LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom picked up litter and painted over graffiti in Los Angeles to highlight California’s $1.1 billion initiative to clean areas near highways, roads and other public spaces.

It's an effort the governor promised to expand next year to address homeless encampments.

Before collecting syringes and broken electronics along a downtown freeway, Newsom returned to the nearby lot where he announced the Clean California plan last May.

Previously piled with trash, it’s now a manicured park with benches, palm trees and a vegetable garden.

Newsom says 11,000 jobs have been created and 4,200 tons of trash collected since the program was launched.