State hauls off roadside trash, but litter on Long Island has 'gotten worse'

Long Island state roads are littered with rubbish — and the problem’s getting worse, a state official said Friday.

But state Department of Transportation workers recently spruced up the Island’s parkways and highways, hauling off 42.5 tons of garbage during a two-week campaign honoring Earth Day.

That amounts to 4,200 bags of trash, nearly double the quantity collected in 2021 when 2,200 bags of trash were picked up during the same run, officials said. It’s also more than the 3,900 bags collected last year.

On the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway near Exit 10 in Plainview Friday, a crew of 15 workers was out in full force picking up a random assortment of offensive smelling waste. There was an empty container of windshield fluid, food wrappers, takeout boxes, water bottles, cups, wall insulation, plastic bags crammed with more filth and even a parking ticket.

Seventeen tires were among the finds collected since April 10. Previous years, drivers discarded mattresses and even large appliances such as refrigerators, officials said.

Some of the workers were outraged that motorists could be so inconsiderate.

“I think it’s terrible. This is mother earth . . . we should be protecting it and protecting the environment,” said Stacey Pagan, 58, who has worked for the DOT for 40 years. “We should be proud of our land.”

Brian Ferring, 27, said there are no excuses considering there are trash cans at all gas stations where drivers stop to fuel up. “There’s a lot of snobs not taking care of the place we live in,” Ferring said.

Garbage isn’t just an eyesore, it can create a distraction for drivers and even pose a fire hazard. Plastic bags can also clog drains and chemicals can pollute water, according to the agency, which was deployed across the state for the annual “Trash Blitz “ effort.

Stephen Canzoneri, a spokesman with the DOT, said the trash problem has “gotten worse.” Crews devote more time every year to picking up litter than taking care of other maintenance issues.

As to why people chuck stuff out of their cars, Canzoneri said it’s simple: “They’re just lazy.”

“They don’t want the trash in their car. That’s what it comes down to. They don’t want to be bothered with taking it out when they get home or they get to their job or wherever,” he said. “They just throw it out the window.”