As an emergency room physician with 30 years of experience, I have seen the results of multiple types of injury and the pain it causes to both patients and their loved ones. Some health issues come by no fault of their own. Others can be directly related to neglecting their bodies, or injuries can come at the hands of others. There is an old adage that says that prevention is the best medicine. Sadly, the city of Fairhope is not only neglecting to prevent potential serious injury, it is actually inviting it in the front door.

The planting of trees in most cases is a noble cause and environmentally wise. However, the insertion of trees in the middle of Greeno Road is absolutely and completely counter to all rules of safety. Vehicles traveling at even moderate speeds run the risk of collision, and passengers are substantially more liable to experience serious bodily harm if such an impact should occur. Considering the frequency of rainfall in this area, the increase in traffic on Highway 98 in recent years and the addition of more businesses on the north corridor into the city, this plan needs to be reconsidered. There are already enough accidents, the victims of which come into our Emergency Room for care. Some of these end in tragedy. Many a tree has been removed from roadways all across the country in order to remove dangerous obstacles from the path of automobiles. In Fairhope, we have made a conscious choice to actually add these dangers to one of the busiest roads in Baldwin County, a decision that should be repealed immediately.

The patients I see in the Emergency Room with injuries resulting from car accidents are frequently related to alcohol or illicit substances while traveling at high rates of speed. The trees will not slow these people down. The average driver traveling at 10 or 15 mph over the speed limit is not the problem. Whether drivers are following the posted speed limits or not, hitting a tree could increase the likelihood of serious injury. Most of the accident victims I see are from situations where people have stopped in the roadway at lights or to make turns and are struck from behind. This planting actually limits the space where drivers can move to make their turns or avoid a collision.

In addition to the obstacles these trees will create for the average traveler, the problem is exponentially increased for large vehicles, particularly emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks, which must maneuver around cars that pull to the sides of the road in order to allow them to pass. This serious situation already exists on North Section Street with the center tree plantings. And for bicyclists? The trees will put a squeeze on the road space much like the misguided addition of flower beds jutting into the downtown streets forcing bicyclists to veer into the traffic lanes.

As a native of Fairhope, it is a pleasure to see the city make an effort at beautification. But the taxpayers have enough flowers to water and replant already. The extra cost of this “beautification project” is objectionable. The idea of explaining it as a forced method of speed reduction is ill-advised and foolish and will ultimately be ineffective. Fairhope is beautiful as it is, and needs no more flower beds, nor do the taxpayers. The benefit of this tree project is doubtful at best, exposes the citizens to needless danger and the city to needless liability.

Fairhope resident