Several Factors Combine to Turn Tacoma-area Roads Into Mess

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — State highways in the Tacoma area could use a good cleaning.

There are several reasons why the region's roadside shoulders are strewn with litter and garbage.

Unusually inclement weather has kept many volunteer groups at bay this year. And a dispute between the state departments of Corrections and Transportation has idled inmate work crews that normally pick up roadside trash.

The News Tribune reported Sunday that a pay crisis has meant fewer Washington State Patrol troopers are on the road to write citations to people who toss paper cups out the window or refuse to put a tarp on their pickup beds.

In addition, the money the state allocates for roadside garbage cleanup is not keeping pace with a growing population.