Adopt-a-Road Program

The Multnomah County Transportation Division Adopt-A-Road Program is an anti-litter campaign intended to build civic pride in a litter free Oregon. It allows citizens to work in partnership with the county by "adopting" a segment of roadway and agreeing to keep it clean. This program offers individuals an inexpensive way to contribute to their community and state and generate publicity for their efforts. Every participant in this program makes a positive impact on the appearance of the county road system and their community.

What you do

The participants volunteer to remove litter, maintain landscaping or perform vandalism cleanup along an adopted segment of roadway for a minimum of three years. The assigned segments will generally be three miles long, depending on the size of the volunteer group and the volume of anticipated litter. The participants will service the road segment a minimum of three times a year. The segment of roadway may be of the volunteer’s choosing or one selected by the county. Safety of the participants is a primary concern in determining which segment may be assigned. The limited number of designated roadways must meet the Adopt-A-Road program’s criteria.

Who can do it

Almost anyone can participate in this program. The adopting party may be a club, a business, a group of concerned citizens or an individual. There are no costs or fees to the participants. Participants must be at least 13 years of age and in good health.

What we will do

The County will erect two signs identifying the adopting individual or group, provide the necessary safety equipment and mandatory safety training, provide litterbags and removal of the filled litterbags.

Each group will designate a Primary and Secondary Group Coordinator who will act as a liaison between their group and the County. The Group Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing the group and administering the agreed upon rules to the individuals in the group.

The Right-Of-Way Permit Section will administer the Adopt-A-Road program. Applicants may apply for a permit at 1600 SE 190th, Portland, OR (Phone: 503-988-3582). Work schedules, distribution of County-owned tools, refuse pick-up and the Road Maintenance Section will accomplish project coordination.