Last month a Pittsylvania County family became the 5,000th

Last month a Pittsylvania County family became the 5,000th group to join the commonwealth’s Adopt-a-Highway program, reaching that milestone on the third anniversary of the statewide litter control program.

Rappahannock County has been actively participating in the program—at last count there were 28 groups that had adopted 61 of the county’s 275 miles of primary and secondary highway.

Those who adopt a highway are instructed to pick up litter on both sides of their road at least four times a year (more often if necessary). Any group can adopt a road, and individuals are eligible if at least 18 years old.

The Virginia Department of Transportation, which administers the program, issues guidelines and supplies the sponsoring group with safety information, trash bags and safety vests. VDOT even picks up the full bags if the group is unable to do so itself.

VDOT pays for the attractive blue signs that mark the adopted road and monitors the clean-up to make sure the participants are following rules that govern safety and regularity of pick-up.

There are many other rules and regulations. Interested individuals and groups should contact Ben Atkins at the VDOT Warrenton residency, 703-347-2834.

Virginia’s Adopt-a-Highway program was patterned after a program begun in Texas in 1985. Today nearly every state in the union has a similar program, but with 12,200 miles of highway adopted, Virginia’s program is among the most successful.

Since the VDOT program’s inception in 1988, volunteers have donated more than 217,000 man-hours to collect more than 200,000 bags of litter, representing a savings of about $1.5 million in state litter pickup costs.

The Rappahannock groups who have adopted highways, the route numbers, lengths adopted and contact persons:

• Rappahannock 4-H Teen Club, U.S. 211-Business, two miles, Tommy Williams.

• Rappahannock Brownie Troop