The Importance of Clear Access
At Central Lincoln, we actively manage trees and vegetation across our 700-square-mile service area to:
- Keep the public and our crews safe
- Reduce the risk of outages and wildfires
- Improve response times during storms and emergencies
But our crews can’t do it alone — we need your help, too.
Why Clearance Matters
Central Lincoln’s Right of Way Supervisor Todd Wright oversees one of our in-house tree crews as well as all contracted tree crews. He’s seen firsthand how overgrown driveways can slow down critical work:
“When driveways are overgrown, we can’t always get our trucks through to restore power. A little trimming now makes it easier for us — and for emergency responders who might need to reach your home.”
Low-hanging branches don’t just slow us down: they can damage our trucks or even rip off side mirrors. But the bigger issue is safety: if a fire truck, ambulance, or our crews can’t reach your home because of blocked access, lives could be at risk.
Access to Equipment
It’s not just driveways. Our crews also need to reach electrical equipment like meters, padmount transformers, poles, and service lines. Covering or fencing in these areas may seem like a good way to hide them, but it can cause dangerous delays.
Simple Guidelines
- Driveways: Maintain at least 14 feet of clearance overhead and 8 feet on each side so large trucks can pass.
- Equipment: Keep about 6 feet of clear space around poles, meters, and padmount transformers.
- Trees: Trim branches that hang near power lines, and avoid planting fast-growing species close to equipment.
Clear access keeps power reliable and helps keep our communities safe. For more information, visit our Tree and Vegetation Specifications page.
