Utah looks for help to clean highways

Since prison crews can no longer be used to clean litter off Utah highways, the state is looking to the power of advertising to help with about $2 million in cleanup work each year.

Money from a bill that would increase the fine for littering and dropping an unsecured load on the highway could also be used to pay for cleanup, according to the Utah Department of Transportation. The bill is being offered by Sen. Pat Jones, D-Holladay, and is scheduled for debate today during legislative interim meetings.

Richard Clarke, UDOT maintenance engineer, said his agency is now drafting a proposal to hire a private company to recruit businesses to pay to "adopt" a section of state highway. The business would be charged a fee to place its name on a highway sign, and those fees would then be used to pay for cleanup work and costs for the private company.

"They're really selling advertising on these highways with our signs," Clarke said of the deal. "There are a number of states that are doing that right now. We think that will help us."

UDOT already has a program that allows nonprofit groups or volunteers to "adopt" a section of a highway, with no charge to them. The groups or volunteers clean up those sections of the road and get their name on a sign in return.

Last month, the Utah Department of Corrections pulled prison inmates from doing roadway cleanup, citing examples of inmates becoming intoxicated on the job and attempting to escape.

UDOT said it paid about $600,000 a year for work done by the inmates — a cheap fee, according to the agency. The money was used for guards, portable toilets, transportation and salary. Now, Clarke said, UDOT crews are being pulled from other road-maintenance projects to do clean-up work.

The agency says litter and roadway debris are a growing problem. Under the bill proposed by Jones, fees for littering and dropping debris on the road would be increased to a minimum of $250 for a second-time offense for non-commercial drivers. A second-time offender who drives a commercial vehicle would be charged $500.

Current fees are about $100.

The money would be put into a fund to pay for an educational campaign, and also to help with cleanup costs, according to the draft legislation. Jones said Tuesday that her bill aims to deter people from littering and from hauling items that are unsecured. She said she is hopeful lawmakers will take action today and vote to recommend the measure.

"I know the public is ready for something like this," she said.

Jones' bill is scheduled for debate at 2 p.m. today in the Transportation Interim Committee, room W015 in the House Building at the state Capitol.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com