Clean California Soars Past Major Milestone to Beautify Roadways and Rejuvenate Local Public Spaces

Published: Sep 04, 2025

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District: Headquarters
Contact: Jeff Burdick

600+ Local Art Projects Installed

What You Need To Know:

Since launching the Clean California effort in July 2021, Caltrans and its partners throughout the Golden State have removed 3.4 million cubic yards of litter and debris from highways and public spaces-the equivalent of filling more than 136,000 garbage trucks worth of litter. The trash collected includes 15,500 mattresses and 57,000 tires. The initiative has enlisted 72,000-plus community clean-up volunteers and created thousands of jobs.

Sacramento - More than 136,000 garbage trucks worth of litter has been cleared from state highways and communities in the four years of Governor Gavin Newsom's Clean California effort.

Today's announcement comes after the Governor convened a new statewide task force last week to prioritize and remove encampments and bring services and shelter to individuals experiencing homelessness along state rights-of-way in California's ten largest cities.

Emerging as one of the most successful environmental initiatives brought forward by Governor Newsom, the $1.2 billion Clean California effort has provided a visible and lasting impact on communities throughout the state, while also supporting long-term goals aimed at climate resiliency, economic equity and public safety. Program highlights include:

• Maintenance crews dedicated to cleaning state highways and public rights of way
• 650 free dump days hosted in urban and rural communities
• 639 pieces of art installed on the highways
• 72,000 community clean-up volunteers (according to a survey from Keep America Beautiful)
• 314 beautification projects, including the development of new parks, public art and improvements at several transit stations. Of these, 191 projects have been completed
• 18,000 job opportunities created
• So far, 110 communities have pledged to become a designated Clean California Community by agreeing to complete specific criteria that demonstrate long-term commitments to zero littler, community beautification and environmental enhancement. Thirty communities have already achieved full designation status.

"Clean California has become an overwhelming success and a model our state can continue to build on. Yes, we've removed hundreds of thousands of garbage trucks worth of trash from our roads and highways, but it's more than that - we've invested in communities all across our state with public art projects and parks, creating thousands of jobs and lifting up countless neighborhoods in need." Governor Gavin Newsom

One transformative community beautification project recently completed was in Sacramento. The nearly $5 million Dixieanne Neighborhood Clean and Green Alleys project beautified 23 residential alleys in the neighborhoods of Old North Sacramento with permeable interlocking pavers, fencing repairs, shade trees, and public art in order to enhance the area and to encourage community gathering and active transportation.

To learn more about how California is creating a brighter future by building more, faster - for all, by visiting build.ca.gov.

By The Numbers

For more info on Clean California and the designation program, visit CleanCA.com.