Health inequities are strongly related to issues such as unemployment, poverty, underfunded schools, and a lack of affordable housing. The Healthy Cities, Healthy Residents (HCHR) project was launched to address these inequities, notably in terms of community-driven policies on healthy food systems, safe streets, active transportation, and active living.

On September 12, 2019 EHC, Circulate San Diego, the County of San Diego, and community partners hosted a pop-up event to celebrate the conclusion of the three-year HCHR grant funded by the County of San Diego and managed by EHC. The event focused on engaging and educating National City community members on important issues related to sustainable changes in city planning, policies, and neighborhood environments.

National City Mayor Sotelo-Solisand Councilmember Ron Morrison attended the community event where community partners, SANDAG and other agencies showcased their work. The event coincided with a half-day at Kimball Elementary so that students and their parents could participate together.

Residents in environmental justice (EJ) communities are the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System’s (MTS) number one customers, but the transit service doesn’t serve them the way it should. EJ community residents are at higher risk of disease due to transportation-related air pollution emissions and the current transit system doesn’t get them to their jobs. Seventy-percent of jobs are unreachable within 90 minutes by public transit. 

That’s why, we proudly stood with the San Diego Transportation Equity Working Group at the MTS board meeting to demand a 2020 MTS ballot measure that leads with transportation equity which: 

✔️Connects EJ communities to jobs
✔️Makes it affordable to ride the bus and trolley
✔️Ensures San Diego meets regional climate goals
✔️Includes meaningful community engagement

Read our full MTS 2020 ballot measure fact sheet here. 

Want more? See our media coverage from Televisa or read about our Transportation Justice work here.

We know that our families suffer first and worst from the harmful impacts of climate change due to discriminatory  transportation planning that comes at the expense of historically neglected communities.

We also know that environmental justice is the right of all people to live, work and play in a healthy and safe environment. 

That's why EHC works on transportation justice to bring more accesible, affordable and safe pedestrian, bike and transit improvements to the neighborhoods that need them most.

We know we deserve climate justice and #healthyhoods and less asthma hospitalizations for our children. 

Our community leaders traveled to Riverside to tell the Air Resources Board we deserve better from SANDAG - our region's transportation planning agency.

That's why we asked for the Air Resources Board to require SANDAG cut its emissions by 25 percent by the year 2035.

 Our Executive Director Diane Takvorian, who also sits on the Air Resources Board, proposed a higher emissions-reduction target for SANDAG. Board members Dean Florez and John Gioia supported her amendment before the 19-percent target was finalized.

“The lack of strong statewide leadership behind SB 375 simply means local, grassroots organizations have more work to do,” says Ana Reynoso, EHC transportation justice policy advocate. “Residents who journeyed to Riverside for last night’s vote know first-hand that the effects of climate change disproportionately impact communities south of the I-8 freeway and that we needed at least a 25 percent reduction in pollution by 2035 to alleviate that.”

Moving forward, we promise to team up with local allies including Climate Action Campaign, San Diego 350 and more to ensure SANDAG meets the 19-percent reduction standard for San Diego in an equitable and transparent way.

“We intend to work very closely with the Air Resources Board to ensure it holds SANDAG accountable to implementing SB 375 in a way that prioritizes the communities that need the most immediate help,” says Reynoso.

Learn more about transportation justice here, and click here to get involved.

When our region provides affordable and accessible transportation options - such as walking, biking and transit – we can reduce the pollution that we breathe every day, reduce the harmful impacts of climate change and improve the quality of life in our communities.

We recently brought this intention to the California Air Resources Board, where we told state leaders that we need strong laws, like SB 375, to reduce pollution in our neighborhoods.

What Is SB 375?

SB 375 is Senate bill that holds our regional transportation-planning agency, SANDAG, accountable for reducing its pollution. Our communities demanded SANDAG reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by the year 2035.

Why SB 375 Matters to All of Us

For years, SANDAG’s transportation planning has long neglected to meet the needs of our families and neighborhoods. SB 375 would require SANDAG to ditch its current transportation plan in favor of one that significantly decreases greenhouse gas emissions and ensures our communities don’t continue to shoulder the burden of air pollution in the region and in the state.

Joined by a variety of organizations across the region, we submitted this letter to state leaders to explain why SANDAG’s operations and planning need to change.

Support a Strong SB 375 to Protect Our Communities

Many San Diego organizations have joined us to demand California decision makers hold SANDAG accountable. Learn more about SB 375 here.

Thank you for your commitment to transportation justice. We did it!

We signed petitions. We spoke at press conferences. We attended meetings. We talked to our neighbors about why our communities need AB805 -- the statewide bill to bring us one step closer to transportation justice in the neighborhoods that need access to transit and safe places to walk and bike most.

And when Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill into law this month, we cheered and rejoiced at our community-earned victory.

Thank you to Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher for championing this effort and bringing our communities one step closer to transportation justice. We look forward to a new SANDAG – one that creates an equitable transportation system that works for all people in San Diego.

Congratulations. We could not have done this without you.