Innovations Challenge

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are inviting high school students to participate in the third PennDOT Innovations Challenge which encourages students to use their problem-solving, creative and strategic-thinking abilities to solve real-world transportation challenges in a competition among their peers

The Challenge

What cost-effective technologies and innovative solutions - aside from laws, programs and educational campaigns - can be developed in the next five to 10 years to help PennDOT more efficiently, effectively and safely control litter along roadways?

Why It Matters

Last year, PennDOT spent nearly $13 million cleaning up roadside litter across Pennsylvania. In addition, nearly 5,000 volunteers spend countless hours participating in the Adopt-A-Highway program each year. These dollars and volunteer hours could have otherwise been spent on delivering a better transportation network and making Pennsylvania a better state in which to live.

Regional Innovations Challenge winners will be selected and invited to compete in Harrisburg for the state championship. This year, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) and the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful (KPB) organization are providing a combined total award of $3,000 to be divided among the first, second and third place statewide winning teams.

For complete Innovations Challenge details, visit www.penndot.gov/innovation. The deadline for submissions is December 20, 2019.

Media Assets 

Below are media assets that the public can share. If sharing on social media, use the hashtag #InnovationsChallenge.