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CURRENT TRENDS IN EQUIPMENT FOR ROADSIDE COVER ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE

A COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS SENT TO THE 48 CONTINENTAL STATES, HAWAII, PUERTO RICO, AND THE THRUWAY AND TOLLWAY COMMISSIONS. FIFTY-FOUR QUESTIONNAIRES WERE COMPLETED AND RETURNED WITH THE FOLLOWING DISTRIBUTION: 46 FROM THE STATES, SIX FROM TOLLROAD AUTHORITIES, ONE FROM THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND ONE FROM PUERTO RICO. WITH THE INCREASING ACREAGE OF WIDE RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND THE CONTINUED USE OF NEARLY ALL OLDER RIGHTS-OF-WAY, THERE APPEARS TO BE A NEED FOR TWO TYPES OF EQUIPMENT, ONE WITH HIGH CAPACITY FOR OPERATION ON THE WIDE, FLAT AREAS OF THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM AND EXPRESSWAYS AND ANOTHER FOR OPERATION ON THE STEEPER SLOPES OF OLDER ROADS AND NEW RIGHTS-OF-WAY IN HIGH-VALUE AREAS NEAR METROPOLITAN CENTERS. ALTHOUGH THE TREND IS DEFINITELY TOWARD FLATTER SIDE SLOPES, IN SOME AREAS THE COST OF LAND AND CONSTRUCTION MAY NECESSITATE STEEP SLOPES THAT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN. HYDRAULIC SEEDERS AND STRAW MULCHERS ARE WIDELY ACCEPTED AS THE MOST SATISFACTORY EQUIPMENT NOW AVAILABLE FOR SEEDING SLOPES. ALTHOUGH CERTAIN SPECIES OF PLANTS HAVE PROVED BEST IN CERTAIN REGIONS, ONLY 14 ARE USED IN STANDARD MIXTURES IN FOUR OR MORE STATES. FARM GAINS FOR TEMPORARY SEEDINGS ARE BECOMING LESS POPLUAR AND THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT TEMPORARY SEEDINGS THEMSELVES ARE BEING USED LESS EACH YEAR. THIS REPORT HAS ESTABLISHED THE NEED TO DEVELOP TRACTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON SIDE SLOPES. SUCH A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF COSTS FOR ROADSIDE COVER MAINTENANCE GOES INTO MOWING THAT NOT ONLY TRACTOR- MOUNTED BUT ALSO SELF-PROPELLED, SHOULDER-OPERATED, AND ENGINE-POWERED WALKING TYPES OF MOWING EQUIPMENT ARE NEEDED. THE ENGINE-POWERED WALKING MOWERS ARE DESIRABLE FOR EXTREMELY STEEP SLOPES WHERE PRESENT TRACTORS CANNOT OPERATE AND FOR AREAS THAT CONTAIN MANY OBSTACLES. ALTHOUGH SICKLE BAR MOWERS ARE STILL USED ON MORE ACREAGE, THE PERCENTAGE OF MOWING BY ROTARY MOWERS INCREASED RAPIDLY AND WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE. HAMMER KNIFE MOWERS AND GANG-TYPE REEL MOWERS ARE IN LIMITED USE, BUT THEIR USE WILL INCREASE AS MORE SUPERHIGHWAYS ARE BUILT. SICKLE BAR MOWERS WILL STILL BE USED ON DIFFICULT AREAS BUT WILL BE HYDRAULICALLY DRIVEN. A LARGE AMOUNT OF HAND LABOR IS STILL BEING USED, ESPECIALLY IN MOWING AND REMOVING LITTER WHICH ARE OFTEN DONE THREE OR FOUR TIMES A SEASON. THEY ARE EAGER TO REPLACE HAND LABOR WITH MECHANIZED EQUIPMENT. USE OF CHEMICALS FOR WEED CONTROL AND SOIL STERILIZATION IS EXPECTED TO EXPAND. GROWTH INHIBITORS, IF PRACTICAL SHOULD HAVE WIDE ACCEPTANCE. ALONG WITH BETTER HIGHWAYS, THE PUBLIC IS DEMANDING AND GETTING BETTER ROADSIDE APPEARANCE THROUGH IMPROVED MAINTENANCE. EXPECTED CONTINUATION OF THIS TREND WILL INVOLVE (A) BETTER ROADSIDE COVER CONTROL THROUGH USE OF CHEMICALS, MAINTENANCE FERTILIZERS, AND MODERN EQUIPMENT; B) MORE FREQUENT REMOVAL OF LITTER; (C) MORE ROADSIDE LANDSCAPING; AND (D) MORE ROADSIDE PARKS. /AUTHOR/

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  • Supplemental Notes:
    • No 1030, pp 59-91, 2 FIG, 21 TAB, 24 PHOT. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
  • Authors:
    • Butler, B J
    • Yoerger, R R
  • Publication Date: 1962

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  • Accession Number: 00205154
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: Dec 6 1971 12:00AM