The highways look terrible.

Every time the landscaping crews are brought in to cut the grass, they do a piss poor job. The tractors tear up the ground, they never weed whip, and they skip big portions leaving it looking half-assed.

I don't understand why they had to mow the grass, anyway. Sure, it was tall, but it actually looked pretty with all the wildflowers in bloom.

Now, it just looks like, well, shit.

If the state is looking to trim the budget by mowing highways less, is there a reason why a more long term landscaping approach isn't being explored? Planting more trees and bushes would virtually end having to mow the highways in 5 years. Of course, the bushes would have to be trimmed once annually around signage, but that would be about all the care required. Plus, more green life along the highway would create a natural [[mildly-effective) sound barrier for the neighborhoods bordering said highway. Which, of course, would double as a sight-barrier so the out of towners [[ahem, journalists) can stop using their ride in from Metro Airport seeing burnt out homes as the intro to the next editorial about the fall of the auto industry.

Just a thought.