RALEIGH – The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation. The stories below are also featured in
NCDOT Now, the department's weekly newscast.
Litter Pick Up Set to Exceed 2019 and 2020
North Carolina is on pace to exceed the record for
roadside litter collection set in 2019.
The NCDOT’s crews, contractors and volunteers have collected about 6.3 million pounds of litter and we’re less than halfway through the year. In 2019, a record setting 10.5 million pounds of litter was collected. This year’s collection so far also nearly equals the 6.3 million pounds collected in 2020.
Even though we will pick up more than last year, the work still continues. Litter is unsightly, costs of millions of dollars to clean up and can hurt the environment, tourism and the state’s quality of life. Everyone should do their part by:
New Commercial Trucking App
A new alert system is expected to reduce the risk of commercial truck crashes – helping work zones and highways flow smoothly in North Carolina.
The department is partnering with Intelligent Imaging Systems, a company that serves commercial truck drivers with innovative apps on smartphones and tablets to provide real-time alerts about urgent road conditions. The alerts will help commercial drivers react more quickly before encountering stopped traffic or major slowdowns.
NCDOT started the one-year contract with Intelligent Imaging Systems this month and will be evaluating its safety benefits.
Rides to Vaccine Appointments Still Available
North Carolina residents who need a ride to a vaccine appointment can still receive one through the North Carolina transit system.
Since vaccine rollouts began, the NCDOT and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services have taken more than 9,400 residents to vaccine appointments. Many more people can and should still take advantage of the program because funding and resources remain available.
People who need assistance accessing a vaccine site should contact their
local transit agencies.