For the past couple weeks, they have been trimming along the edge of the 103 between Liverpool and Bridgewater.
The fact that they are doing this is something to be considered. Since I have reached an age where the capacity of my bladder seems to have shrunk considerably, consuming a large coffee on the morning drive to work can be a dangerous activity if one gets delayed by a few extra minutes. So you have to consider the timing of things.
But other than having to learn to drive with my legs crossed, I sort of like the cleanly mowed shoulders.
Not everyone seems to feel that way. There was a news item not too long ago saying that some people felt the edges of the highways in the province were being cut back to far.
It is possible that in some areas, that may be true. I have not been travelling around to other areas much over the past few months, so I can’t say what they are doing everywhere. But in our area, I don’t really think it’s too bad.
There are some very good reasons for clearing the edges of the highways. It apparently allows more sunlight to hit the road surface and helps clear ice and snow. I’m all for that.
And it gives drivers a bit more time to possibly spot any wildlife that may be about to try their luck on the other side. This is a very good reason to clear the edges of the road. Although the wildlife may be thinking they don’t want us cutting their trees and bushes, limiting their ability to sneak up on us is likely good for both us and them.
Deer in particular are very good at jumping in front of vehicles at the last second. Maybe they lag a bit behind raccoons and porcupines as far as the number of them you see taking long naps on the side of the road, but you still see them. And I would much rather people have time to avoid them, and I’m sure they do, too.
The mulch of freshly mowed trees and branches may not look the best, but the increased ability to avoid hitting wildlife is probably a good thing.
