New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Priya Jain announced that the Department is launching an anti-litter campaign aimed at summer travelers. The main component will be flying an aerial banner over the Jersey Shore with the message: Keep it Clean NJ.
“With the start of summer, New Jersey’s highways will be filled with people driving to vacation destinations across the state – whether they are going to hike the Appalachian Trail in North Jersey or going down to the Shore to enjoy our beaches and boardwalks,” NJDOT Commissioner Priya Jain said. “Keeping our roadways, bike paths, and boardwalks clean and litter free is everyone’s responsibility. Flying a banner in the skies above the Jersey Shore, as well as over the World Cup matches, is a creative and simple way to remind millions of people to respect the environment and keep New Jersey beautiful by simply putting trash in its proper place.”
The Keep it Clean NJ banner will be flown over the 147 miles of coastline between Cape May and Sandy Hook, and back again. The flights will begin this Memorial Day Weekend, weather permitting, and continue each weekend through Labor Day. The message will be viewed by approximately two million people each weekend.
Everyone has a role to play in keeping New Jersey beautiful by putting litter in its proper place. As motorists travel to the shore or other destinations across the state, NJDOT encourages you to keep your trash in your car until you can dispose of it properly in a recycling bin or garbage can at your destination. The aerial banner is part of the Keep it Clean NJ anti-litter campaign that will include social media posts further expanding the message reach.
NJDOT crews work year-round to maintain our state highways to keep them clean and litter free, which includes targeting graffiti removal. In FY 2025, NJDOT removed nearly 4,000 tons of litter at a cost of nearly $5.6 million. Properly disposing of trash saves money and makes our roadways safer by keeping them debris-free, prevents drainage clogs, and beautifies the state. The campaign is being paid for through Federal funding.
With NJDOT crews out in full force picking up litter, mowing grass, and completing various other maintenance tasks, we want to remind drivers of New Jersey’s Move Over law that requires motorists to move over if it is safe to do so when they approach highway workers or emergency or service vehicles stopped on the side of the road. If you cannot safely MOVE OVER, PLEASE SLOW DOWN.
To report a roadway maintenance issue on a state highway, motorists can call 1-800-POTHOLE or click on the Highway Maintenance Reporting button on the NJDOT homepage at www.njdotproblemreporting.com.
Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on X (Twitter) @NewJerseyDOT, on the NJDOT Facebook page, or Instagram @NewJersey.DOT.