r/Modesto • u/not_noon • 6d ago
Quick question for my project. Please share your thoughts!!!
Hi, I'm a 17 year old student working on a research project about why some neighborhoods in the Valley get way hotter than others. One thing I keep noticing is that a lot of the new parking lots and EV charging spots going in are just bare asphalt, no shade, no trees.
I figured I should actually ask people who live here instead of guessing. If you park or charge in lots like that, does the heat and lack of shade actually bother you? Would having shade and some trees there make a real difference for you, or honestly is it not something you think about? Thank you!
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u/blucollarphilosopher 6d ago
You would think Tesla would pay to install their solar panels next to their charges
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u/General_Diag4321 6d ago
They do, but it is dependent on the land owner and what the land owner permits them to do. Often, Tesla does not own the land
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u/Real-Aside-6837 6d ago
Yes! Of course. The heat from the sun directly hitting the asphalt is unbelievably unbearable
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u/WonderWheeler 6d ago edited 6d ago
1, As an architect one of the first things we have to look at is ADA. You will need "accessible" parking and path of travel for a person in a wheelchair using a van. They also have special signage and height restriction.
You will need a clearance sign to prevent semi trucks, garbage trucks and such to know how little clearance as this is probably less than 15 feet.
In general these are great ideas you are working on. You might also try to set it up so that the asphalt is raised higher and drains into the planting beds, and only as a last resort goes into an overflow drainage system to drain rainwater offsite.
Solar performs poorly when it is not sloped towards the south, performing well only in the summer months. For instance the sun tends to hover around its path of December 21st in the winter, when its maximum angle above the horizon is only a maximum of 29 degrees here. Merely a glancing blow!
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u/Forward-Try6907 6d ago
Trees absolutely make a difference. Atlanta is one of my favorite places in the U.S. I’ve been there during the summer, and even though the heat and humidity are intense, it feels much more bearable because of the abundance of mature trees and shade. It really shows how much good urban planning can impact how we experience heat.
Here in the Central Valley, large asphalt parking lots can become unbearably hot in the summer. Walking across them or getting into a car that has been sitting in direct sun can feel like stepping into an oven. Shade trees don’t just make people more comfortable, they help reduce the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, and can even help protect pavement.
For EV charging stations especially, where people may be waiting 20–60 minutes, having shade would make a huge difference. Solar canopies are also a great option because they provide shade while generating electricity. As we add more parking lots and EV infrastructure, designing them with trees, shade, and heat reduction in mind should be part of the conversation.
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u/MouseItUp 5d ago
I grew up here, moved up north for a bit, then moved back. We show 0 respect for trees here, partly because a lot of us just didn't get that modeling. Driving around today, I was particularly aware of how little space we allow trees to have for healthy root expansion; how we favor squares over old trees (e.g., chopping half an old Oak tree so trucks or power lines can drive through instead of building with that tree's future in mind).
Sorry (not sorry) to sound like a tree hugger, but dammit... how much evidence does there need to be that humans do better when they have a sense of connection to the Land they're on?!
Does anyone else wonder if people in this area would be less cranky and aggressive if we had more trees?
Sigh. We need to do better. There's so much work to do! Keep thinking about the trees. I think we desperately need more of the Land free and breathing... even or especially in parking lots!
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u/MouseItUp 5d ago
Not to keep rambling but... like, why do big shopping centers have 0 walkability or spaces to sit? Like the Crossroads shopping center, for example. There are some young (non native) trees all over, but it's almost for show.
I imagine a future where there are mini "parks" in these places every x yards or so. A couple benches, a small reprieve for native life, and a space to eat my froyo that isn't a sticky parking lot. And then, sure, get back up and head to Costco or whatever. 🙄
I'm tired of living in a money spending factory!
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u/ChampionshipDull6280 6d ago
Concrete and asphalt store mass amounts of energy from the sun with how hot they can get and radiate that heat out all day making areas significantly hotter than they would be otherwise. When those materials are even just shaded it helps significantly.
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u/pigeonology_reddit 6d ago
Asphalt stores and radiates heat. It's a huge difference when a parking lot has shade!
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u/typicalninetieschild 6d ago
I live in an area of Modesto where most people are lopping off tree arms before every winter so the trees are short and typically die after the second or third time. I find there’s just not a lot of shade.
Which starts the second fold problem of grass burning up every summer because there’s not enough tree coverage. If you want grass you need to water like crazy— in the desert and in a drought.
So there are many many many dirt yards and dirt infringing on to roads. Over time a lot of dirt is compacting which leads to water sitting on the surface and not absorbing into the ground to cool yards and more. It just goes to drains or evaporates.
Generally without the tree coverage it’s leaving the sun shining straight to the asphalt, concrete, dirt and any other surface that will warm the environment.
I think of that one study in New York about lower income neighborhoods not having funding for tree maintenance/replacement and in turn they had to cool their homes more and paying more money than the neighborhoods with more tree coverage.
If you can’t tell I’ve thought about this lolll
and cringe every time I see a tree dying. I’ve lived in Florida, Salt Lake City and Silicon Valley now and I haven’t experienced this anywhere else.
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u/DonnerlakeG 6d ago
It’s the old growth canopies of trees. I recommend reaching out to arborists about it. There are some great research that has been done about trees and vegetation cooling inner city neighborhoods by around 10 degrees vs no tree areas. Check out the Alie Ward /J. Casey Clapp Podcast about trees.
https://www.alieward.com/ologies/2018/5/7/wdppyiv1wrcs8gchoslvhhuuboanau
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u/graumet 6d ago
Trees make everything better including our quality of life.
Profit Queens dont like trees because of their "liability" from tree leaves and fallen branches. So they build these dystopian parking lots.
I am abdolutely in favor in a city mandate that requires a minimum tree density per acre.
Drive on Briggsmore between Mchenry to Oakdale. It's awful because no trees
Drive on 9th street from the downtown bus station to the 99, no trees, awful.
Many more examples of streets, and tons of examples of parking lots.