04-11-2016, 11:28 AM
(04-11-2016, 10:55 AM)mpd618 Wrote: My understanding is that burying the wires replaces an overground constraint for trees with an underground one, and it's not clear that it's a win. Is it possible/easy to place the wires in a way that it wouldn't conflict with street tree planting?
I don’t think the impediments to trees of underground wires are nearly as serious as those of overhead wires. Obviously a tree can’t be planted directly over underground utilities, but I think they can coexist at very close proximity. If a repair needs to be made, that could damage a tree, but as far as I know very large trees with extensive root systems can be planted on streets with underground wires without any more worry than we would give to the existence of things like water mains- which is to say, some, but nowhere near the constraints placed by overhead wires.