There is a speed hump sign nailed to a mature maple tree on my street. It's adjacent to the most overgrown lot on the block – the owner doesn't mow, leaving a lawn of goldenrod, chicory, tree of heaven, and some mix of turf grasses gone to seed that I don't recognize. It makes me think of a grove of trees and road signs, living together in some kind of harmony. Perhaps one of the signs reads “Grass Seeding”
Using Google Maps Historical Street View, I was able to date the speed hump sign, and the speed hump, to 2021 or 2022. The city has an initiative to create speed humps in residential neighborhoods, and installed approximately 8500 during those years.
I was also able to see that the number of trees halved since 2007, from 14 down to just the 7 that remain. It’s unclear if they were dead, in which case removal isn't the worst thing, or not. In general, the cynicist in me sees “more humps, less trees,” and wonders.
