NCDOT Roadside Environmental Operations. Brian Burch, P.E. Division 14 Engineer March 19, 2018

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1 NCDOT Roadside Environmental Operations Brian Burch, P.E. Division 14 Engineer March 19, 2018

2 2015 North Carolina General Assembly HB-97 Budget Bill Efficiency/Consolidation DOT/Streamlining and Reorganization Responsiveness Performance Oversight Transparency Establish DOT Reports

3 2015 North Carolina General Assembly Efficiency Mandate HB-97 ROADSIDE ENVIRONMENTAL UNIT/LITTER PROGRAM SECTION 29.9A. The Department of Transportation shall reclassify two vacant positions within the Division of Highways as Office Assistant IV positions within the Roadside Environmental Unit, and the duties of the positions shall include managing litter programs. The Department shall transfer from the highway maintenance units to the Roadside Environmental Unit all management functions and funding related to litter programs and roadside vegetation management.

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6 SECRETARY TROGDON S GOALS g. Develop a plan and budget to improve roadside appearance to support NC brand, but also include options for expanding local enhancements (i.e. art in ROW, bridges, etc.). Lead Don Lee. Suspense: February 15

7 2017 North Carolina General Assembly Page K25 Line Roadside Environmental $104,000,000 R $104,000,000 R Establishes a new Roadside Environmental Fund dedicated to funding for vegetation management, mowing, litter prevention and removal, beautification efforts and rest areas. The revised net appropriation for the Roadside Environmental Program is $104,000,000 in each year of the biennium.

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9 $25,000, Statewide Litter Expenditure $20,000, $15,000, $10,000, Projected Expenditure Litter Management DPS Funding $5,000, $

10 STATEWIDE MILES OF CONTRACT LITTER PICKUP STATUS INTERSTATE PRIMARY SECONDARY TOTAL Inventory 1,340 13,785 64,545 79,670 % Under Contract 100% 53% 9% 19% 10

11 DIVISION PICK UP REPORTS FOR MOWING AND LITTER CONTRACTS Division Total Lbs. Total Tons 1 250, , , ,057, , , , , , ,159, , , , , Totals 7,045, , Note: All contract litter pickup reported beginning March 2016 through January

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13 New Litter Management Reporting Website One Reporting location for NCDOT Forces, Adopt-A- Highway, Sponsor-A-Highway, Contractors & Other Volunteers Interactive Map Shows All Adopted and Available Routes As Well As Contract Litter Routes 13

14 Administrative Office of the Courts Report 3,320 Littering Charges 1,078 Convictions 14

15 The Litter pick up program along NCDOT routes dates back to when the Department of Corrections (DOC) had a prison in each of the State s 100 counties. They were responsible for litter pickup of all routes in that respective county utilizing gun crews and minimum security crews while coordinating these pickups with NCDOT supervisors. In 1998 the Appropriations Act empowered the transfer of funding from NCDOT starting in 1999 to the then DOC in the amount of $6.5M for litter pickup statewide. It went up as high as $11.3M in then to $9.04M. In the 2018 Appropriations Act the transfer of funds to DPS was halted by the Legislature. In 2009, the number of prisons in operation had fallen to 80. Presently there are 56 prisons statewide with only 37 of those actively involved in litter pickup. Division 14 has only one prison in a 10 county Division available for litter pickup help while Division 11 has only two in an eight county Division. This drop is evident as shown by the pounds removed being 6,299,850 in 2010 down to 3,797,805 in 2014 by DPS. In 2016, contract litter pickup accelerated as one method to supplement the DPS inmate litter program. With this initial available funding however, there was only enough money to cover the major routes and it did not provide an adequate number of pickup cycles. With new funding appropriations in 2018, NCDOT was able to cover 100% of the Interstate routes, 83% of the Primary routes and 9% of the Secondary routes which included the Adopt-A-Highway and Sponsor-A-Highway Programs. NCDOT still receives many complaints about Primary and Secondary routes that are not picked up in regular cycles due to funding shortfalls. Some solutions that could aid in decreasing the litter epidemic are the creation of Public Service Announcements televised on radio and television. Another possible program could utilize a NCDOT employee to travel statewide to schools and civic clubs promoting and sharing the anti-litter education programs. The possible use of County jail inmates or Community Service offenders coordinated through that county s Sheriff in a program to pick up litter is another option.

16 Division 14 Roadside Operations Shoulder Mowing Cycles 2 String Trimming Cycles Contour Mow 1/3 Road System 6 Litter Pick-Up Cycles Shoulder Mowing Cycles with Specialty Mowing 3 String Trimming Cycles Contour Mow 2/3 Road System 1,970 Shoulder Miles 12 Litter Pick-Up Cycles 23,137 Shoulder $35.50/SM 16

17 2017 Division 14 Wildflowers 17

18 2017 Division 14 Wildflowers 18

19 2017 Division 14 Wildflowers 19