WASHINGTON — Two Fairfax County leaders want the grass along county roads mowed more often to improve safety.
“Grass can grow sometimes as high as 3, 4, maybe even 5 feet, and it causes some real problems at a number of our intersections as far as blocking your view for left-hand turns,” Fairfax County Supervisor John Cook told WTOP.
He and Supervisor Jeff McKay want the Virginia Department of Transportation, which maintains most of the county’s roads, to double its mowing schedule from three times a year to six.
Cook and McKay plan to send a letter about the issue to Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne.
“VDOT used to mow six times a year because they understood then, as they understand now, that that’s what’s required, once a month is what’s required to keep the grass level down to an acceptable level,” Cook said.
VDOT’s Jenni McCord says the first round of mowing of the season started in late May and will wrap up in the next few weeks.
“Some of those areas that are still tall, they might be addressed within that first cycle of mowing. We just maybe have not gotten to those yet,” she said.
McCord says they will mow along roads at least two more times before October, but some areas may get additional trims.
“If our crews see a sight distance issue or if we have one reported, then we will also go out and do an additional mow to make sure that that area is safe,” said McCord.
You can report unsafe road conditions, including grassy areas that block your view, by calling VDOT at 1-800-FOR-ROAD. Another way to let VDOT know is by heading to their website and clicking on “Report a Road Problem” in the upper-right corner.
