Trees? In Eureka?

For a long time I have been bothered by the traffic problem in Eureka. It seems to be the dark cloud that hovers over everything that I love about this city. Traffic noise, noxious fumes, devalued neighborhoods and just plain physical danger are caused by the proximity of too many cars passing by too fast on almost every street in the heart of the city and downtown . Many cities use trees to combat these impacts.

The powers that be know there is a problem, yet it seems they have given up. Although they have workshops on traffic calming, there is an accepted tenet that the automobile must be catered to. For years Eureka and the County traffic engineers have been working with CALTRANS to ensure that there is smooth traffic flow on 101 as it passes through Eureka. This same concept guides traffic engineering on Eureka streets .

Having worked as a planner for city and county governments and a consulting firm for over thirty continuous years, I can see that Traffic Engineering has not been balanced by Transportation Planning. Transportation Planning, as required under state planning law, requires cities and counties to plan for other modes of travel than the automobile and to consider the impacts of traffic on the community. Traffic Engineering, without Transportation Planning turns streets into racetracks.

Imagine that cars went through Eureka on two-way streets lined with trees and that wide streets had landscaped medians as well. Imagine that the historic neighborhoods were dressed up with trees and that some of the streets had stop signs, traffic circles or neighborhood gardens that prevented cars from speeding through. Can you picture people sitting on their front porches or in their front yards, talking to their neighbors, walking to the store or park or waterfront?
In this picture, .trees separate people walking, biking or taking the bus from the moving cars. The noise of the cars is softened and roadside air pollution is absorbed by the trees. Trees create an idyllic setting and context for t he historic houses; they soften the hard surfaces of asphalt and concrete, streets and sidewalks.

This picture is especially needed in the historic neighborhoods east of Broadway and south of Downtown. These neighborhoods are full of an amazing assortment of historic houses but because they are closest to the "freeway" corridor of Route 101, they are inhabited by those who have no other choice than to live in neglected historic houses impacted by "freeway" noise and polluted air. This area is very affordable but it is not a healthful place to live. It attracts drug addicts and criminals of all sorts who prey on the residents. As Jerry Brown told the politicians from East Oakland who were screaming about gentrification when he tried to improve the quality of life in similar neighborhoods, "Just keep your drugs and crime and you will have low-cost housing forever." Even though many people in these neighborhoods treasure these historic gems and are restoring or have restored the old houses to their former glory and grandeur, the neighborhoods continue to appear blighted as long as the City makes no effort to dress up the stark concrete and asphalt street environment and show off these architectural beauties. Just planting street trees and adding a few stop signs or traffic circles would make a big difference. Yes, we want to retain affordable housing but it is not necessary to neglect neighborhoods to ensure that they remain affordable. Many cities have restored the quality of the environment and life in older neighborhoods and kept the low-income people there. Rent control, low-interest long term loans and other programs successfully ensure the continuity of low-cost housing for low-income residents.

We will still have cars for some time to come but we need to reduce their impacts and ensure that walking and other forms of moving about are viable alternatives. Creating a pedestrian environment with street trees and green spaces will go a long way toward reducing conflicts between cars and people and will make our city more beautiful, too.