The Tarheel Traveler Adopt-A-Highway Program

The Adopt-A-Highway Program (AAH) was established in 1988 by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) in response to growing public concern regarding litter along the state's highways. The AAH Program is administered by the NCDOT Office of Beautification Programs, and is a joint effort between community volunteers and the NCDOT. Its purpose is to decrease the amount of litter on North Carolina's roadsides and improve the beauty and quality of the environment.

In July 2009 the Tarheel Travelers joined the North Carolina Adopt-A-Highway Program after the membership, by a show of hands at the First Annual Picnic at Lake Harris earlier in July, endorsed support for club involvement in this program. The club's participation in the program is motivated by the desire to put motorcyclists in a positive light and to counter negative publicity in the media associated with motorcycling. Noting that the club is very widely disbursed around the state with the largest concentration of members located in Fayetteville, Raleigh, Greensboro and Greenville, the process of selecting a location would not be easy. After careful consideration the club president, who is the primary force behind participation in this program, selected a 2.3 mile stretch of Pleasant Grove Church Road (SR 1789) in Wake County running from Airport Boulevard to the Durham County Line. This road was selected primarily due to its proximity to RDU Airport, ease of access from throughout the Triad and being situated in an area with a large concentration of members.

Participation in the program requires four cleanups annually by the club.  Second to last Saturday during the month of: February, May, August and November

To participate in cleanups, volunteers will be required to view a safety video (www.ncdot.org/~adopt-a-highway) and must wear orange safety vests provided by the DOT.