Joel Woodhull – Organic farmer, transportation activist

Joel Woodhull, who retired to his Singing Frog Farm in
Sebastopol, after a long career in transportation planning and
management died Oct. 24, 2007 after suffering a major cerebral
hemorrhage. He was 70.
Until moving to Santa Rosa a few years ago, Woodhull was a
regular vegetable and fruit vendor at the Sunday Sebastopol Farmers
Market. Along with his wife, Joan, he operated a nine-acre organic
farm they named Singing Frog Farm after the croaking amphibian
residents of the farm’s ponds. The Woodhulls raised many varieties
of blueberries from 100 plants and a whole range of bamboo.
Woodhull served as chairman of the Sonoma County Transportation
and Landuse Coalition, and he was a member of the Sierra Club and
Friends of SMART, the proposed commuter train for Sonoma and Marin
counties. He was also a founding member of the Sonoma County
Bicycle Coalition and carried membership card 001.
In addition to his wife, Woodhull is survived by daughters Sara
Woodhull of Mountain View and Victoria Anderson of San Carlos and
four granddaughters.
Born April 26, 1937, in Los Angeles, Woodhull was the eldest of
three children.
He earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering at
UCLA, where he met fellow engineering student Joan Glessner at a
dance. They were married July 19, 1959.
Woodhull earned his doctorate in transportation engineering at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.
After holding many jobs with the transportation department in
the city of Los Angeles, including heading the 100-person
bus-scheduling department, Woodhull retired in 1995 and moved north
to Sebastopol.
Woodhull immersed himself in local and regional transportation
and land use issues after moving to Sonoma County. He was a regular
participant in countless public hearings on topics ranging from
bicycle paths to General Plan updates.
Along with many friends and other volunteers Woodhull led and
supported countywide efforts to support public transit, pathways
and other transportation alternatives to single-occupant
automobiles.
For a long time, he publicly opposed widening of Highway 101
through Sonoma County because the proposals did not offer enough
support for public transit and other alternatives.
During the last election for Measure M, Woodhull gave his
support because funding was finally included for bus, train and
bicycle projects.
&#8220He had a really broad grasp of what was going on in
the intellectual world surrounding transportation,” a fellow member
of Friends of SMART said about Woodhull last week.
Willard Richards, a member of the Sonoma County Transportation
and Landuse Coalition, said Woodhull had an unusually clear
understanding and insight into how transportation really works,
adding, &#8220we have lost a great mind.”
Memorial services are not yet planned.
Friends can remember Woodhull by biking, walking or using public
transportation to do errands. Donations may be made in Woodhull’s
name to Friends House, 685 Benicia Drive, Santa Rosa 95409.