The Winter 1996/97 issue of KUTC Newsletter, a publication of the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) of the University of Kansas Transportation Center, published an article by Lisa Harris entitled “Two KDOT Projects Increase Customer Satisfaction.” With the permission of the Kansas University Transportation Center and the author, we have reproduced here the portion of that article that described a new way to clean mower debris off the highway.

Getting Mower Debris off Roads

District One’s “Salt Shakers” quality management team developed a solution to a problem with KDOT mowers throwing debris towards traffic.

KDOT policy requires that mowing be done with the traffic flow. However, rotation of the cutting blade throws debris toward highway traffic when equipment operators follow this policy, causing vehicle damage and complaints. The team’s goal was to stay within the mowing policy and change the direction the debris would travel.

The team worked with the engineering staff of the mower manufacturer to change gears in the gear box of the seven-foot mowers so that the direction of rotation would be reversed.

According to a KDOT report, “Since the rotation direction has been changed, there have been no vehicle damage claims or motorist complaints due to mowing debris being thrown onto the highway.” The new process has the added benefit of doing a better job of picking up the grass flattened by the mower tires.