Pittsburgh has a huge litter problem. Litter will not go away by itself. Over the years, public service "Stop Littering" awareness ads and publicity campaigns haven't worked. Once-a-year clean-up drives don't work beyond a few days.

		An invitation Want to participate in a pilot volunteer program in Shadyside? Call me up (412-688-9120) or drop me a line (boris.weinstein@verizon.net).

Don't hold your breath thinking litterers will suddenly change their ways. Pittsburgh's problem will continue unchecked and unchanged until something different is tried. The fix will have to come from us -- people who hate litter.

I was struck by a Post-Gazette letter to the editor last October from Robin Troy of the North Side. Under the headline "Garbageville, Pa.," it read: "What is wrong with so many people in Pittsburgh? My children and I were in five different cities this summer and we were impressed at how clean they were. When we arrived back home, my 8-year-old daughter said Pittsburgh should be called Garbageville.

"Despite my family's best efforts every day, there is always more litter. How can people not care about the place where they live? I would hate to see their homes. Fellow residents, let's show some pride in our city and neighborhoods and pick up litter."

Let's face it. Pittsburgh is a dirty city with a national reputation as a dirty city. This hurts efforts to attract new industries, companies and residents. This hurts our image.

What is the solution? It will take people passionate about litter. People like Robin Troy and her kids. People like me. Volunteers -- citizen litter-haters -- who will organize their own groups. There are thousands of us. We just have to be smarter in attacking the problem.

If we could have a cleaner, less-littered Pittsburgh, people who litter might be less likely to throw stuff from car windows and drop stuff on streets. This habit change occurs in places that are clean, like Kennywood Park and the Disney parks. People think twice about littering in clean places. They don't want to stand out. They don't want to be embarrassed.

I have a plan. It will work with volunteers. For example, 50 to 60 resident volunteers recruited in one neighborhood -- Shadyside to start -- can get litter under control in a short time. Key to the plan's success is accepting two cold facts: Litter must be picked up every day. People who care must pick up for people who don't care.

As part of this plan, I walked Shadyside, creating 17 sections. Ideally, three volunteers, picking up litter in their own section on a regular basis, will keep litter off Shadyside streets. Merchants would be expected to clean their own storefronts, sidewalks and street gutters with their own funds and personnel.

In a recent test, I took on the largest section. I picked up litter two hours a day for 16 days in a month.

I walked my streets with a picker-upper and a pocketful of grocery store plastic bags. As bags filled up, I deposited them in trashcans along the route. (The problem with large 30 gallon-size bags is they get too heavy and are difficult to carry.) Streets within my section became litter-free. And they remained litter-free because I revisited them daily or every few days.

Imagine 50 volunteers doing the same thing with the same passion. Shadyside would be litter-free and the pilot program successful there could easily be duplicated by other neighborhoods whose residents want cleaner streets.

I have not mentioned funding. But money isn't the issue. Devoting time is. Volunteering is. Bending is. Neighborhood pride is.

What role do I see for the city? Be part of the solution not the problem.

Endorse the program. Support it with words and deeds.

Pledge cooperation of Public Works, Safety and other departments.

Fine people who litter.

Fine more heavily vehicle owners who remain illegally parked in street cleaning zones on street cleaning days.

Clean streets according to street cleaning sign schedules so residents will know the city is serious about litter.

Fine pet owners who do not pick up after their pets.

Keep sewers open and free of litter and debris.

Fine commercial property owners and apartment building landlords violating garbage and trash ordinances.

Empty public garbage and trash containers in business districts to prevent spillovers and create more litter.

Encourage a foundation or public company to purchase and install butt pots so smokers can extinguish cigarettes there instead of on streets.