Through the Beautify Virginia program, sponsors can help keep Virginia highways clean and safe and have their sponsorship acknowledged through a roadway sign on the adopted highway.
Source: Credit to Virginia Department of Transportation
| Project Name | Beautify Virginia Partnership Program |
|---|---|
| Location | Virginia |
| Project Sponsor / Borrower | Virginia Department of Transportation |
| Program Areas | |
| Value Capture Techniques | Private Contribution |
| Mode | Highway |
| Description |
The Beautify Virginia program is a Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) statewide initiative to keep highways safe and clean. The program is part of VDOT’s Environmental Stewardship Initiative in conjunction with the nationwide Adopt-a-Highway Maintenance Corporation. VDOT holds the nation’s third-largest state-maintained highway system with over 57,000 miles of roadway. The program allows community and civic organizations, businesses, non-profit organizations, and residents to sponsor litter pickups along designated highways. An approved contractor performs the work on a sponsor’' behalf. In addition, a contractor will provide, install, and maintain a standard VDOT-approved acknowledgment sign along each sponsored roadway with each sponsorship. Signage, which includes the sponsor’s name, logo, or both, is displayed on the sponsor’s selected highway to support the effort and drive interest. VDOT has partnered with Adopt-a-Highway Maintenance Corp. and Adopt-a-Highway Litter Removal Services of America to administer this new program. Its first major sponsor, Elephant Insurance, committed to cleaning up 100 miles of interstate highways. The program allows sponsors to clean as little as one mile of litter throughout Virginia. According to Average Daily Traffic (ADT), upwards of 98,000 cars drive on Virginia’s busiest highways, with the average vehicle having more than one person inside. Based on this data, the sponsor's signage can be visible to over 170,000 people a day. The program aligns with Virginia is for Lovers, Not Litter program to encourage Virginia residents and visitors to take a pledge to affirm that all are accountable for preserving Virginia’s scenic landscapes and roadways through litter cleanup. |
| Cost | No direct costs to VDOT for the Beautify Virginia Program contractor litter-cleaning activities. |
| Funding Sources | Any incidental costs for the program come from the department’s maintenance budget. |
| Project Delivery / Contract Method | VDOT selected two contractors from a request for proposal: Adopt-a-Highway Maintenance Corporation and Adopt-a-Highway Litter Removal Service of America, Inc. |
| Private Partner |
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| Project Advisors / Consultants | N/A |
| Lenders | N/A |
| Duration / Status | 2020—ongoing |
| Financial Status/Financial Performance | VDOT, Adopt-a-Highway Maintenance Corporation, and Adopt-a-Highway Litter Removal Service of America, Inc. funded the initial investments. |
| Innovations | The Beautify Virginia program encourages organizations to sponsor and commit to keeping a highway safe and clean. The program offers organizations exposure through highway signage while preserving Virginia’s landscape and keeping highways safe through litter cleanups. |
| Related Links / Articles | |
| Contacts | Martin Krebs |
Caption: VDOT has partnered with Adopt-a-Highway Maintenance Corp. and Adopt-a-Highway Litter Removal Services of America to administer this new program. Community and civic organizations, businesses, nonprofit organizations and residents can sponsor litter pickups along segments of eligible highways and interstates, with an approved contractor performing the work on their behalf.
Source: Credit to the Virginia Department of Transportation
