Wednesday, November 10, 1999
Freeways a litter sore spot
State's cleanup effort displeases city
BY PHILLIP PINA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Litter is strewn along an Interstate 75 on-ramp in South Cumminsville. Graffiti scars an Interstate 71 wall near downtown.
Two years after the city lost a contract to maintain the interstates through Cincinnati, a city report criticizes the state's cleanup of interstates inside the city's boundaries. City leaders are expected to talk trash with Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) leaders today.
Prompted by litter complaints, Cincinnati Mayor Roxanne Qualls asked for a review of highway conditions. It found little litter along the main stretches of the urban interstate system. But almost every entrance or exit ramp was heavily marred by trash.
“I don't want Cincinnati to be a mess,” said Carl Uebelacker, a Hyde Park resident who has complained to the city and the state about the litter. He travels I-71 and has noticed an increase in graffiti and litter the past few years.
Two years ago, Ohio dropped its maintenance con tract with Cincinnati, opting to do the work itself. Instead of a 20-person city crew devoted to highway litter and graffiti, teams of volunteers and a parole program are now relied upon to clean highways.
Despite the city report, the region's major beautification advocates say any increase in trash may be a perception issue. Litter volumes in the city fluctuate, said Linda Holterhoff, executive director of Keep Cincinnati Beautiful.
Wishing to keep out of any “turf war” between the state and city, her agency is hearing comments from the public saying the highways are getting cleaner, and dirtier. The group's own surveys of Cincinnati streets — excluding interstates — show that litter amounts fluctuate.
A recent photo survey of stretches of highway found that intersections are problem areas throughout the county. Also, there is as much litter along suburban stretches of highway as along those in Cincinnati.
What city residents may be noticing is the way their complaints are handled, Ms. Holterhoff said.
When Mr. Uebelacker would file complaints on interstate graffiti in past years, he noticed city crews would take care of the problem within days. Now, a state crew will take weeks, sometimes months, before the problem is addressed, he said.
When it comes to litter and graffiti, a city crew is usually on a job within three days of a problem being reported, said Diane Watkins, a supervisor with the Cincinnati Highway Maintenance Division.
Kim Patton, ODOT spokeswoman, said the state is aggressively working on the litter problem and on improving its response time to complaints. Teams of workers throughout the county pick up trash, she said.
Before Oct. 1, 1997, the state paid Cincinnati $2.4 million a year to maintain the freeways through the city. The move was to save money, with the Ohio transportation department expecting to do the maintenance for about $1.6 million to $1.8 million.
While Cincinnati has not proposed taking the entire contract back, it has made overtures about at least clearing litter and removing graffiti, said John Deatrick, director of Cincinnati's Department of Transportation and Engineering.
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