Adopt-A-Highway

Blue Adopt a Highway sign on the grassy area alongside the Staten Island Expressway. The Sign Reads: For a Cleaner Greener NY Sponsored By: Island Auto Group

Millions of drivers travel along New York City roads, bridges and highways each year. NYC DOT’s Adopt-A-Highway Program is an opportunity for on-location sponsorship for the businesses, organizations, or individuals that give back to their communities by providing clean and beautiful highways.

On This Page

Sponsoring a highway is an easy way to make a visible impact on your community and show your pride in being a New Yorker.

  • A cleaner, greener NYC
  • Display your brand 24/7
  • Corporate and social responsibility
  • Partner with the City of New York
Before and after photos of an Adopt-A-Highway Volunteer Site on the side of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Parkway.Before: brown and green grass patches. After: Adopt a Highway Beautification sign now in grass area, along with miniature white picket fence bordering a new planting bed. The Sign Reads: A Family Affair Realty

Highways may be adopted by:

  • Businesses
  • Individuals
  • Organizations
  • Community groups
  • In memory of an individual

Seven Fire Department/Emergency Medical Service Members standing in front of their Adopt a Highway Beautification sign on the side of the West Shore Expressway. The sign reads FDNY – EMS Battalion 23

The Adopt-A-Highway Program signage is not a forum for advertising. All sponsors are subject to NYC DOT approval.

Specific Program requirements are detailed in Section 2-21 of the New York City Highway Rules.



How it Works

Blue Adopt a Highway sponsor sign on grassy area near highway. Sign Reads: For a Cleaner Greener NYC Site Available Call (718) 712-7563

There are over 300 businesses, individuals, and organizations helping to make NYC's highways cleaner and greener by sponsoring highway segments (approximately one mile). Sponsors hire an approved maintenance provider to provide regular cleaning, which is monitored by NYC DOT staff.

  • Sponsor coordinates cleaning service fees directly with maintenance provider
  • Maintenance providers must pick up litter, trim greenery, and maintain sign
  • Optional extra services include maintaining trees or planting flowers*
  • Two-year commitment
  • NYC DOT installs and maintains an Adopt-A-Highway sign recognizing the sponsor at the site
Blue Adopt a Highway sign being presented on an easel. Sign reads: For a Cleaner Greener NYC Below that is a blank white space with the message Your Name Here

Most highways under NYC DOT jurisdiction are included in the Adopt-A-Highway Program.

Sponsor Resources

Currently Available Adopt-A-Highway Segments (pdf) Current Adopt-A-Highway Sponsors (pdf) Approved Maintenance Providers (pdf)

Sponsorship FAQ

Review the answers to our most frequently asked questions below.

Highway segments are awarded to sponsors on a first-come, first-served basis. At the end of the adoption period, the sponsor and maintenance provider may mutually agree to renew their agreement. If there is no agreement for a segment, it will be made available for adoption.

Highway segments cleaned by maintenance providers are approximately one mile long. Sponsors may adopt as many segments as they are able to maintain.

Two or three organizations may join together to sponsor a highway segment.

NYC DOT maintains a list of companies that meet the City’s qualifications for working on highways. Only listed maintenance providers are approved to participate in the NYC Adopt-A-Highway program. They are responsible for supplying workers and equipment to perform the job for which they are hired. Please review all providers before selecting one. Maintenance providers work for you. They do not work for the City of New York.

Maintenance providers may offer different services and prices. NYC DOT does not regulate the amount maintenance providers charge. NYC DOT’s role is to assure that each company meets safety standards. Requirements are geared to assuring the safety of workers as well as safe and efficient traffic flow around the work site.

The level of cleaning on your segment depends on the services you contract with the maintenance provider. NYC DOT establishes and monitors a minimum level of cleaning service. This includes litter pick-up, trimming, and sign maintenance. Sponsors must provide minimum services.

You may beautify your segment by providing extra services. Extra services include removing graffiti, cleaning the median strip, and mowing, pruning, planting, herbicides, hand weeding, and dead plant/stump removal.

If you are unhappy with the job done by your maintenance provider, contact them directly to discuss your concerns. If you still feel your maintenance provider is doing an inadequate cleaning job, you may switch providers when your existing contract allows.


Volunteer to Beautify a Site

Volunteer groups, gardening clubs, neighborhood associations, families, and individuals are invited to become partners to help clean and beautify sites near highways.

The Adopt-A-Highway Volunteer Program includes:

  • Cleaning sites twice a month, except when snow covers the ground
  • Planting and maintaining flowers, grass, and shrubs*
  • Volunteers put all collected debris in bags and leave the bags by the side of the road for NYC DOT crews to remove
  • NYC DOT provides vests, gloves, and garbage bags
  • Sites may be located near highway exits, entrances, or service roads
  • Free participation for volunteer groups
  • Two-year commitment
  • NYC DOT installs and maintains a Beautification sign acknowledging the volunteer

*Planting types must be approved by NYC DOT Adopt-A-Highway staff.

Area next to a highway beautified with small plants.
A group of men wearing orange vests stand in front of their Adopt a Highway sign. The sign reads Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. K B S – Brooklyn Sigma.
Area beautified with small plants, flowers and stones.

Adopt-a-Highway Volunteer Sign

Contact Us

For more information about NYC DOT’s Adopt-A-Highway programs, call 718-712-7563 or request more information via our webform.

The New York State Department of Transportation administers its own Adopt-A-Highway program for highways outside of the five boroughs. Learn more about the state program on the NYSDOT Adopt-A-Highway website