Sunapee Police Urge Caution as Green-Up Day Volunteers Clean Roadsides

Sunapee drivers were told to expect a different kind of Saturday on town roads as Green-Up Day put volunteers of all ages along the roadside, collecting litter across the community and slowing traffic in places where crews were working near the pavement.

The Sunapee Police Department issued the cautionary alert for Saturday, May 2, 2026, asking motorists to use care while Project Sunapee held its annual cleanup. The practical warning mattered because Green-Up Day turned ordinary travel into a shared work zone, with people stepping off shoulders, picking up debris, and moving between sections of roadway throughout town.

Project Sunapee identified the effort as the 18th annual Sunapee Green-Up Day, a sign the event has become part of the town’s spring routine rather than a one-time cleanup. The town also opened registration online and in person, with in-person signups scheduled at the Sunapee Highway Department at 621 Route 11 at 9 a.m. Saturday. A Friday, May 1, registration option was available for volunteers who could not take part on Saturday.

The event combined cleanup logistics with a community gathering. Volunteers were invited to meet in Sunapee Harbor at noon for a picnic, giving the day a social center as well as a roadside purpose. Before heading out, participants were asked to review the required safety checklist, choose streets, submit a volunteer form and pick up blue trash bags at the exit gate of the Sunapee Transfer Station.

Filled bags were to be left along the sides of the roads for Highway Department pickup on Monday, a system that kept the cleanup organized and limited the amount of handling needed by volunteers. The setup showed how the town has turned Green-Up Day into a coordinated operation involving Project Sunapee, the Sunapee Highway Department and the police department, with each part playing a role in keeping the roads clear and safe.

The warning also fit a pattern. Sunapee’s police department used similar cautionary language last year for the 17th annual Green-Up Day, underscoring that the town treats the event as a recurring traffic and safety issue. Statewide, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation says its Sponsor-A-Highway program exists to help maintain roadside areas and reduce the cost of litter removal, a reminder that local cleanup days support both town pride and public maintenance.