Welcome to the ADOPT A ROAD PROGRAM!
The Montgomery County's Adopt A Road (AAR) program encourages residents (individuals, families, organizations and businesses) to participate in a community activity by keeping roadsides litter free. The AAR program enlists more than 5,000 volunteers who clean over 480 road segments across Montgomery County. The program’s goal is to have unsightly litter removed from roadsides before it reaches local streams or clogs storm drains that feed into local streams, and potentially into the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers and our water supply. Every piece of litter that ends up in our waterways can be problematic to the water quality and disrupt the natural environment.
With the amount of trash littered on County roadsides each day and with MCDOT's budget constraints (resulting in less mowing and road cleaning) program participation has become increasingly important. Demonstrate your community pride and make a positive statement for a clean and attractive community - help make Montgomery County a “Greener” place to live!
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NEW** Program participants can now report their cleanings online - click here
This program is FREE to join and requires a volunteer to pick up litter (and recyclables) along both sides of an adopted road segment (right-of-way), including bus stops. This program creates a partnership of citizens and local government to promote civic pride and preserve our clean environment by eliminating roadside litter. Help improve the appearance of Montgomery County and decrease the amount of debris/trash that washes into our waterways! This program supports the Alice Ferguson Foundation's regional anti-litter campaign - Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative.
AAR members are required to perform clean-up efforts at their adopted road segment as needed with a minimum of six major cleanings per year (the equivalent of every other month) and to report these cleanings to the Community Outreach office. Cleanings are scheduled by the individual or group leader at their convenience. There is no time limit on how long a road segment can be adopted. Retire at any time by notifying the Community Outreach office in writing.
CLICK HERE to view program guidelines.
CLICK HERE to download program guidelines.
The Program promotes civic pride, environmental responsibility, preserves habitats, improves motorist safety and saves money! Road Operation crews spend lots of dollars and many hours cleaning roadside litter and illegal dump sites each year. Without AAR volunteers these numbers would be significantly higher. In addition, it supports the Alice Ferguson Foundation's regional anti-litter campaign - Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative.
In recognition, for this work two signs will be fabricated (at no cost to the volunteer) with the volunteers name and installed at each end of the adopted segment.
We provide a limited amount of safety equipment to assist volunteers with their cleaning efforts (such as safety reflective vests, light and heavy duty gloves, trash and recycle bags and pik sticks).
Eligible adopters include civic and non-profit organizations, school and scout groups, commercial and private businesses, families, and individuals that reside in Montgomery County.
Once an application is submitted, the approval process could take up to three weeks. An email confirmation will be sent when an application is received, then if approved, a letter with detailed program information will be mailed (if denied, we will work with the volunteer in finding another road segment to adopt).
To expedite the approval process be sure to answer all questions on the application, include two road segments (should the first choice not be available) and when requesting nameplates, be sure the name you choose does not exceed length requirements.
CLICK HERE to download FAQ's
If you have additional questions that are not listed, contact the Community Outreach office.
*Signs are not required to participate in the program.
In recognition for the volunteer’s cleaning efforts, two signs are fabricated and installed bearing their their name. Signs are normally installed at the beginning and ending of the adopted road segment. All County signs are installed within the public right-of-way and are placed with the consideration of certain engineering factors such as line of sight and safety concerns as determined by MCDOT engineers. Should resident complaints arise regarding the installation of a sign, there is a chance the signs will be removed and the participant will need to chose a different road to adopt.
IMPORTANT: When choosing a name for the nameplate there is a 13-character limit (this includes spaces) per line, two lines max. Slogans, messages, phone numbers, website addresses or any other information besides the volunteer’s name is prohibited.
Once an application is approved, it will take 10-12 weeks for installation. Most roads will have the purple AAR sign installed (see below photo on left). Roads that are identified as rural will require a brown rustic road sign (see below photo on right).
Rustic Roads are classified as rural by legislation. They are historic and scenic roadways in an area where natural, agricultural, or historic features are predominant. Most Rustic Roads are narrow, windy and have no sidewalk. They are considered low volume roads intended primarily for local or agricultural use, as designated by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. This classification restricts the type of maintenance that can be performed on these roads so that the rural character can be maintained.
Learn more about Rustic Roads in Montgomery County.
View a map of Rustic roads in Montgomery County.
Be sure to review the program guidelines before submitting an application.
APPLY ONLINE NOW!
Or CLICK HERE to download the application.
Submit applications to the Community Outreach office.
Contact the Community Outreach Office:
Email mcdot.outreach@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-7155.
For immediate assistance call 240-777-7170, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT)
DIrector's Office
101 Monroe Street, 10th Floor
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Phone: 240-777-7155 (press # to bypass greeting)
Email: mcdot.outreach@montgomerycountymd.gov
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