Anyone else get caught traveling northeast on Harvey from the Highway Six Bypass today?

Worst traffic jam on Harvey Rd I've seen that didn't involve vehicular accidents.

All due to the following:

https://blog.cstx.gov/2025/12/04/treegiveaway/

Quote:

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Parks and Recreation, Public Communications
Deck your yard with the lovely boughs of a free Texas native tree this holiday season

By Kelli Nesbitt, Parks & Recreation Marketing Coordinator

The College Station Parks and Recreation Department is offering residents an early holiday treat by distributing 1,450 free native trees on Friday, Dec. 12, at Veterans Park and Athletic Complex. The giveaway runs from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., or until supplies run out.....

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I did and it was terrible. No traffic control. No organization. No signage. Terribly organized as it relates to traffic. I saw all of these people driving away with trees and was telling my son, "it's got to have something to do with trees bubba,"

My wife got in line at 9:40 and got her tree at 11:15. She said that about halfway through, police showed up, set up cones in the parking lots, and directed cars inside the park to line up.

I went last year, and it was more low-key; I only heard about it from word of mouth. In and out with minimal waiting. This year, the city advertised weeks in advance, and I bet they did not expect the size of the crowd that would come out.

Went around 1PM. No line or traffic. Early bird does not get the worm in this situation, I guess.

They need to set it up next year like the Household Hazardous Waste events.

b0ridi said:

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Went around 1PM. No line or traffic. Early bird does not get the worm in this situation, I guess.

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I got there at 8:30 and was about the 15th car in line. They said they had to start the event early (about 9:30) since the line had reached Harvey Rd.

I wanted a 15 gallon Schmunard Oak. Were there any of the large trees remaining by that time? I would have been surprised.

Pretty goofy cause IMO. I bet more than half of these 1450 trees donated end up in the landfill, totally defeating the intention. People going to pick up ONE free tree are going to depot and plant by digging their own hole and seeing to it that it gets watered? In winter time of all seasons? And who wants a 1 gallon tree?

College Station might as well have planted all 1450 in various spots to achieve their desired result.

My $0.02

No 15 gallons were left. Only the 1 gallons.

MS08 said:

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I did and it was terrible. No traffic control. No organization. No signage. Terribly organized as it relates to traffic. I saw all of these people driving away with trees and was telling my son, "it's got to have something to do with trees bubba,"

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^This + 1. Description is spot on. And, lest anyone think this post above is hyperbole, I think he was a little too nice. :-)

MS08 said:

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Pretty goofy cause IMO. I bet more than half of these 1450 trees donated end up in the landfill, totally defeating the intention. People going to pick up ONE free tree are going to depot and plant by digging their own hole and seeing to it that it gets watered? In winter time of all seasons? And who wants a 1 gallon tree?

College Station might as well have planted all 1450 in various spots to achieve their desired result.

My $0.02

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By 11:15 all the "desirable" 15 gal trees were gone. One point of frustration for my wife was that there were landscaping trucks at the front taking trees.

Looks like some local businesses took advantage of free inventory...

Altogether, sounds like very bad execution. Color me shocked.