Since it was such a spectacularly lovely day in Old B'game today, I have chosen today for the annual tree-hugger post. There is a wrinkle this year since I am going to bookend it with a big loss. I'm not sure what this species is (a little help here experts) but they are pretty common in B'game and particularly bright this year.
The bookend is the mighty Euc that we are losing across El Camino from the Safeway near the bus stop. If you have been caught in any of the single-lane bottlenecks that Caltrans has had to use to take down the tree you know where it is. It seems to me that they are about five days into it and there is still a lot of eucalyptus there. The good news is I have it on good authority that this one is a "good kill", i.e. it was legitimately sick. Here's hoping it is the only original one we lose for awhile.
Chinese pistache
Posted by: stating the obvious | November 21, 2015 at 11:51 PM
Just imagine if they get the go ahead to cut down all of the eucalyptus trees. We would narrow el camino for a couple years.
Posted by: hillsider | November 22, 2015 at 12:59 PM
Speaking of "road diets"... Here's the answer to prevent accidents, keep the trees and be oh so au courant: Add bike lanes to El Camino, single lanes northbound and southbound with a middle lane for left turns.
More small buses in place of the big ones.
Posted by: Peter Garrison | November 22, 2015 at 03:12 PM
Hillsider, I think you mean, they (Caltrans) would "widen" El Camino in a couple of years. Love the above post from Peter.
Posted by: Jennifer | November 22, 2015 at 03:39 PM
Joe, Joe, Joe, this post should be more aptly named "Yawn Fest" to wit, some of the posts of late have been like watching grass growing or leaves falling, as it were. Bruce Dickinson understands that the BV cannot be the hard hitting, expose driven journalism expected by your readers all the time, but over the past couple of weeks, I gotta tell ya, all I see are posts about leaves falling, rain falling, the BHS Principal being blamed for all by Pantherboy (who has since transformed to BHSMom, seriously guy, your writing style is exactly the same and cannot fool the Mr. Smith of Wordsmiths, ya know what I mean?) and more Jerry Brown & Co and Democratic party non-sequiturs that are tangentally at best, related to anything involving Burlingame.
C'mon folks, is your noggin already egg-nogged up? And it's not even Thanksgiving. Time for some hard hitting content Joe and Russ, I want to see more Rottweiler and less kitty-cat (mountain "lions" or Burlingame Panthers notwithstanding)!
Posted by: Bruce Dickinson | November 23, 2015 at 08:28 PM
Totally disagree regarding the ElCamino trees. The eucalyptus on El Camino are overgrown and are a safety hazard. I'm a loyal tree hugger, but when I'm almost killed at an intersection because a driver cannot see me or I almost kill a walker because I cannot see them, then the trees lose my vote. And let's not forget how they have buckled the road so drivers are faced with even more accident potential. They were planted in a time when they were appropriate - now they are dangerous and the more that are taken down, the happier I am.
Posted by: B'gamer | November 23, 2015 at 09:09 PM
"Buckled roads" = slower drivers. Do not mess with the Law of Unintended Consequences.
Bruce, I'm sure you can appreciate the vagaries of newsworthy items in town and my need to deliver outstanding results at end of year in my day job--which, of course, is happening.
If you have topical suggestions, I am all eyes.
Now you have me second-guessing my next post about how Geneve Jewelers has to move off the Ave. but a hair extension shop can move in. Would that be a yawn, too?
Posted by: Joe | November 23, 2015 at 10:27 PM
Joe, I gotta tell ya, the hair extension place sounds interesting.....let's hear the gory details!
Understand the day job requirements, and I know what successful people have to do to perpetuate success ....once upon a time, Bruce Dickinson would pull 36's....that's right 36 hours straight of recording sessions before deadline even a couple of times with the next producer/band lined up waiting outside for our session to end! Ahh..those were the days before the Ferraris and the winery!
Posted by: Bruce Dickinson | November 23, 2015 at 10:44 PM
I think Bruce has PESD. Post Election Stress Disorder is a condition causing its patient to be impatient for VIN (very important news) and is known to strike its victims regardless of the outcome of the election.
Posted by: local motion | November 24, 2015 at 08:22 AM
B'gamer - I have to agree with Joe - the idea that taking the trees down is safer isn't true - speed on el camino is what causes accidents - the slower the cars (thanks to our natural speed bumps) the less accidents there will be...a few left turn arrows would not be a bad idea either!
Posted by: Burlingame Betty | November 24, 2015 at 01:49 PM
Or a few No Left Turn signs. That is something I could support cameras to enforce since they would not be relying on the duration of the yellow light. No means no...left turns.
Posted by: Joe | November 24, 2015 at 03:10 PM
Ha, Bruce Dickinson must laugh, yes, chuckle at Loco Motion's attempt at humor. Listen guy, let me tell you a little thing or two about a life that is lived. A year in the life of Bruce Dickinson, producing dynamite bands, flying into studios across the globe to mend bands that were about to kill each other and break up, marathon recording sessions with sleepless nights, producing records in Communist countries, epic battles with record execs always trying to sac you, testifying in court battles that make Roe v Wade look uncontroversial. My friend, in my busiest year, I probably saw and experienced more than most have seen in lifetimes.
So there is zero "stress" associated with the Burlingame local election (a city of 30,000), as first, my candidates won and decisively defeated those where governing ability was not their core competence, and second, given my whirlwind life experiences, I can tell you that watching an election and commenting on it probably raises my pulse a little less than a game of backgammon, ya know what I mean?
Seriously, folks, if you're gonna come up with something funny and sarcastic make it seem plausible in the first place or else is just falls flat. Looks like Dr. Dickinson may have to also give some Comedy 101 lessons at the rec center too!
Posted by: Bruce Dickinson | November 24, 2015 at 07:52 PM
Trees or no Trees.
If any accident happens, it is due to "Human Error."
Driver going to fast, to slow, not focused on driving, poor maintenance of vehicle, physical/emotional problems.
The tree just stands there.
Year after year, after year.
If a person has a problem with trees near an Avenue, or on El Camino Real, it is their propagative, and responsibility to find a different route.
Otherwise, the driver has taken responsibility to drive on a public thoroughfare at their own peril, as well as any one..
Simply said..
Take responsibility for every action you choose.
Simple.
Posted by: [email protected] | November 25, 2015 at 07:15 PM
Trees are not just standing there. They are buckling the road, dropping unsafe branches and are uprooting the sidewalk on which many handicap people have trouble on. Not seeing a walker as I'm a driver is also not human error. It is the huge tree standing there that blocks my vision.
Posted by: B'gamer | November 26, 2015 at 11:30 AM
I can certainly agree that Caltrans should be fixing the sidewalks on State Highway 82 (El Camino), but that does not entail cutting down Nationally Historic trees.
http://www.burlingamevoice.com/2012/03/nationally-historic-100-years-of-protection-rewarded.html#comments
Posted by: Joe | November 26, 2015 at 12:28 PM
I'd venture to guess that the big trees have "saved" more property and pedestrians, than they have imperiled, including the issue of blocked views, that could be ameliorated with something as simple as a mirror, or even a sensor, just as is done on parking garages were vision exiting is impaired, or (cheaper) if we stop allowing legal right turns during red phases onto ECR at critical intersections, thus helping those at unsignalized intersections time when to safely turn onto the highway.
If ever Caltrans manages to cut all the big trees down, they'll need to replace them with bollards up and down the highway, just to keep the speeding cars from jumping over the curbs and smashing into residences or worse, people on the sidewalk. Agree, however, that the big trees are well overdue for a good clipping--the last major pruning was done in late 2010; the next will apparently happen in early 2016--Why not now, before the big storm season is underway, is anyone's guess--
Posted by: Jennifer | November 26, 2015 at 03:45 PM
From the city news service:
The City owned eucalyptus tree at 1715 Easton Drive is scheduled to be removed by West Coast Arborist, Inc. who has been contracted by the City of Burlingame to perform the tree removal and stump grinding.
The City Arborist inspected the tree and noticed decay in the trunk and overall decline in the health of the tree. The City Arborist then had the tree tested by an independent arborist and it was determined to have advanced decay at the base of the trunk. The drill test performed indicated that there is only 5-12 inches of sound wood around the base of the tree causing the tree to become a known potential hazard.
Posted by: Joe | October 06, 2016 at 04:07 PM
-Who is the City Arborist?
-Is there any background info about West Coast Arborist? What the heck is that anyway?-Yelp
-I have heard that the City of Burlingame has a tree cutting crew.
Why is that-tree cutting crew division of Burlingame Public Works not doing the tree removal?
-How much is the City of Burlingame paying for this tree at 1715 Easton Road, paying for this project?
Posted by: [email protected] | October 06, 2016 at 05:32 PM