>> Which takes us back to my feasibility and affordability question.
>> Realistically, is it logistically feasible and financially
>> affordable...

> You mean the hundreds of thousands of miles of roadsides presently
> mowed or sprayed with herbicides?????

Good point.  Some money is already spent on these measures, although not
maybe much where the margins are desert.

Would it cost more -- or even less -- to convert these strips to bee
pasture? At first glance, probably not, although it would require a more 
educated maintenance crew and solutions tailored to each locality.

I suppose that is not really the question, though.

The main question is: What justifies the current expenditures and would
this proposal satisfy the same requirements -- plus help the pollinators?

As I see it, the reasons for current margin maintenance practises are

T prevent erosion
To provide attractive appearance
To eliminate tall weeds that
     obscure vision
     encourage and hide animals that endanger traffic
     accumulate trash
     trap snow and drifting dirt
     prevent roads from blowing clear in winter
     may be noxious and spread into cropland
To encourage plants with low growth habits
To encourage plants which are cheaply and easily maintained
To encourage plants that compete well with weeds

Assuming these goals can be met by bee forage, do we want bees near
roads where motorcycles, cyclists and pedestrians travel?  We might say,
"Sure", but the public may not agree.

Moreover on roads carrying heavy, fast-moving traffic, a lot of bees are
lost on windshields.  Not only is that bad for the bee and the
beekeeper, but that also causes poor vision for drivers.  Encouraging
heavy bee densities near such roads may be questionable.

As for back roads?  If we can meet the requirements, and many honey
pants do, why not?

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