HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 9995 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9995
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council March 7, 2017
h�T�i7 Page 1 of 2
�i
{i7 Y
*a SUBJECT: LITTERING ALONG HIGHWAYS
#qrF rn
10,?5
The City Council has recently expressed concern about the incidence of littering along Loop 820
and other interstate highways maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
In response to this concern, City staff would like to provide the following information about
procedures to report littering along our highways and about litter control responsibilities.
According to TxDOT, the best way for citizens to report littering is via their web-based reporting
tool: http://www.txdot.gov/contact-us/form.html. Fort Worth residents who are uncertain as to
whether an issue belongs to TxDOT or the City may contact the City's Call Center at 817-392-
1234 or 1234(a)FortWorthTexas.Gov. A Customer Service Representative will direct the call to
the responsible entity or will have City staff review the issue first-hand and then direct a work
order to the responsible entity.
The Municipal Maintenance Agreement (MMA) executed by the City and TxDOT on December
14, 2007 (Contract No. 36331) outlines maintenance responsibilities assigned to TxDOT and the
City of Fort Worth, respectively, as they pertain to:
• Base road repair;
• Pavement, structures, traffic signs, and pavement markings; and
• Ditch cleaning, drainage structures, mowing, litter, sweeping and snow/ice control.
This agreement outlines where the City shares and/or assists TxDOT and where TxDOT has
stand-alone responsibility. On arterial streets in the state highway system, the City of Fort Worth
assists TxDOT. On interstate and other controlled-access highways, however, TxDOT has sole
responsibility for right-of-way maintenance. While the agreement makes no specific reference to
graffiti, TxDOT controls graffiti on controlled-access highways, including on-ramps and off-ramps,
while the City addresses graffiti on arterial streets through the Park and Recreation Department's
(PARD's) Graffiti Abatement Team.
Along state highways, TxDOT removes litter as seldom as one time per year and as often as 24
times per year. TxDOT mows its rights-of-way three times per year, with litter removal as part of
process. Along City rights-of-ways, mowing and litter collection occur nine times a year, starting
in April, under a contract managed by PARD. Code Compliance supplements litter collection up
to 18 additional times a year at key interstate open spaces (off-roadway) in central Fort Worth.
Code Compliance and PARD meet with TxDOT on a quarterly basis to discuss issues of common
interest. The next meeting is scheduled for April. City staff have often conveyed concern about
the need to improve litter control along interstate highways, particularly in ad hoc situations where
bags of trash and debris fall off moving vehicles.
Code Compliance has reassigned a staff person to conduct periodic audits of high-litter areas for
the next 90 days. These areas includes those maintained by the State responsibility and those
under the City's responsibility. The goal is to isolate accumulation patterns, response times,
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9995
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council March 7, 2017
h�T�i7 Page 2 of 2
�i
{i7 Y
*a SUBJECT: LITTERING ALONG HIGHWAYS
#qtF rn
10'?5
contractor performance and other data in an effort to identify improvement opportunities. Staff
will provide the City Council with a report on the results of this effort in June 2017.
If you have any questions about this information, please contact Code Compliance Director
Brandon Bennett at 817-392-6322 or brandon.bennett@fortworthtexas.gov.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS