Franklin County leads state in amount of highway litter

An ODOT official said the cleanup cost would drop if motorists wouldn't litter.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Ohio Department of Transportation workers picked up more trash along highways in Franklin County than any other Ohio county last year.
"You can pick up litter 365 days a year and it looks like you haven't done anything," said Scott Rice, a highway worker bagging trash last week along an interstate.
In 2003, workers filled nearly 65,000 bags with trash along the 970 lane miles of ODOT roads in Franklin County.
Workers picked up about 67 bags per lane mile. The county with the second highest rate was Montgomery County, where crews filled 50 bags per lane mile.
It's unclear why there's so much trash along Franklin County highways, but many say it's because it serves as a central crossroads for highway traffic.
Litter cleanup along Franklin County roadways cost the state $286,425. Statewide, the bill was $2.3 million.
Prevention
Thomas Lyden, ODOT's highway management administrator for central Ohio, said the cost would drop dramatically if motorists didn't throw litter from car windows and trash haulers kept their loads properly covered.
Concerns about trash haulers prompted the operators of the Franklin County Landfill to create a litter-collection crew last year.
The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio's five-member crew works along parts of I-71 and I-270 and has an annual budget of $200,000.