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:
Fall Litter Sweep Canceled
NCDOT needs your help after ongoing impacts from COVID-19 have canceled the department’s Fall Litter Sweep. Traditionally scheduled for the last two weeks of April and September, the Litter Sweep is NCDOT’s statewide roadside litter removal initiative. Last year during a Litter Sweep, Adopt-A-Highway groups, NCDOT employees and other volunteers removed nearly 939,000 pounds of litter.
Due to the second cancellation of the year, we need North Carolinians to step up more than ever. Not only is littering illegal, but it’s also bad for the environment and unattractive. Help us remove roadside litter and let’s keep North Carolina beautiful. Please dispose of your litter properly and not out your window and keep items in the back of trucks properly tied down.
Currituck-Knotts Island Ferry Service Resumes
Also impacted by the pandemic, the Currituck-Knotts Island Ferry has resumed service. The service had been suspended since April 1 but started again this week.
Passengers are asked to remain in their vehicles or stand at least 6 feet from other people while on board to prevent the spread of COVID-19. To find the schedule for this ferry and others, go to ncferry.org.
Drone Program Competes for Top Transportation Award
Don’t forget to vote for NCDOT’s drone program, which has been named a finalist for a national transportation award. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has named NCDOT’s Drone Medical Delivery program as one of the Top 12 projects in the 2020 America’s Transportation Awards.
Last year, North Carolina’s drone program teamed up with Matternet and UPS Flight Forward to operate a medical supply drone delivery service at the WakeMed Hospital campus in Raleigh. The service has greatly reduced wait times for life-saving blood test results and medical supplies.
You can help the department earn the People’s Choice Award. Just visit the America’s Transportation Awards website and vote for NCDOT’s drone entry. Make sure to vote daily through Oct. 25. The winner will be announced in November.