Take Action Now to Preserve Summit Avenue: Your Voice Matters at City Hall

Thursday, July 16, 2026

Lungs of the world. Trees clean the air of smoke through two primary mechanisms: absorption and interception. Through microscopic leaf pores called stomata, trees absorb harmful combustion gases, while their leaves and bark temporarily trap toxic ash and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that make up smoke Source

Dear SOS Supporters,

Saint Paul resident Leaetta Hough calculates the true costs of the catastrophic loss of trees that the proposed Summit Avenue Regional Trail (SART) will inflict. [click here for Pioneer Press coverage]. Using accepted scientific literature, Hough measures the environmental, economic and personal health impacts of destroying approximately two-thirds of Summit’s iconic tree canopy just to build an-off-road bike trail:

Using the city’s own estimate of trees lost to SART (certainly understated), property values could plunge by $56 million

The loss of property tax revenue will be at least $350,000 and likely more than $700,000

Saint Paul is facing an unprecedented fiscal crisis, and can’t afford to spend over $100 million on SART

Saint Paul’s new Tree Preservation Ordinance offers only limited protection

Click here to send letter to the Mayor and City Council

Number Two: We apologize for the broken email link in the "Request a lawn sign" online form. It has been fixed and we are responding to orders now.

Order your new lawn sign and show your support for building safe streets for walkers, cyclists and motorists, saving trees, and sharing cost transparency with Saint Paul residents.

Order here and we'll deliver!

https://www.savesummitavenue.org/yard-signs

Number Three: Please give what you can to continue this campaign to build transparency and accountability with City Hall planning.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-summit-avenue

www.savesummitavenue.org

Save Our Street is a citizen group that seeks to educate and advocate for preserving the historic streetscape of Summit Avenue as a treasured St. Paul destination and a safe, tree-lined, multi-modal corridor for generations to come.