law,” which requires drivers to slow down and move over when passing an official emergency response vehicle on the side of the road with flashing lights.
This includes NDOT vehicles, as well as NDOT’s Freeway Service Patrol vehicles, which help keep traffic moving in Las Vegas. If you’re found guilty, you can be charged with a misdemeanor.
Copyright 2024 KVVU. All rights reserved.