A visual feast

Back in late summer 2013, I wrote in this space that all of the major work on the First and Second Street Couplet project was coming to an end (see “Roundabouts and beer,” Aug. 8, 2013). I was referring to the construction of the roundabout and the reconfiguration of East First and Second streets that made them one-way thoroughfares.

I was excited to see traffic on the redesigned streets just steps from the CN&R’s office. Count me among the Chico drivers who are fans of roundabouts—particularly those on Manzanita Avenue, where they’ve greatly improved the flow.

Here in the city center, the first few weeks weren’t pretty. We saw several motorists turn into the circle clockwise or end up going the correct direction only to suddenly turn right into oncoming traffic on Second Street. (Of course, we’ll never forget months later cringing as the driver of a semi-truck got stuck in the dirt and blocked traffic for hours.)

The only thing left, I told readers at the time, was the finishing touches. You know, signage and landscaping. The signs went up shortly thereafter, but little did I know the rest of the project was a long way off. Five years, to be (almost) exact.

But here we are. It’s September 2018—and the third and final phase of the couplet project is in its remaining days. Over the past few weeks, crews dug up the strips of land adjacent to the traffic circle. The task at hand: installing drip irrigation, planting shrubs and other greenery and covering the dirt with bark. What a difference.

And, of course, there’s the centerpiece. The roundabout is now home to impressive masonry work: stacked red-brick retaining walls complete with two pillars and attractive wrought-iron fencing, including a giant decorative oak leaf.

I must admit, the finished product is grander than I’d imagined. By that, I mean the roundabout’s design features are quite large. Shrubs and grasses were planted in the traffic circle, too, as was a decent-size valley oak tree smack dab in the middle. Expect a ribbon-cutting in the weeks to come.

The price tag: $378,000. I’ve heard grumblings about how the city should have used that money to hire additional police officers. Fact is, those funds could not have paid for law enforcement. That’s because there are restrictions on how state transportation dollars and local parking revenue are spent. Based on the options, completing the final portion of the city’s largest downtown infrastructure project in memory seems like a good use to me.

Some people are never going to like traffic circles. I get that. But they should at least acknowledge the benefits. Roundabouts are safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. They also reduce idling traffic, meaning they are ecologically friendly.

As for the aesthetic, remember that people traveling to the city center from Highway 99 are directed to this easterly entrance. Instead of driving past a barren dirtscape or weed patch, this beautified infrastructure will greet them—both figuratively and literally, as the retaining walls include the words “Welcome to downtown Chico.”

Sure, due to propinquity, I may be biased. But I think it looks great—it’s certainly a far cry from I’ve been staring at for the last half-decade.