Northern Virginia Planting Guidelines
Planting is reflective of the overall roadway. Traffic requirements, safety, natural features, environmental circumstances, and maintenance should be considered in the development of each design.
Planting may achieve a special purpose or function along the road.
- Help provide safe and multi-use roadsides.
- Water quality preservation protection and improvement.
- Wetland and sensitive area protection.
- Habitat protection and connectivity.
- Erosion and sedimentation control and stormwater management.
- Planting for traffic indication - i.e., bridge approaches, entrance and exit areas, change in horizontal alignment.
- Planting to promote a positive quality of life for the community and the user.
- Planting to improve long range maintenance operations.
- Planting to improve the aesthetics of the area, and mitigate any negative impacts of transportation projects.
Safety conditions influence plant location
Sight Distance is the distance at a given speed required for perception,
reaction and braking time. Objects that would obstruct the driver’s sight, such
as tall shrubs, and groundcovers, trees, light poles etc. may not be placed
inside the sight triangle. Sight distance must be considered for signs, and for
vehicles at intersections, signalized intersections, and entrance ramps, exit
ramps and crossovers. It is also considered for vehicles moving through
horizontal curves. Sight distance is always measured as a
straight line from
the driver’s eye of the approaching vehicle to the fixed object, sign or to the
driver’s eye of the stopped vehicle.
The link below will take you to the
VDOT Road Design Manual, Appendix C. On Page C28 are table that give you the
minimum sight distance based on the travel speed the road is designed to
accommodate, generally five to ten miles per hour over the posted speed
limit.
Road Design Manual Sight Distance
The link below will take you to the Florida Department of Transportation
Sight Distance Diagrams. These diagrams illustrate the sight distance lines for
various types of roads (please ignore the references to palm trees). This web
site will have sight distance diagrams for Virginia soon.
Florida Sight Distance Diagrams
The Clear zone is a traversable recovery area for errant vehicles provided
beyond the edge of the traveled way (edge of mainline pavement). The clear zone
must be kept clear of fixed obstacles and must be considered for the entire
length of the project.
The clear zone’s width is determined by design
speed, traffic volume and embankment slope.
The clear zone must be free
of fixed obstacles such as unyielding sign and utility poles, structures and
major trees. Major trees are trees with a mature caliper size of four inches or
more. They are classified as a fixed object. This type of tree is not allowed in
the clear zone. Trees and landscape materials less than four inches in caliper
at maturity may be placed within the clear zone where sight lines permit.
Caution should be taken when selecting plant materials for these areas. The
designer must understand the mature sizes and habits of the plant
materials.
The link below will take you to the VDOT Road Design Manual,
Appendix A. Section A-2 contains tables that give you the minimum clear zone,
based on the type and steepness of the roadside, and the travel speed the road
is designed to accommodate, generally five to ten miles per hour over the posted
speed limit.
Road Design Manual Clear Zone
The following is a link to the North Carolina Planting Guidelines Section for
Clear Zone. The diagrams and information can help you determine the 'clear zone'
for the roadside plantings you propose. This web site will have clear zone
diagrams for Virginia's roadways soon.
North Carolina DOT Clear Zone Planting Guidelines
Roadside maintenance should be considered in the development of planting projects
Planting pits for shrubs behind guardrails should be located a minimum of
one-half the anticipated spread (diameter) of the plant at
maturity.
Plants in masses should be mulched completely between the
planting pits.
Consideration should be given to plant hard to mow areas
with masses of vines or shrubs
Mulch should extend to the front face of the
guardrail or the edge of the shoulder.
Cultural characteristics,
especially salt tolerance, should be considered.
A minimum of one mowing
swath (6 feet) behind ditches should remain free of tree and
shurbs.
Ditches should remain free of plant materials and
mulch.
Other factors such as run off to and drainage of restricted areas,
air pollution, and reflective heat of the pavement should be considered in
selection of the plant material.
When masses of plants are desired, the
pits should be spaced closely to allow rapid lapping of the branches.
The
location of overhead and underground utilities should be considered in the
selection of plant material.
Mowing operations (type of equipment,
turning radius, etc.,) should be taken into consideration in the design.
Process for Planting in VDOT Right-of-Way
Individuals, agencies or community groups who are interested in planting
shrubs, flowers, or other plants in medians or other locations in the VDOT
right-of-way may submit the following to the Virginia Department of
Transportation Permits Section for consideration.
1. Complete and submit
three copies of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Land Use Permit
Application.
2. Include three detailed drawings (one for each copy of the
Land Use Permit Application) of the area to be planted. For example, if shrubs
are to be planted in a median, the drawing should include the median, the
streets adjacent to the median, sidewalks, stop signs, and anything else
adjacent to the median. List the names and quantities of the shrubs to be
planted.
3. Attach three copies (one for each copy of the Land Use
Permit Application) of a Letter of Perpetual Maintenance signed by the
individual or community group applying for a permit to plant in the VDOT
Right-of-Way. The letter should state that the applicant(s) will be responsible
for the perpetual maintenance of the items to be planted in the VDOT
Right-of-Way. Upon approval of the Land Use Permit Application, which would
include replacement of any planting that dies, the location without having to
obtain an additional permit for maintenance purposes.
4. The Land Use
Permit Application, detailed drawings with the Letter of Perpetual Maintenance
should submitted to:
Fairfax Permits Section
Virginia Department of Transportation
Permit Section
14684 Avion Parkway
Chantilly, Virginia
20151
703-383-2661
Loudoun Permits Section
Virginia
Department of Transportation Permit Section
41 Lawson Rd.
Leesburg,
Virginia 22075
703-737-2026
Prince William Permits
Section
Virginia Department of Transportation Permit Section
10228
Residency Rd.
Manassas, VA 20110
703-366-2004
No fee is charged
for permits to plant and maintain landscaping in the right of way.
Plant Selector
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has a Plant Selector Please keep in mind that Minnesota is a lot colder than Northern Virginia. Northern Virginia is in Climate Zone 6 and Zone 7.
How do I get more information?
Click here for a PDF of VDOT's Northern Virginia Planting Guidelines. (Coming
Soon)
For additional information you may contact Ellen L. Vogel, District
Landscape Architect at Ellen.Vogel@VDOT.Virginia.gov
This web site is possible through a grant from TreesVirginia (Virginia Urban Forest Council)
