What Do Those 'Adopt A Highway' Signs Mean?

Drive down virtually any highway in America and you'll see a variety of signage that's designed to give drivers information on their location, the rules of the road, and the presence of any nearby hazards. Alongside the usual bevy of multi-colored highway distance signs and speed limit reminders, you might also notice signs promoting the fact that you can "adopt a highway," or labeling areas where an individual or group has already adopted one. The idea of adopting a highway first started in Texas in 1985, and was conceived as a way to deal with the problem of increasing litter levels.

Much of the trash that ends up at the roadside is dealt with by contractors, but these contractors cost states a significant amount of money. In order to combat the rising litter levels that accompany increasing road use, many states, including Texas, let groups or businesses adopt a section of highway to routinely pick litter from. Some also allow individuals to sign up to the scheme. The specifics of each scheme vary slightly between states, but in general, the idea is that the adopting individual or group conducts a litter cleanup on a specified stretch of highway multiple times per year. In some states, that section of highway has to be at least two miles long, whereas in other states it can be one mile. In return, the state allows the erection of a sign at the roadside where the adopter's name is displayed.

Exactly who can adopt a highway will vary between different state schemes, but in many cases, individuals, groups, businesses, and other organizations are all eligible to sign up for the adoption process. These groups and organizations could include churches, civic groups, clubs, or even fraternities. States like Texas also offer a memorial adoption, where a displayed sign can read "in memory of" a certain individual, while a group of their friends or relatives carry out the litter cleanups.

Most adoption schemes have either a set or minimum period for adoption, which usually runs for around two to three years. Groups or individuals are expected to report their cleanups to the state's adoption co-ordinator, who can provide them with litter bags and instruct them where to leave filled bags to be collected by state contractors. The co-ordinator will also help adopters pick out a suitable stretch of highway to adopt, and will ensure that they avoid any of the state's most dangerous highways.

Some states, such as Arizona, allow the adoption of interstates, but others, such as Texas, exclude interstates from eligibility for the scheme. If you'd like to adopt a highway, whether it's an interstate freeway or a quieter, rural highway, it's a good idea to check your local Department of Transport's website to see what kind of adoption scheme exists in your state.