Trees are in the way of place-making

Editorial

In what world does it make sense to sacrifice up to 30 mature street trees on behalf of wider sidewalks at intersections?

In the city of trees, whose beauty, shade and carbon-sequestering virtues are revered and upheld in city policy, what justifies such destruction?

The Northwest 21st and 23rd Intersection Enhancement Project involves 10 intersections and would cost about $2 million at a time when the Portland Bureau of Transportation is decimated by budget shortfalls.

PBOT touts the project as advancing safety and place-making, worthy goals questioned by few. A consulting firm hired by PBOT surveyed public reaction to the project in June, and got generally positive comments. Had the survey been conducted after the assault on trees was known, the reaction could have been different.

The Northwest Parking Stakeholders Advisory Committee heard updates on the project in June, July and August without pushing back. That changed in September, when PBOT finally revealed the possibility of tree removal.

If the goals were merely safety and place-making, there may have been better ways to get there. Permanent infrastructure projects should begin with surveys of existing conditions and an inventory of natural and historic assets, in this case cataloguing the trees, their type, size and condition.

PBOT does not know the exact number of trees at risk because it has pushed this project near the finish line without inviting the Urban Forestry Commission to examine the existing trees. Had PBOT begun with the trees, better accommodation could have been made. Bringing a funded and nearly finalized project to an outside body to check on possible deal-breaking situations is reckless brinkmanship.

Curb extensions, sometimes called “bump-outs,” do indeed make pedestrians more visible to drivers and provide wider sightlines toward cross traffic. But are there alternatives that do not entail killing trees? None were presented to the advisory committee, which is being asked to fund most of this project.

Raised and painted crosswalks have been suggested, but PBOT has provided no research on that option. Committee members often advocate for four-way stops, against which PBOT has an entrenched bias. But PBOT loves curb extensions and tends to consider tons of concrete a solution for all seasons.

These particular curb extensions will be extra-long, up to 23 feet instead of the typical 10-foot versions found around the city today. Longer may better for sightlines, but the extra length puts street trees in jeopardy.

And what of place-making, a nebulous concept that most can recognize only when they see it? A 10x10-foot patch of concrete does not make a people attractor, and benches or fixtures are not part of this project.

Trees may be the best place-makers imaginable. They provide shade, beauty, habitat for birds and squirrels and the ineffable comfort of an old, familiar living thing. Put a bench under a grand tree and a space for contemplation or gathering has been created.

Trees are also great for stringing decorative lighting. This and other shopping districts across the city use strands of white lights to make the street more festive, safe and inviting.

Trees could exist in harmony with curbs if the surrounded space were not filled in with concrete. Grates can be placed around tree trunks in such circumstances.

These alternatives may be flawed, but better to start with a goal and weigh options than to start with a cement truck looking to dump its load.

Lest I forget, the project could remove up to 30 curbside parking stalls fronting commercial properties where businesses today face challenges as never before. Currently, those streets have sufficient parking capacity, but in a few years it may not be so. Where will we replace permanently vacated parking stalls in our commercial core if that becomes a priority? We could only recreate them at enormous cost in new structures made of steel and concrete, structures that would degrade the neighborhood.

Citizen advisory bodies should warn agencies of looming blunders. This one did its job and paid a price for it. To err is human, to punish those who point it out is something else entirely.