Larry Kidd wouldn’t consider himself a neat-freak but admits that seeing litter has always bugged him, especially when it’s in the College Park West community of Seal Beach where he lives with his wife.
Two years ago, as Kidd was planting bougainvillea along College Park Drive, the entrance to their residential tract, which borders State Route 22. A Caltrans truck pulled up and a maintenance worker scolded Kidd for planting too close to Caltrans’ fence on the right-of-way. Kidd replied that if the area were his, he’d plant bougainvillea and a whole lot more. That led to a brief discussion and next thing Kidd knew, he was contacted by the Caltrans Adopt-A-Highway coordinator and some weeks later (then at age of 79) became the proud adopter of the portion of State Route 22 that spans from the San Gabriel River to Studebaker Road.
Kidd, now 81-years old is Caltrans oldest highway adopter and one of the hardest working. He can be seen at least three days each week picking up trash, pulling weeds, pruning or planting new trees. He’s proud of the many beautiful trees he’s planted, all of which were planted when they were just a few feet high and now some stand taller than 18 feet. These are Peruvian pepper trees (aka Schinus mole), and multi-colored bougainvillea.
“While I’m out there working, drivers honk, give me the thumbs up or yell ‘good job’” states Kidd, a retired business owner who says that adopting a portion of State Route 22 gives him something meaningful to do and adds beauty to the area. He adds, “Some College Park residents have given me the money to purchase supplies, trees and more bougainvillea.”
His suggestion to anyone considering adopting a portion of a highway is “Don’t wear tennis shoes. You have to wear boots, long pants and long sleeves.”
Kidd occasionally finds interesting items while out on the highway but says that he finds more Toyota hubcaps than anything else.
Caltrans strongly encourages participation in its Adopt-A-Highway program to empower, unite and strengthen communities, increase awareness about environmental issues and make a huge difference. Caltrans spent approximately $70 million in cleaning up litter in 2018.
About Adopt-A-Highway
Caltrans’ Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) Program (https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-7) provides an avenue for individuals, organizations, or businesses to help maintain sections of roadside within California’s State Highway System. AAH Program helps to keep state highways cleaner and more attractive and at the same time helps to control the growing cost of litter removal and other types of maintenance. Adopters have the option to participate as volunteers or to hire a maintenance service provider to perform the work.
The AAH Program, which began in 1989, has been one of the truly successful government-public partnerships of our time. More than 120,000 Californians have cleaned and enhanced over 15,000 shoulder-miles of roadside.
Participation can include one or more of the following activities:
• Removing litter (work frequency varies with location)
• Planting and establishing trees or wildflowers
• Removing graffiti
• Controlling vegetation
Adoptions usually span a two-mile stretch of roadside and permits are issued for five-year periods. Adopters in good standing may renew their permits an unlimited number of times.
For additional information, visit http://www.dot.ca.gov/d7/programs/aah/.
To adopt a highway, contact Shelley D. Bickel, Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator at (213) 897-3871 or via email at: shelley.bickel@dot.ca.gov.
