Opinion of Grass Medians

[XamotCGC]

I always thought they gave a little a beauty to the highways. I also liked how they acted as a natural barrier that separated the lanes of travel.

[MATraveler128]

I personally never notice the median on the highway.

[webny99]

My opinion:
Better than a treed median because you can see the traffic going the other way.
Better than a jersey barrier because it doesn't feel so compact/crowded.
Overall: 10/10

[Rothman]

Grass as opposed to what?  Anything's better than a big concrete pour.

[HighwayStar]

I would say the median pecking order looks something like this.

River > Mature Trees > Scrub/Bushes > Grass > Dirt > Concrete.

Also a fan of median structures, such as rest areas and service plazas.

[hbelkins]

They make it too easy for a cop traveling in the other direction to do a U-turn through the median to go generate some revenue because someone drove faster than an arbitrarily-established number.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I like grass medians that have plants or some other interesting feature, not just grass. Also, wider grass medians are better. If there's no barrier (or a wired fence), I'd be worried about vehicles crossing over into the wrong lane. 

[ilpt4u]

I like I-75's median at Arlington Heights, OH/just north of Cincy

Used like normal city real estate: housing, businesses, streets, etc

[webny99]

They make it too easy for a cop traveling in the other direction to do a U-turn through the median to go generate some revenue because someone drove faster than an arbitrarily-established number.

That happens with other types of median too, and they're actuallybeasier to spot in a grass median than one with trees or other dense vegetation.

[MATraveler128]

Here's a unique median that you don't see that often, this is I-90 westbound in the Driftless Area of Minnesota. The median is wide enough that there are farms between the eastbound and westbound lanes.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.9235428,-91.3804662,3a,75y,73.78h,81.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sebsljWpawm82ssfunWNmqw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[sprjus4]

They make it too easy for a cop traveling in the other direction to do a U-turn through the median to go generate some revenue because someone drove faster than an arbitrarily-established number.

Meanwhile the cop has to accelerate to 90-100+ mph to catch the person driving 10-20 mph over a 65 or 70 mph speed limit where the roadway is perfectly safe to drive at 80-90 mph.

But, they're specifically trained to travel at that speed so it's okay. No risk to them.

I was nearly hit by a cop that quickly whipped out of the median in front of me - which caused me to have to slow way down - in Emporia, VA to pull over a driver going around 70 mph on their 60 mph bypass. Meanwhile the cop had to accelerate to around 80-85 mph to catch up to them.

[Max Rockatansky]

They often look like trash in California.  The grass grows wild in the median in the winter months on the likes of I-5 only to dry out and become something a brush fire hazard by late spring.  I've always preferred the look of the median Oleanders myself, especially when they bloom.

[Bitmapped]

I like them better than Jersey barrier or guardrail medians.

I'm particularly a fan of the mounded median design that Ohio used on most 1960s-1970s era construction, where there are large ditches beside the inner travel lanes with a high mound of earth in between. This design helps to reduce headlight glare from the opposite direction, and as far as I can tell, would help cut down on median crossover accidents since the ditch would help to contain errant vehicles. Here's an example of the design: https://goo.gl/maps/GanvGJaJotcCx73e8

Unfortunately, ODOT has gotten away from this design on newer construction, even when the median is wide enough to accommodate it. In cases where the mounded median is removed, like to accommodate temporary median crossovers for construction, it is generally not replaced, either.

[RobbieL2415]

I support grass/natural medians as a matter of conservancy. There are certain situations where there just isn't enough ROW to accommodate one.

[hbelkins]

They make it too easy for a cop traveling in the other direction to do a U-turn through the median to go generate some revenue because someone drove faster than an arbitrarily-established number.

That happens with other types of median too, and they're actuallybeasier to spot in a grass median than one with trees or other dense vegetation.

They can't do that with a concrete jersey barrier or a guardrail/cable barrier unless you're unfortunate to get clocked right at a U-turn spot.

[JoePCool14]

I love grass medians as opposed to jersey barriers. When I'm driving through rural areas, I want it to actually feel rural, not like I'm the Tri-State around Chicago. Even if the road is 6-laned.

But forget grass medians, I like houses, rock walls, a bar, and an entire cul-de-sac in my median.

https://goo.gl/maps/f7YUsp4FqUiWqcFp6
https://goo.gl/maps/r7rz4QQ7kXbydFze8
https://goo.gl/maps/F6rQSuUGgubVNUb7A

[Buck87]

Sure, when it comes to aesthetics I prefer a grass median to a jersey barrier.

However, if the jersey barrier is there instead of grass because the freeway was expanded from 4 lanes to 6 I'm perfectly ok with it. I'd rather be able to quickly pass a pair of micro passing semis than see grass between the carriageways.

I like I-75's median at Arlington Heights, OH/just north of Cincy

Used like normal city real estate: housing, businesses, streets, etc

That's known as the Lockland split. Not too often do you see a 2,500 ft wide median with an entire neighborhood in it.

[rarnold]

Here's a unique median that you don't see that often, this is I-90 westbound in the Driftless Area of Minnesota. The median is wide enough that there are farms between the eastbound and westbound lanes.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.9235428,-91.3804662,3a,75y,73.78h,81.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sebsljWpawm82ssfunWNmqw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The picture that comes up for me that shows the white Morton building, is actually on the outside of the highway. There are beans planted in the median, but the barn is not in the median.

[Henry]

Sure, when it comes to aesthetics I prefer a grass median to a jersey barrier.

However, if the jersey barrier is there instead of grass because the freeway was expanded from 4 lanes to 6 I'm perfectly ok with it. I'd rather be able to quickly pass a pair of micro passing semis than see grass between the carriageways.

I like I-75's median at Arlington Heights, OH/just north of Cincy

Used like normal city real estate: housing, businesses, streets, etc

That's known as the Lockland split. Not too often do you see a 2,500 ft wide median with an entire neighborhood in it.

For one, I'm a huge fan of grassy medians in rural areas. Jersey barriers are perfectly fine for urban and metropolitan freeways, but are a major distraction on those in the less-populated country. If there are decorations in the median, such as trees or even bushes, then so be it.

As for I-75, that's probably the only freeway split I know of that contains a whole village. It's the most creative use of a nearly 1/2-mile wide space between carriageways that effectively make I-75 a one-way couplet through the area.

[kphoger]

Jersey barriers are perfectly fine for urban and metropolitan freeways, but are a major distraction on those in the less-populated country.

How are these barriers "a major distraction"?  I'm confused.  I've never been distracted by them.

https://goo.gl/maps/CPo7Dx3b6j1e2ygv8
https://goo.gl/maps/znsygULRDm1Eu9DU6
https://goo.gl/maps/kRoZamzDXn7oa8aV9
https://goo.gl/maps/4VnPP6Y8BkyGKuLy6
https://goo.gl/maps/k4c1oEEni3nQwkv9A

[Flint1979]

I like I-75's median at Arlington Heights, OH/just north of Cincy

Used like normal city real estate: housing, businesses, streets, etc

I've always liked that too. Every time I've passed it going SB I've been like welp I'm in Cincinnati now since the northern city limits are on the south end of that median at Galbraith Road. I've got off there and rode around Arlington Heights and thought it was cool that I was in a city and the median of I-75 at the same time.

[SectorZ]

I love grass medians as opposed to jersey barriers. When I'm driving through rural areas, I want it to actually feel rural, not like I'm the Tri-State around Chicago. Even if the road is 6-laned.

But forget grass medians, I like houses, rock walls, a bar, and an entire cul-de-sac in my median.

https://goo.gl/maps/f7YUsp4FqUiWqcFp6
https://goo.gl/maps/r7rz4QQ7kXbydFze8
https://goo.gl/maps/F6rQSuUGgubVNUb7A

Those are all for amateurs. In Massachusetts we have jails in ours.

https://goo.gl/maps/eGo4PBdc21sC7zPE7

[MikieTimT]

I prefer woods in the median to block oncoming lights at night and prevent head-on collisions for vehicles that manage to cross over the inner shoulder.  Obviously, there needs to be an adequate deceleration buffer between the inner shoulder and the first tree, however.  When there's not trees or shrubbery (Ni!), I prefer wildflower planted medians and ditches to reduce the need for mowing and change up the scenery a bit, along with a cable barrier for safety and fewer U-turn points for the local toll collectors.

[kphoger]

or shrubbery (Ni!)

(formerly)

[skluth]

Cheech and Chong, Mr Natural, Cypress Hill, and The Dude all say "Yes, please"