The oaks along Kirby Dr. between Richmond and Westheimer have spoken, and they appear to be against being removed so that traffic lanes can be widened by twenty inches.

Since FEMA is providing funding to install massive 72-inch culverts under Kirby from 59 to San Felipe anyway, folks at the Upper Kirby TIRZ figured, why not go all the way and make the street safer for buses and fat-ass trucks? And while we’re at it, why not pave those intersections with giant stars? Sure, that might mean less space for trees and sidewalks, but we’ll be able to squeeze some new ones in.

None of this is making Trees for Houston, the organization that planted many of those trees umpteen years ago, very happy. But maybe they’re just not being appreciative enough of the new 14-foot-wide median they’ll be able to drop their tiny saplings into. Got it? On Kirby everything gets rebuilt.

• Kirby Drive reconstruction plans pose important questions, trade-offs [Transportation Whatnot, via Off the Kuff]
• Kirby Drive reconstruction (US-59 to San Felipe) [CTC Forums]
• Trees for Houston letter to Mayor White [CTC Forums]
• Trees for Houston vs. the Upper Kirby District TIRZ [Houston Strategies]
• Upper Kirby District
• Kirby Drive Starscape [Kirby Allstars]