Arborcide on Christopher Columbus Drive

Pruning our sidewalk trees, I thought as I strolled by. I’m always glad to see our city government willing and able to enhance our quality of life. Remove a couple of dead branches makes things safer.

But those branches didn’t seem dead at all. The autumn leaves still had a week or so before the golden turned to brown. I’m not a tree surgeon, but for some reason I seemed to remember that tree pruning is conducted in the Spring. Two policemen, a couple of trucks, a lot of noise—seems like a pretty big ruckus for a simple pruning. Wait, that’s a wood chipper! This isn’t a pruning! It’s ARBORCIDE!

Sadly, it’s sanctioned Arborcide. A call to the city government, Department of Parks & Forestry. I was informed the trees were ordered destroyed as part of the plan to widen Christopher Columbus Drive. I remember reading something about this, but I paid it no mind, never thinking it would cost some of our very precious and very few trees. I supported the bill that would make Christopher Columbus more narrow and return its original name, Railroad Avenue.

Excuse me. I thought that in this century, our nation wanted to both reduce greenhouse gases and our dependence on foreign oil? Wasn’t building a light rail and improving the PATH system part of achieving that goal? A way to eliminate automobiles, at least reduce the need for every citizen to own an automobile? Urban sprawl, green spaces, etc. etc. Shouldn’t we be discouraging more cars and traffic? With all those over-priced “luxury” condos down by the waterfront (and elsewhere) opening up, the new residents will be expected to drive. Can’t have a new population of the rich people if they can’t have their cars and we won’t be able to fit all them cars if the sidewalks are tree-lined and pedestrian friendly! Arborcide is always justifiable in the Domain of the Developers!