Beacon Hill’s first neighborhood greenway is getting pieced together. SDOT has installed many of the wayfinding signs and will soon be installing sharrows along the route.
And this week, SDOT’s Urban Forestry crews installed 70 trees along 18th Ave from the Mountains-to-Sound Trial to S Stevens Street. Homeowners were given their choice of tree, which ranged in height and style. From SDOT:
We sent a letter to all residents scheduled for trees prior to planting to let them know about the project, giving them a choice of species, and letting them opt out if they did not want a tree planted. Over thirty percent of residents opted out, many fearing increased maintenance from dropping leaves. However, other residents saw the crews planting trees and requested planting on nearby streets. Where possible, we found spots for the unwanted trees. Several neighbors have thanked the tree-planting crews for their work. The members of Beacon B.I.K.E.S. have also expressed their gratitude and are very pleased with the results.
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After all, what’s a greenway without the green? The tree planting goes along with the idea that neighborhood greenways should create a park-like atmosphere and experience. It’s a street prioritized for safe human-scale living and moving, and more trees and other uses of plants (such as bioswales to calm traffic an reduce stormwater system overflow during heave rains) help to create a street that feels different than others. It should be special and attractive.
The most expensive parts of the route – the arterial crossing improvements – are on hold until funding is available.
Dylan from Beacon BIKES invited members of the neighborhood to get out and enjoy the street in a post over at the Beacon Hill Blog.
