In 1999, I wanted a tree planted in front of my house (now my former house), and the fee at that time was $300. I didn't do it. It sounds like the city has become more reasonable with the $50 fee. At that price, I would have ordered two trees.If you think the $50 is excessive, go to Home Depot and get a competitive price on a similar size tree, and then add to that price a quote from a landscape contractor to plant it. You'll be paying many times more than $50.
What I'd really like to see is the city start a program in which native hardwoods can be planted on private property. If someone wants a Red Oak, Sugar Maple, Hickory, Sycamore, or Tuliptree (for example) on the middle of their front lawn, it would be great to be able to have the city plant it for $50. Such trees are not appropriate for the strip between the sidewalk and the street because they rip up the sidewalks when they grow to mature size. Nevertheless, having more large native hardwoods in our neighborhoods would be very desirable, and enhance the suburban quality of the city. This means they need to be on private property such as private front and rear yards. We've been losing far too many mature native hardwoods due to old age, windthrow, or simply from homeowners deliberately having them cut. Almost nobody is planting new ones, and only a few are growing on their own along side and rear property lines.