Overview
ODOT maintains the land adjoining highways and transportation infrastructure, or right of way. Part of that maintenance includes litter removal and graffiti cleanup. We do a lot of work to keep our roads clean, but the problem is constant and increasing at rates greater than our crews, volunteers and partners can keep up with.
In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 5701 giving ODOT $20 million in general fund dollars for litter removal, graffiti cleanup, camp cleanup and access prevention in the Portland metro area for use through June 2025. This funding was available on April 17, 2024 and on April 18, we had contracts in place for the work.
In addition, we are partnering with local business leaders to pilot a Sponsor-a-Highway program that is currently removing graffiti and litter on the I-405 corridor in Portland.
As of Jan. 31, 2025, these efforts have accomplished the following:
| January Outcomes
| Outcomes to date
|
---|
Litter removal
| 9,780+ lbs. collected
| 208,200 lbs. collected
|
Graffiti removal
| 1,063+ tags removed
| 18,172+ tags removed
|
Camp clean-up
| 160 camps cleaned up
| 1,450 camps cleaned up*
|
Access prevention
| 1 project underway
| 8 projects completed*
|
*April 2024 was first month of graffiti, camp cleanup & access prevention work with SB 5701 funds
Clean up locations in Jan. 2025
|
|
Sign before graffiti removal.
|
Sign after graffiti removal.
|
Litter and graffiti removal happens along state highways in our Portland Metro Region (Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties).
In January, our primary litter removal focus areas were:
- I-205 between mile points 0 and 26 - throughout the corridor roughly between I-5 in the Tualatin area and the Sandy Blvd exit in NE Portland.
- US 26 (Sunset Highway) between mile points 55 and 65 – throughout the corridor from Dersham Rd in Cornelius to Hillsboro.
- I-5 southbound between mile points 282 and 308 – roughly from SW Multnomah Blvd to Hayden Island.
- I-84 east and west between mile points 0 and 17, from I-5 to Troutdale.
In January, our primary graffiti removal focus areas were:
- I-84
- I-205
- I-5
- US 26
- Oregon 99W
- Oregon 99E
This work includes the removal of over 1,063 tag clusters and application of over 556 gallons of paint, 42 spray cans and 15 gallons of graffiti removal solvent. Graffiti was removed from three signs and one sign was replaced. Since April 2024, a total of 80 signs have been cleaned and 64 were replaced.
Camp cleanup was conducted at the following locations by city of Portland contractors:
- Frequent posting & cleaning areas:
- Major projects completed:
- I-405 southbound at milepost 2
- I-205 and Glassplant Road (derelict RV removed)
- West end of the Ross Island Bridge and pedestrian tunnel at Naito Parkway
In January 2025, access prevention work was completed and started:
- Fencing at the Newbury and Vermont structures (I-5) was finished.
- Work on the area at the north ends of Martin Luther King Blvd. and Grand Avenue on Oregon 99E near I-84 has begun.
- Fencing is going up under the west end of the Ross Island Bridge.
Funding Spent to Date*
Numbers may not reflect all worked billed during this time period.
Funding from SB 5701
| Total Budget
| Spent to date
| Spent this month
| Remaining
|
---|
Litter removal
| $4 million
| $2,671,892
| $553,325
| $1,328,108
|
Graffiti removal
| $2.9 million
| $1,077,360
| $150,428
| $1,902,640
|
Camp clean-up
| $5.1 million
| $3,088,740
| $364,883
| $1,931,260
|
Access prevention
| $8 million
| $558,336
| $50,983
| $7,441,644
|
Total
| $20 million
| $7,396,328
| $1,119,619
| $12,603,672
|
Service Delivery