Oakland and Caltrans officials are deciding how to make Highway 13 easier on the eyes.

City Councilwoman Jean Quan (District 4-Montclair, Laurel) and Caltrans officials met Friday and determined that Caltrans had removed less vegetation during its renovation of Highway 13 than residents first thought. Caltrans is now considering if it can afford Oakland's requests to make the highway more attractive.

"It's all very hypothetical right now," said Caltrans public information officer Bob Haus.

Quan's office asked Caltrans to construct a median filled with bushes or grass on a portion of the highway. But adding vegetation would defeat the purpose of the construction, Haus said.

Workers are building a new wall along the 3.5 mile stretch of Highway
13 between Highway 24 and Interstate 580, replacing the metal guardrails that have separated northbound and southbound traffic for years. The new, single wall will allow road crews to drive street- sweeping vehicles along the shoulders throughout the week, rather than sending people to pick up trash by hand, Haus said.

New vegetation could make it harder for those vehicles to keep the area clean, he said.

Residents have said in recent days that the middle of Highway 13 appears to be filled with fewer trees and bushes than before Caltrans began construction in late August.

Quan and Caltrans officials compared the highway's current state to photos taken prior to the construction, Quan said. They determined that Caltrans did not destroy large amounts of vegetation, but only weeds and brush that Caltrans had not planted.

Still, the road appeared "softer" when dirt filled the middle, she said.

Caltrans may add an earth-tone pigmentation to the asphalt that separates the northbound and southbound lanes in an attempt to help it look less stark, Quan and Haus said. This work depends on Caltrans'
budget, Haus said, and it is unclear when Caltrans will make a decision about possibly coloring the area.

"It's a small move," Quan said. "But we'll keep working with them."

Quan's office, along with the office of state Sen. Don Perata, has applied to designate Highway 13 a California Scenic Highway. The status would keep the area free of billboards and over-development. However, the highway's current bare appearance could make it less appealing for scenic status, said Richard Cowan, Quan's chief of staff.

Neighbors who drive Highway 13 say they have noticed a significant difference since Caltrans started its renovation work.

"There's a severe reduction in vegetation," said Montclair resident Jim Dexter. "The vegetation is one of the reasons why Highway 13 is as pretty as it is."