YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Bob Burke regularly sees the condition of the ramps connecting Interstate 680 to Market Street.
The sight drives him crazy, the city’s litter and recycling coordinator acknowledged.
“I leave the city and I go on and off different ramps, and it’s just ugly,” he said.
“I see new trash every day.”
The state of that gateway – as well as the other freeway on-ramps and off-ramps in the city – spurred the upcoming Kick Butt Community Clean-Up Day scheduled for April 12.
“Market Street is horrendous,” he said. Other problematic areas he has noticed include ramps for the Mahoning Avenue Expressway, and he also gets complaints about Albert Street.
Burke isn’t the only one who notices the condition of the ramps. Other locations needing attention include the ramps by Edwards Street, Belmont Avenue near Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital and the Madison Avenue Expressway, according to Adam Lee, program director for Youngstown CityScape.
The city reached out to CityScape “to leverage our network and our history,” putting together similar efforts “to make it a bigger event and reach out to additional volunteers,” Lee said.
Guy Coviello, president and CEO of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, also said chamber members in the real estate and economic development sectors, in particular, have voiced concerns pertaining to the companies they work with. Companies’ employees and the recruits they are seeking to hire also want to live and work in areas that are “aesthetically pleasing,” and it’s “no secret” Youngstown does not score well in that area.
“The entryways into the city are the first impression employers and site selectors have of Youngstown when determining whether to locate a business here, so it’s important they are kept free of trash and debris,” he said. “When out-of-town visitors, people considering relocation to the city to live and work, or residents, for that matter, exit or enter Interstate 680 or drive down Andrews Avenue into downtown – or come into the city through any of its corridors – we want them to be aesthetically pleasing, not with rubbish littering the side of the roadway,” he continued.
Burke said he is encouraged by the number of people who already have signed up to volunteer. A group of 30 students from Youngstown State University’s Honors College have registered, and CityScape is gathering a group to focus on the area near Mahoning Avenue. Councilwoman Amber White, 7th Ward, and the 7th Ward Citizens Coalition also is working on putting together a group to address East Midlothian.
To encourage signups, CityScape is giving away two tickets to the May 14 performance of “Stomp,” donated by Sunrise Entertainment, and Youngstown T-shirts from the Downtown Open, Lee said.
Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. April 12 at the Covelli Centre. Those interested in volunteering can register HERE.
Pictured at top: Bob Burke, the city of Youngstown’s litter and recycling coordinator.