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Adopt-a-Road program is a great way to
‘spring’ into cleaning up your neighborhood
 This
year will mark the 35th anniversary of Earth Day, an observance that was
created to remind people worldwide of their shared responsibility to
protect the planet. It falls on Saturday, April 22, but for some King
County residents Earth Day is celebrated year round.
The King
County Adopt-a-Road program debuted in 1992 as a way to pull
together a corps of citizen volunteers to pick up litter and debris
along roads in unincorporated areas of the county. It is managed by the
King County Road Services
Division.
Since the inception of a tracking program in 2001, Adopt-a-Road
volunteers have filled 11,150 trash bags. To date, there are 474 miles
of road adopted, and more than 32,000 volunteer shifts totaling 62,000
hours of cleanup service to the community.
One very busy group resides in the Skyway neighborhood, an
unincorporated area east of Interstate 5 between Seattle and Renton.
"Your Neighbors & Friends” – Adopt-a-Road Group #769 – originated in
2001 when Irana Hawkins asked a couple of neighbors to adopt a road with
her so they could clean up litter near a local bus stop. Through word of
mouth, 20 people came to the first meeting, and this group has been
cleaning Skyway ever since.
 "Your
Neighbors & Friends" is one of the most prolific Adopt-a-Road groups,
with more than 25 cleanups to their name. In addition to two yearly
community-wide cleanups that involve the local fire station and members
of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post, these volunteers
perform frequent cleanups.
Last October, they organized a community cleanup that also served as a
neighborhood get-together with food and fun. In one day, the group
picked up: 25 bags of garbage; three bags of recyclable materials; and a
towering pile of abandoned mattresses, sofas and other items destined
for the transfer station.
Hawkins said the members of the Adopt-a-Road group have spun off into
other enhancement projects.
“Some created a delightful mural for our bus stop; others created a
community flower garden, which is now the site of tea parties and
barbeques; others have removed graffiti; and others pick up litter and
recyclable items daily,” she said. “A lesson I have learned is that you
can never underestimate what people are willing to give.
“Furthermore, I am continuously aware of how all efforts, whether large
or small, are equally important and truly do make a difference.”
 If
you are planning on making a difference this Earth Day and would like to
participate through the Adopt-a-Road program, it’s not too early to get
started. Volunteer groups can "adopt" a two-mile stretch of road by
removing litter at least two times a year over a two-year period.
Volunteers receive:
● A safety orientation from the
coordinator,
● Safety equipment including hard hats, safety vests, gloves, trash
bags and road warning signs (see photos
above),
● Two Adopt-a-Road signs located at either end of the adopted road
section recognizing you or your group,
● The chance to contribute to community beautification, and
● Recognition for a job well done.
Roads can be adopted by service organizations, businesses, or even
families or individuals. You decide which section of road you want to
clean up, and when you want to do it. Eligible roads must lie in
unincorporated King County, must be approved by the county coordinator,
and must not already be adopted by someone else.
To get an application form, call the Adopt-A-Road Coordinator at (206)
296-3807 or print out and mail in the
on-line
application form. Send in your name, address, day and evening phone
number, and the road you are interested in adopting to the given
address, and get ready.
The Adopt-a-Road website also has information about
King County's Landscape Enhancement Program, which is an opportunity
for volunteers to improve the esthetics of King County by adopting a
plot of land and improving it’s appearance through litter pickup,
weeding and sometimes, planting new vegetation.
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