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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

SELECTIVE CUTTING OF ROADSIDE VEGETATION FOR IMPROVED HIGHWAY SAFETY, APPEARANCE, AND USE

THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE SELECTIVE CUTTING OF ROADSIDE VEGETATION SHOULD BE PRACTICED FOR IMPROVED HIGHWAY SAFETY, APPEARANCE, AND USE ARE DESCRIBED FROM THE STANDPOINTS OF AESTHETICS CONVENIENCE, AND SAFETY. A DISCUSSION OF THE SELECTIVE REMOVAL OF VEGETATION FROM ROADSIDES SHOULD REVOLVE AROUND TWO POINTS OF VIEW, THAT OF THE DRIVER OF A CAR AND THAT OF HIS PASSENGER. THE OCCUPANTS OF A VEHICLE GENERALLY ARE PLEASED WITH THE GRATEFUL FOR THE USE OF ANY PRINCIPLES OR DEVICES EMPLOYED BY HIGHWAY AND LANDSCAPE ENGINEERS IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A ROAD THAT HAVE MADE THE TASK OF DRIVING SAFER AND MORE PLEASANT, EVEN THOUGH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO INDICATE OR DESCRIBE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT HAS CAUSED DRIVING TO BE LESS OF A CHORE. THE SELECTIVE CUTTING AND REMOVAL OF VEGETATION FROM ROADSIDES IN ONE DEVICE THAT DOES IMPROVE THE SAFETY, APPEARANCE, AND USE OF A HIGHWAY. IT IS HIGHLY DESIRABLE THAT THE DRIVER OF ANY VEHICLE BE ABLE TO SEE FAR ENOUGH AHEAD WHILE ROUNDING A CURVE OR APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION TO BE ABLE TO BRING HIS CAR TO A FULL SAFE STOP IF REQUIRED. NO TREE, SHRUB, OR OTHER OBJECT SHOULD OBSCURE HIS VISION. IF LEFT UNMANAGED, THESE NEW CUT AND FILL SLOPES WOULD GENERATE A VEGETATIVE COVER IN DUE COURSE. HOWEVER, THE RAW MATERIAL OF THE SLOPES, REFLECTING AN UNNATURAL CONDITION CREATED BY MAN, IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO THE GROWTH OF PLANT MATERIAL THAT IS CONSIDERED DESIRABLE OR PROPER FOR THE BEST DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF A TRAFFIC FACILITY. EVENTUALLY, THE MATERIAL ATTAINS SUCH SIZE AND VOLUME THAT IT OFFENDS THE PRINCIPLES AND REQUIREMENTS OF SAFETY AND GOOD APPEARANCE. THE CONTROLLED AND MANAGED IN ORDER TO REESTABLISH THESE OFFENDING PLANTS MUST BE REMOVED. TRIMMED, OR OTHERWISE PRINCIPLES AND REQUIREMENTS. WHENEVER AND WHEREVER CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT THE REMOVAL OF TREES AND SHRUBS TO CREATE VISTAS OF DISTANT SCENES OR VIEWS OF A CLOSER, MORE SPECIAL NATURE, ALONG A ROADSIDE OR A ROADSIDE PUBLIC-USE AREA, THE DEGREE OF ARTIFICIAL MANAGEMENT OR CONTROL OF VEGETATION SEEMS TO FOLLOW CERTAIN PRESCRIBED CONDITIONS AND PATTERNS. IF A VISTA IS CREATED AT A MOVING LOCATION, THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND SPACE PLANNED FOR SHOULD RELATE DIRECTLY TO THE VEHICLE DRIVER'S VIEWPOINT. NO MOVING VISTA SHOULD BE LOCATED ON A CURVE, AT THE END OF A TANGENT LEADING INTO A CURVE, OR AT RIGHT ANGLES TO TANGENTS. VISTAS ON TANGENTS SHOULD BE DEVELOPED AT A FORWARD ANGLE FROM THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. THE SUBJECT OF THE VISTA SHOULD BE RELATIVELY SIMPLE SO THAT THE OBSERVER, CATCHING A GLIMPSE OF SOMETHING RARE AND UNUSUAL WITHIN THE FRAME OF THE FOLIAGE, MAY REMEMBER PLEASURE FROM THE "FLASH" PICTURE LONG AFTER HE HAS MOVED PAST IT. IN THE INTEREST OF FOREST PROTECTION, THE CUTTING OF VISTAS SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN WITH CARE. THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF TREES TO WINDTHROWING VARIES CONSIDERABLY WITH THE SPECIES OF TREE, THE AGE AND CONDITION OF THE FOREST STAND, AND WITH TOPOGRAPHIC AND OTHER SITE CONDITIONS. /AUTHOR/

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  • Supplemental Notes:
    • No 496, pp 45-54, 5 FIG, 12 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:
    • Disque, E A
  • Publication Date: 1957

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  • Accession Number: 00205103
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: Nov 22 1971 12:00AM