We see it everywhere… especially in areas that are underdeveloped… trash! If you have ever driven on I-15 north of the Speedway… you will see more than a handful of litter along the roads.

I received this letter from one of our viewers:

I am hoping you can shed some light or direction on a problem, as I am unsure who to contact.

We recently returned from a vacation in the Ely area. On our way back into Las Vegas, my family and I were amazed and sickened by the amount of garbarge on the sides of I-15. We entered onto I-15 from highway 168. Both sides of the road up until we exited on 215 was covered in all kinds of debris from the road to a wire fence, which displays the garbarge for all to see.As we were commenting on the possible cause, a Republic Service semi passed us and low and behold several pieces of garbage flew out the back of the container to add to the overall mess. Now I am not saying Republic Services is responsible for the entire mess, but if their containers are not totally empty, shouldn’t they be covered as they should when full?

To a tourist or even long time residents, the amount of garbarge on the sides of the highway is deplorable and frankly embarrassing. I feel the amount of trash and implied disregard for our environment is a very large negative for our City and needs to be resolved immediately.Do you know what department is responsible of taking care of these roadsides? I tried to email City of Las Vegas but could not locate a clear “link” that addressed my concern.

If you know who to address, please do or if who can advise where I can direct my concern, I would appreciate any help you can provide.

Thanks again for any help you can provide.

Always a pleasure to watch Channel 8.

Mary

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This isn’t the first letter I have received about trash along our highways. The Nevada Department of Transportation’s Bob McKenzie told me NDOT recognizes the problem…. and it’s frustrating to them to. He wrote a lengthy response, which I found both interesting and educational!

Here it is:

Trash and graffiti are growing problems that regrettably leave negative impressions on our visitors and residents. The local sanitation company, private companies and the general public use I-15 north as a haul road to the community landfill that serves Las Vegas.

Although a local ordinance requires that truck loads be covered, debris such as paper, Styrofoam and plastic blows out of trucks and onto our highway. Our highway patrol troopers have cited trucks when they see debris fly out, but it has not improved the situation.

In an effort to improve litter removal operations on our highways, we implemented several strategies. We clean this section of I-15 frequently with Nevada Department of Transportation maintenance forces, but within a few days the trash appears again. The local sanitation company has hired a private company to periodically clean up this portion of I-15. Volunteers and private companies also assist either through our “Adopt a Highway” or the “Sponsor a Highway” program. For the latter program, sponsors pay a private company to clean up a section of I-15 several times a year. (Please refer to the following link for more information.)

NDOT also hires several temporary employees for the express purpose of trash removal on our highways. Finally, NDOT also contracts out landscape maintenance (including trash removal) to private companies on certain sections of I-15 that are landscaped.

We’re doing the best we can given our current manpower, equipment and operating budget, however, our best efforts are not meeting our customers’ expectations. This time of year also taxes our resources with higher winds that blow trash and debris along the highways. I will pass on your e-mail to our District Engineer responsible for local maintenance and operations so that she can consider requesting more resources when we submit our budget request to our state legislature in the fall of 2008. Letters and e-mails such as yours are invaluable when we make budget requests to provide better customer service.

While trash removal is important, our maintenance forces are primarily focused on safety and preservation of our highways. They remove unsafe debris from the roadway, make sure that barrier rails and guard rails are repaired, and provide proper maintenance of striping, signing and guideposts. They spend much of their time addressing the physical condition of our roads by patching potholes, filling cracks, and sealing the roadway surface. I hope that while the trash was unsightly during your visit, that our roads were safe and in good condition.

Bob

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I hope trucks will be more cautious and cover their containers and loads. And, hopefully NDOT’s efforts will help!

It really is a shame to see all the trash blowing around the valley! Isn’t it?Posted by Dayna Roselli

Categories: Travel