Right-of-Way Mowing

To make sure city right-of-way (ROW), such as medians and roadsides, are maintained in a manner that meets city ordinances, the city has implemented a comprehensive ROW maintenance plan. The program involves scheduled mowing of public corridors and spraying harmful weed species in order to improve the appearance of these areas and maintain sight lines for motorists and pedestrians, as well as removal of trash and litter.

Public Works oversees weed mowing along city roadways and in undeveloped open spaces (including the edges of subdivisions) and works with Adams County to identify and spray noxious weeds on city-owned property. When possible, the city landscapes medians and other open areas with native grasses that do not require mowing and drought-resistant plants that use less water.

Right-of-way Mowing Schedule
(PDF, 136KB)

Right-of-Way mowing in the city is divided into two categories:

Parks Division Mowing (Internal Operations)

The Parks Division of the Public Works Department is responsible for all city-maintained, non-irrigated ROW and drainages, which totals approximately 40 lane miles of ROW and 34 acres of drainages and lots. Parks crews spray for weeds, pick up trash, and mow these areas on a four-week rotation, with higher-traffic areas receiving more frequent attention. Vegetation is mowed to 5 inches in height, which keeps it within the 8-inch limit mandated by city ordinance. The mowing season typically runs from May-August but shifts in the weather year-to-year may cause mowing operations to begin earlier or run later. Outside of these months, Parks crews pick up trash in the ROW, but do not mow.

Large trash items in the ROW, such as tires or appliances, are picked up by the Streets Division’s Hot Shot Crew, which picks up large trash throughout the city both during regular patrols and on an as-needed basis.

The four-week rotation for ROW properties ensures all areas are treated on a monthly basis. The fourth week in the schedule is left open to allow for flexibility to move up or delay a mowing cycle based on operational need.

All ROW mowing areas the city is responsible for are inspected by the Parks Division (whether maintained in-house or via contracted services) to mitigate for harmful weed species and ensure adequate sight lines are maintained for motorist and pedestrian safety.

Contracted Mowing

Certain areas, like Quebec Parkway, are contracted out on a yearly basis for maintenance. These irrigated portions of the ROW total around 14.6 lane miles. The contractors perform weekly maintenance from April-October, which includes mowing, shrub bed maintenance, tree maintenance, trash control, watering, and landscape maintenance. From November-March, the contractor picks up trash on a bi-weekly basis.

Other Areas

The portions of the ROW that are not city-maintained (either in-house or by a contractor) are the responsibility of the property owner. Code Enforcement monitors these areas to ensure compliance with city ordinances and works with property owners to ensure that these areas are kept to standard. Additionally, some parts of the ROW fall under the responsibility of either the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) or Adams County. Due to limited resources, CDOT and Adams County perform maintenance in their ROW on a limited basis; Staff is working with CDOT and Adams County to develop options and a plan to increase their levels of service in Commerce City.