ASK LOIS: Who’s cleaning up the litter on I-95? Where’s toll money going?
Q: Every day I drive I-95. The road is littered with debris everywhere. Even the express lanes are not being maintained. I see general trash and car parts from prior accidents in the breakdown lanes and the partitioned part between the express lanes and free lanes. Anything in the travel lanes always gets migrated out due to everyone running over it a billion times.
If people are paying for driving in these express lanes, where is all that money going? Because it doesn’t look like the money is being used to maintain I-95. — Ben Weiss, Cooper City
A: Ben, all of us who drive on Interstate 95 have had the experience of having to swerve away from a piece of debris. I usually find myself veering from tire treads but have also had close encounters with large tree branches and kitchen appliances.
It’s called “Die-95” for a good reason. The highway has become an almost lawless zone of speeding, traffic tie-ups and disturbing incidents of road rage, not to mention the refuse you cite from frequent accidents and trucks that have not tied down their cargo.
I reached out to Guillermo Canedo, communications manager for the state Department of Transportation’s District Four, which covers Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. He said the FDOT has a detailed highway cleaning schedule.
“Inside and outside shoulders along I-95 are swept with mechanical sweepers twice per month,” he said. “Litter pickup of grassy and vegetated areas is performed once per month before the beginning of each mowing cycle. In addition to litter pickup and sweeping cycles, the contractors responsible for maintaining I-95 routinely inspect the areas and remove any large debris they encounter.”
He said there are also cameras checking for road perils.
“The Regional Transportation Management Center monitors the interstates, including I-95, with cameras 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and supports and coordinates with Road Rangers when large debris is discovered that may pose a hazard to motorists,” he said. “Road Rangers also coordinate with Florida Highway Patrol if a hazardous situation is presented.”
The highway’s constant construction programs pose additional litter dangers that contractors are required to monitor.
“Some areas of I-95 are currently under construction, which means that the individual contractors conduct the debris removal within their respective project limits,” he added. “Per our contract specifications, sweeping and litter removal are performed twice monthly and mowing is performed 10 times per year.
“The department also has an asset maintenance contractor with similar requirements who is responsible for maintenance in locations not under construction.”
As for the express lane tolls, some of that money is going toward picking up debris. A Florida Statute says tolls must first be used to pay for operation of the express lanes, with any remaining money used for maintenance, construction or improvement of the road system. Canedo said road debris pickup does fall under maintenance.
He recommended that you tell DOT where you saw the hazards. Send the information to their customer service portal at fdot.gov/info/ects/customer-service-portal or call 866-336-8435.
The truth is there are so many cars on I-95 now that it may be almost impossible to rid it of litter. Besides our many tourists, many people have moved to South Florida since the pandemic, and lane additions and other repairs are unable to keep up with this influx. At the same time, there’s a nationwide shortage of law enforcement officers, and we in Florida are experiencing the fallout like the rest of the country.
Here are a few driving tips, courtesy of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. They won’t necessarily help you avoid road hazards, but they can contribute to a safer experience.
- Don’t engage with a driver who is suffering from road rage. If you’re able, get the license plate number and call 911 or Florida Highway Patrol at *347. Pull over to get out of that person’s way if you can.
- Stay out of the blind spot of trucks.
- Don’t cut off nearby vehicles.
- Leave room when changing lanes.
There’s no question that driving in South Florida will test your fortitude. My advice is to be patient with other drivers and obey the speed limit, so you’re not driving too fast to avoid the chair that has just fallen off the truck in front of you.
Got a question about life in South Florida? Send it to AskLois@sunsentinel.com.