Save Freeway Plants

I notice with shock that Caltrans is tearing out mature oleanders and other shrubs in the median strips of San Diego County freeways and replacing them with concrete dividers.

One cannot think off-hand of any act by state government that will detract more from the beauty of people’s everyday lives. Caltrans is actually removing the single most visible landscaping there is on public or private property.

A majority of people travel on the freeway almost daily. One need only to drive from Los Angeles to San Diego to notice the tremendous visual difference landscaping in the median makes in breaking up and beautifying the enormous width of concrete and also screening cars coming the other way. The greenery is actually seen by and aids more people daily than all our parks and other landscaping combined.

To rip these plantings out in the name of economy, or even safety, is completely shortsighted and insensitive to our environment. Freeway landscaping is our best bargain as to the cost per person benefitting from it. As to safety, one can certainly make a strong case that a pleasant driving experience, without seeing an expanse of concrete and whizzing cars and lights at night will certainly help reduce accidents. Everyone is concerned about ways to improve the design and environment of our cities. Whoever made the decision to rip out freeway median strip plantings should reconsider. Few beautification projects could be more cost- and use-effective than increasing and implementing the planting of new freeway median strips. To destroy those existing plantings boggles the mind.

A lot of damage has already been done. Planting new strips may have to wait for fatter budgets, but Caltrans should at least stop doing any more damage now. Concerned citizens should write their local and state representatives.

I. ERIC SUNDT

La Jolla