Beautification Efforts of Clean California Prove Successful

After photo of former dumping spot along Interstate 110 and 28th Street in South Los Angeles. See the before photo below.

LOS ANGELES – Revisiting the former dumping site in South Los Angeles where he unveiled his $1.1 billion Clean California initiative earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom Dec. 15, joined state and local officials at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new mini park project completed at the site and highlighted the progress underway to revitalize streets and public spaces across California.

As part of the Governor’s California Comeback Plan, Clean California invests $1.1 billion for state and local governments to clean up trash and debris statewide, beautify community gateways and public areas along highways, streets and roads and provide jobs to thousands of Californians. Over three years, Clean California will remove an additional 1.2 million cubic yards, or 21,000 tons, of trash from the state system alone – enough to fill the Rose Bowl three times over.

Clean California has already resulted in 4,500 tons of litter removed from the State Highway System – that’s the equivalent of 83 Olympic-size swimming pools. Caltrans has also hosted 24 bulk item “Dump Days” throughout the state, collecting 3,500 cubic yards of litter and 2,500 tires, and recycling 850 mattresses. 

For years, trash on California’s State Highway System has contributed to economic, environmental and public health problems that require Caltrans to invest considerable time and taxpayer dollars to dispose of litter and hazardous waste. This initiative confronts this problem, substantially expanding state and local litter abatement efforts while generating thousands of jobs, including for people exiting homelessness, at-risk youth, veterans, those reentering society from incarceration, local artists and students. To date, Caltrans has hired 400 new team members, including 350 maintenance workers who collect litter and perform maintenance duties like graffiti removal.

Last week, Caltrans announced a $300 million grant program where California cities, counties, transit agencies, tribal governments and other governmental entities can submit proposals of up to $5 million to beautify their communities and address trash and debris. Among other examples, Caltrans will consider projects that remove litter on city streets, create a marker on a thoroughfare entering a town or neighborhood, beautify an area through greening or landscaping, or facilitate cultural connections and civic pride within a community. 

The department plans to announce grant recipients on March 1. The Governor also announced a proposed $100 million increase to the local grant program as part of the upcoming budget.  

Details: www.cleancalifornia.dot.ca.gov