Adopt-a-highway volunteers clean up.

• Position: Trends and Transitions - Brief Article

1985

The year a Texas transportation department employee had a brainstorm and started the first Adopt-a-Highway program.

49

The number of states that now have Adopt-a-Highway programs. (Vermont is the hold-out--Puerto Rico also has one.)

90,000

The number of groups that volunteered to pick up roadside trash last year.

1,000,000

The number of people who volunteered to adopt a highway.

206,564

The miles of adopted highway.

$106,800,000

The annual cost of picking up litter as reported by 33 states.

1,000,000,000

The pieces of litter accumulated on Texas highways each year.

$32,000,000

The cost of litter cleanup last year in Texas.

$4,000,000

Amount saved in labor alone with the help of Illinois volunteers.

4,500,000

Pounds of litter cleaned up by West Virginia volunteers each year.

4

The number of other countries (Australia, Canada...