Within our first year of moving to Paso Robles, we discovered that San Luis Obisbo (SLO) County does not have allocated funds for litter collection and removal. SLO County depends on volunteers’ generosity to help clean the county streets, so to help get the community involved, the county’s Public Works Department (PWD) offers an Adopt-A-Road program that allows the public to directly contribute to roadside maintenance through litter collection and removal.

We decided that this was something we wanted to do. The process was as simple as filling out an application, choosing the portion of the road we wanted to maintain, and the county provided us with neon safety vests and trash bags.

We chose a road near our home that is about a 3-mile stretch. We felt that this would be manageable for us to handle. It takes us about 3 hours to cover the entire road, and we’re always amazed that we will collect 10+ bags of trash each time. We maintain the road on a quarterly or as-needed basis throughout the year. We feel this is a nominal commitment to help maintain the aesthetic benefits of cleaner and more beautiful roadsides in our community.

The ease of this program is that the volunteers can determine which available road they want to adopt and how much of the road they want to maintain. The county does not stipulate how often a volunteer needs to maintain the road, so volunteers have the freedom to pick up trash on their own timeline. As mentioned, the county supplies safety vests and trash bags, and a recognition sign will be posted on the section of the adopted road (there is a nominal fee for business signs). Once the trash is picked up, it is left in a specified location, and with a simple phone call or email to the PWD, they will arrange for pick up.

Participating in the Adopt-A-Road program is a great way to promote civic responsibility and community pride. If you want more information on this program, call 805.781.5252 or visit the site online (here).