One dumping site is eliminated. But what about the trash on Highway 99 in Modesto?
A cleanup effort this week removed a trashy eyesore on Highway 132 at the San Joaquin River in western Stanislaus County.
The project was part of California Coastal Cleanup, an annual program that tries to keep throwaways from marring state beaches and inland waterways in the Golden State.
But the effort involving California Department of Transportation maintenance crews did not quiet local complaints about an accumulation of trash and litter along Highway 99 in Modesto.
A spokesman for Caltrans District 10 in Stockton said the agency was aware of the complaints and will need to catch up with litter removal.
Caltrans said workers removed mounds of trash that had been dumped alongside 132 near the scenic San Joaquin River and a wildlife refuge. They picked up discarded mattresses, old junk and litter, and threw the debris into trucks for hauling away.
Warren Alford, a Caltrans spokesman, said the cleanup prevents toxic chemical and plastic pollution in the adjacent river. In addition, eyesores along highways can distract drivers and cause them to take their eyes off the road.
Alford said District 10 maintenance crews broke away from their normal schedule to participate in the 132 cleanup. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer cleanup operations have brought together groups of volunteers, because of the risk of spreading the illness.
Alford said Caltrans is working with the California Highway Patrol to step up enforcement of illegal dumping along highways.
People concerned about a worsening problem with highway shoulder litter in recent years are quick to point out that one project is not nearly enough.
Lynn Dickerson, chief executive officer of Gallo Center for the Arts, recently posted on her social media accounts about the “deplorable” amount of litter at exit ramps on Highway 99 that serve as gateways to Modesto and the downtown.
“It’s the worst I’ve seen it in the 20 years I have lived here,” Dickerson said in an email to the Modesto Bee on Friday.
“In normal times, the Gallo Center would have just launched our new season and 200,000 people would be coming to downtown Modesto to attend a show,” she wrote in an email. “Honestly, I would be embarrassed to invite anyone to our town right now.”
The Gallo center CEO has paid attention to the problem over the years. She believes Caltrans is under-resourced and sweeps to pickup trash along Modesto-area highways are few and far between.
Dickerson said community groups and the county are willing to help with litter removal but Caltrans has not allowed them to work in the state right-of-way. So no help can come from the Downtown Streets team, Love Modesto volunteers or county inmate crews.
Dickerson added that illegal dumping on county roads, a problem for decades, is much worse now. It’s time that illegal dumpers are prosecuted, she said.
David Leamon, public works director for Stanislaus County, said the county six months ago asked Caltrans for permission to clean an area near Ninth Street and Highway 99. Caltrans did not approve it, he said.
Stanislaus Sheriff Jeff Dirkse said he was communicating with a CHP official Friday about possibly using jail inmates for litter pickup on Highway 99. Dirkse said it requires an agreement process with the state because of liability and other issues. He said a 19-page sample agreement sent to him would likely take weeks to fill out.
“It is a state highway and at some level the state needs to step up and do their part,” said Dirkse, who hasn’t decided yet whether to seek an agreement for using inmates on 99. Jail inmates are normally used to pick up items discarded alongside county roads.
The sheriff said a recent spike in complaints about illegal dumping on county roads might partly have to do with people staying home and getting rid of old stuff because of COVID-19. He said resale shops are not accepting used furniture or other items during the pandemic.
What Caltrans says about highway litter
Alford said maintenance crews with Caltrans District 10 in Stockton are on a regular schedule of litter removal on highways in an eight-county region including San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Tuolumne and other counties in the central Sierra.
“We are aware of the increase in litter on area roadways and are working to catch up,” Alford said. The spokesman said from mid-March, when the state’s coronavirus shelter-in-place was issued, to early June, Caltrans crews suspended litter removal for the safety of workers in accordance with state and federal health guidelines.
“When it was determined we could safely return to picking up litter and doing trash removal, maintenance crews began addressing areas as quickly as possible,” Alford said.
Caltrans said it will be an ongoing process and motorists need to do their part by covering loads and keeping litter off the highway.
The spokesman said Caltrans needs to first approve volunteer cleanup projects along highways for traffic safety and to ensure it does not interfere with road work. He didn’t have information on why specific requests were denied.
Alford said that Caltrans has Litter Day in the spring and the Adopt-a-Highway program to assist with cleaning stretches of highway. More than a third of the garbage on state highways is collected by Adopt-A-Highway volunteers, saving the transportation agency about $17 million last year, Caltrans said.
Groups or individuals can learn more about the Adopt-A-Highway program by going to http://adopt-a-highway.dot.ca.gov.
This story was originally published September 26, 2020 at 5:30 AM.
