Two birds, one stone

Pedestrian fatalities happen every day in this area, and it seems like there Is not much the city can do about it. Driving safety campaigns come and go, but drivers continue to hit pedestrians. Nothing changes. The city can't control things.

 

Likewise, the tree population is in steady decline, and it seems like there Is not much the city can do about it. Tree preservation ordinances come and go, but developers cut down trees. Nothing changes. The city can't control things.

 

But by cancelling this project, the city can do something to save both pedestrians and trees. To a certain extent, at least, the city can control things.

 

Florida leads the nation in pedestrian fatalities. A study titled "Dangerous by Design", found that Florida is the worst not because of bad drivers, which the city doesn't have much control over, but because of road design factors, which the city does in fact control. Case in point:  The study recommends placing traffic lights at the places where pedestrians actually do cross streets. An obvious example would be a school crossing in an area where there are a lot of kids and a lot of traffic that is in a hurry. In our case, that means the new Henry/Doherty intersection. But there is no traffic light in the plan.

 

Likewise, if the city really wants to save trees, this is the place to focus its efforts.

 

The city has an ongoing effort to get better control over tree loss associated with new housing developments, but it is clear that there are limits as to what can be accomplished. Private property can be, and will be developed, by the owners, and the city can only have a marginal impact on tree loss. The city does not have much control. However, by canceling the Heritage Oaks/Doherty Drive Extension project, the city can save approximately 130 trees. The city has total control in this case and should exercise it.