Clean Streets Grow KOP Pride

Litter along U.S. roadways is a problem that pollutes our environment, creates hazardous conditions for wildlife, and results in unattractive public spaces.

In a 2020 litter study, the Keep America Beautiful nonprofit organization estimated that nearly 24 billion pieces of trash could be found along the 8.3 million miles of U.S. roadways. That number increases to approximately 50 billion pieces when including trash along waterways. This total equates to 146 items of litter per US resident. The good news is that this figure represents a 54% reduction since the last study in 2009 and hopefully will continue trending downward.

Maintaining cleanliness along highways is costly, and neither PennDOT nor Upper Merion Township can manage this challenge alone. Addressing litter is a shared responsibility, and King of Prussia District is doing its part. While we currently maintain more than seven acres of planting beds within roadway rights-of-way, the District launched a new program in May of 2025 that expands our cleaning operations. King of Prussia District entered into a blanket agreement with PennDOT, allowing us to hire Zizza Highway Services to remove trash along PennDOT roadways in and around King of Prussia. During the first seven months of the program’s inaugural year, the Clean Streets Program has removed more than 3.5 tons of trash along six roads and interchanges. In addition to District funding, the first year of this project was made possible through a $5,000 grant from the Upper Merion Board of Community Assistance.

Targeted corridors include Route 202 from Allendale Road to the PA Turnpike bridge, North Gulph Road from Route 202 to Swedesford Road, Guthrie Road along Route 422, and the on- and off-ramps of Routes 76, 276, and 422. Cleanup activities follow a rotating schedule, with weekly service during snow-free winter months and monthly service during the growing season, when vegetation can obscure debris. If the program receives additional grant funding, King of Prussia District plans to expand service to local high-traffic roads. We are committed to creating cleaner, more welcoming roadways for everyone in the Upper Merion community to enjoy.