AOT officials say encampments on transportation property are growing and costly

Members of the legislative transportation committee pressed the Agency of Transportation on Jan. 8 about a rising number of homeless encampments and abandoned vehicles on AOT property and the staff time and expenses required to address them.

Secretary Joe Flynn and maintenance directors described repeated encounters at park‑and‑ride lots and rest areas where people live in vehicles or leave large amounts of junk. Flynn said AOT staff try to respond with humanitarian measures — for example, supplying smoke detectors and carbon‑monoxide alarms and coordinating with the Department for Children and Families or other human‑services partners to find housing — but the agency also must clear unsafe sites on state property. "By law, you can't live in a rest area," Flynn said, adding that staff attempt to be sensitive and proactive in their responses.

AOT’s maintenance director told the committee that the removal and disposal cost for abandoned campers varies by size, running about $3,500 for a small camper up to $6,000 for a large unit. The director said dismantling and disposal are expensive because many yards will not accept whole campers. AOT staff estimated the maintenance team involvement for program development and response over the past year has amounted to less than a full FTE per district, but the agency said it would provide more detailed time‑and‑cost data on request.

Flynn said AOT has put a policy and interagency protocol in place and is working with state police and human services to manage encampments on agency property. He also warned that some people exploit those services by leaving junk in park‑and‑ride lots, which increases workload and cleanup costs.

Committee members asked the agency to provide more precise accounting of hours and costs, and AOT agreed to follow up with detailed figures and a clearer estimate of staff burden across districts.