You probably don’t think much about road medians – but for cities, they can be costly to maintain. Construction is underway in Glendale on a pilot program to replace grass medians with artificial turf.
Aside from saving money on water, “we don’t have to mow the grass anymore, we don’t have to spend money on herbicides and we’re also going to save money with pavement deterioration,” said Street Superintendent Max Morales.
The test site -- on 67th Avenue south of Beardsley -- accounts for 3 percent of the city’s grass medians. Officials said, combined, they cost around $160,000 a year to maintain. The pilot project costs $50,000 and engineers tell ABC15, if expanded citywide, the artificial turf will pay for itself within ten years.
"The residents and business owners in the area -- they like the green grass look, so this will accomplish that," Morales said.
The turf can last 15 years and stays green year-round.
