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07/16/2012 12:10 PM

Syracuse cracks down on highway littering

By: YNN Staff

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The City of Syracuse knows it has an image problem when it comes to people traveling on the 17 miles of interstate highway in the city.

It's a problem of trash. A cleanup of just two miles produced close to three tons of debris. And it's opened the door to a new crackdown on littering on the highways.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said, "For a first offense, you're facing a potential $350 fine or 10 hours of community service. What we do instead of conviction, is give you the opportunity to work on the community court van and spend the day cleaning up trash in the City of Syracuse."

The crackdown on littering will accompany an effort to clean up the remaining 15 miles of interstate. They expect to retrieve close to 25 tons of trash.

State transportation officials warn drivers they could face some delays in the coming weeks as cleaning crews are deployed.