Why do we mow the sides of the road? This seems to be a universal practice throught the US. Of course you must keep the immediate shoulder clear, but I routinely see mowing out 6 or 8 feet from the side of the road, even on rural highways. Some freeway right-of-ways look like golf fairways, for hundreds of miles.
I can see that you would want to trim back any growth that might become a collision hazard, particularly trees, but I think long grass might actually be helpful in case you left the road. You only have to mow once every couple years to keep tree growth down.
Is long grass a fire hazard? Don’t all the dry clippings actually exacerbate the chance of fire? Besides, sparks from tailpipes are not exactly the common hazard they were in the first half of the last century. I think the nicely clipped grass actually attracts deer and other roadside pests.
Does anyone know why we mow the verge? It seems to me that it might be done because it’s always been that way – couldn’t we find better uses for the resources involved?
The long grass can provide habitat for smaller animals such as rabbits, which can dart into the road causing accidents as folks swerve to miss them. Also really long grass can hide deer sized animals, which then dart across the highway and wreck your car when you hit them. I prefer shorter grass which gives me an edge in seeing what’s likly to leap out in front of me.
If someone has a wreck and departs the roadway when no one is close by, in tall grass it might be harder to spot the vehicle. So who would know to stop and call the authorities?
Living in an area rather well populated with deer and other roadside pests, I have always believed that the roadsides were kept mowed to improve visibility of potential hazards. When the brush is allowed to grow right up to the edge of the highway shoulder (as it is in many places), you can’t see the critter until it jumps right out in front of you leaving precious damn little time to react. On the other hand, a cleared zone of some width beside the road gives you an opportunity to identify and prepare to react to the possibility of an encounter of the wildlife kind.
The military has done the same sort of thing for many, many years. Look around any well designed castle or fortress of any sort and you will notice a severe lack of underbrush and such like that would allow bad things an opportunity to sneak up on you. Same thing for highways, especially those designed for high speeds.
I’m not talking about growing a jungle alongside the road. The grass would only be about 18" high. I’m questioning whether it’s really necessary to groom it like a suburban lawn. As I mentioned, the short grass seems to be a magnet for animals – they seem to be drawn to the tender, fresh new growth – and I challenge your assertion that less mowing would increase that particular hazard. It may very well decrease the attractiveness of the roadside for grazing purposes.
Wouldn’t a vehicle leave more of a trail through taller grass, thus an increased chance of seeing that someone’s having problems? Besides, think of that divided freeway with a lawn in the middle. If someone falls asleep at the wheel, they might just pass right through the ‘fairway’ and into opposing traffic. If there was 18" grass there, then their vehicle would be slowed, perhaps considerably.
I’m not talking about growing a jungle alongside the road. The grass would only be about 18" high. I’m questioning whether it’s really necessary to groom it like a suburban lawn. As I mentioned, the short grass seems to be a magnet for animals – they seem to be drawn to the tender, fresh new growth – and I challenge your assertion that less mowing would increase that particular hazard. It may very well decrease the attractiveness of the roadside for grazing purposes.
Wouldn’t a vehicle leave more of a trail through taller grass, thus an increased chance of seeing that someone’s having problems? Besides, think of that divided freeway with a lawn in the middle. If someone falls asleep at the wheel, they might just pass right through the ‘fairway’ and into opposing traffic. If there was 18" grass there, then their vehicle would be slowed, perhaps considerably.
I agree with GaryM and The Frumious Bandersnatch. In addition to what they point out, tall grass (even grass that is “only … about 18” high" would do a spectacular job of concealing hazzards such as chunks of blown-apart tires, dead dogs, cinder blocks (they do fall off of trucks from time to time), which I for one would want to be able to see very clearly if I had to leave the road for any reason.
Danalan, in your OP you said “You only have to mow once every couple years to keep tree growth down.” At that frequency, the grass, weeds, and underbrush will be significantly higher than 18" in no time at all. I don’t know where you live, but in most parts of the US the grass along the sides of most limited access highways gets tall enough to hide deer very well within about 60-90 days in the summer time. As it is, the verge along most of the highways around here (southeastern US) only get mowed once or twice a year. And it’s mowed with a bushhog pulled by a tractor, so the end result is nothing like a well-manicured lawn.
Also, a 3000lb+ vehicle travelling at 60+ mph will not be slowed significantly by 18" tall grass. Mud, maybe. 6’ high underbrush, somewhat. 18" tall grass, not so much.
Hmmm. This is precisely why my area typically does NOT mow right-of-ways, except for the four or five feet right next to the roadway. Tall grass is an excellent soil erosion control, as well.
On my drive to the Cities on Monday I noted the state is allowing the grass to grow, as well. Whether this is on purpose or because of MNDoT budget cuts, however, I do not know.
You may not have sparks from tailpipes, but them catalytic converters get HOT. Just recently, our police dept lost a car to a brush fire ignited by the catalytic converter when a pursuit ended up in an field.
Around here, property owners get weed abatement notices if the grass/weeds get 18" high. And I know for a fact that the county has sent weed abatement notices to the State Dept of Transportation when they feel the State Right of Way grass/weeds get too high.
Now THERE’S an interesting thought: if the State were to ignore a Weed Abatement notice from the County, the County would be compelled to remove the growth…however, the County cannot enter a controlled-access highway to do any work without a permit issued from the State Dept of Transportation.
~VOW