On a sunny Saturday, we hosted our first-ever community bike ride for City Heights residents to pedal in support of the new bike infrastructure planned for City Heights. The area slated for improvements, 54th, University Avenue and Orange Avenue, is lined with schools and green space. The bike improvements offer the freedom of movement residents have advocated for since 2012. Residents were thrilled and ready to celebrate the over $17 million in dedicated funds for the North Park Mid-City Bikeways, and with the enthusiasm and dedication of organizers, sponsors and participants, the bike ride quickly transformed into something incredible.

More than 100 people attended this community bike ride in celebration and support of transportation justice. The ride raised awareness and support for bicycle and pedestrian improvements such as bike lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks and road diets to make the streets of City Heights safer. It also gave our allies a platform to share their stories and build new partnerships. Everyone was having so much fun, residents who hadn’t been on a bike in years decided to join, and many loved it so much they made plans to get back on their bikes regularly again.

The strength and enthusiasm of the ride showed SANDAG, the City of San Diego and elected officials how much we care about transportation and climate justice. The ride also highlighted the unsung heroes of climate justice who are living the goals of the Climate Action Plan in the City of San Diego by walking, biking, and taking public transit as their main mode of transportation. Most importantly, the ride became an opportunity to build a stronger community and reclaim our streets. The ride gave a face to the bicycle commuting community of City Heights.

In City Heights residents are 16 percent less likely to have access to a car than the average San Diegan and therefore, are walking, biking, and taking public transportation more. However, they’re 23 percent more likely to get hit by a car while biking and 80 percent more likely to get hit by a car while walking.

Thank you to everyone who participated, you made a difference. We’d like to give special thanks to the sponsors and organizers of the ride also.

Special thanks to DECO Bikes for bringing 25 free bikes for residents to use and toSuper Cocina for the amazing food and accommodating more than 100 hungry people. Special thanks to our community partners The Built Environment Team, City Heights Community Development Corporation, Community Leadership Association (ALC) and Bikes Del Pueblo. Also, thank you to Bridget Enderle of SANDAG for giving the residents an update on the North Park Mid-City Bikeway project.

Thank you, 

Monique López
Policy Advocate

For 35 years, our communities have cultivated environmental justice and social change. After an incredible 35 years of striving for #healthyhoods, our neighborhoods are safer and healthier places to live, work and play.

This year we celebrate 35 years of victories, including our most recent wins in Tijuana, National City and City Heights.

We feel gratitude for every community member who took action and took a stand to make our neighborhoods healthier. For our 35th anniversary, we celebrate you.

To us, 35 years of environmental justice and your work means:

“I feel proud to be a part of such an incredible environmental justice organization. 35 years of EHC means a time to celebrate our healthier communities and our protected natural environment. It’s time to celebrate the amazing support of our community members who look out for neighborhoods in need and work to make change happen.” 

- Giuliana Schroeder, development director

“35 years of residents fighting back to reduce the toxic pollution that affects their health and lives every day. That’s powerful. That’s profound.” 

- Franco Garcia, organizing director

"EHC is nothing without the brave, responsible community members who stand up for what is right. We're celebrating 35 years of community members working day after day to build healthier places to work and play." 

- Jamie Hampton, communications consultant

While we celebrate 35 years of environmental justice and social change, we're also excited about our communities' visions for an even better future. Make sure you're a part of our next environmental justice win by becoming a member and staying involved. 

Recently, the governor took a step forward in reducing pollution from California's freight system. This important step will reduce the emissions from the ships, cranes, trucks and trains that harm our communities with dirty air and toxic pollution. With this action, the governor ordered seven state agencies to work on projects and plans that transition toward zero-emission technologies. The governor’s order brings hope to communities such as Barrio Logan and west National City that stand most directly in harm’s way from freight diesel impacts.

In our region, and many others around the state, the most impacted communities are those that benefit the least from the global economy and the relentless flow of “goods” through them. Year after year, the Barrio Logan area leads the region in rates of children’s visits to emergency rooms for asthma – a condition known to be aggravated and possibly caused by proximity to traffic pollution.

We applaud the governor for his support for aggressive action to advance the development of zero-emission technologies. Only by eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels can we sustain economic vitality and also meet California’s climate goals and protect our communities from the many health-damaging effects of exposure to diesel.

Joy Williams
Research Director
Environmental Health Coalition

Environmental Health Coalition is joining the California Environmental Justice Alliance’s 2015 Sacramento Congreso: People, Power, Policy, to unite with over 250 other community leaders. We will tell our representatives that environmental justice in our communities needs to be a statewide priority. We’re working hard to advance statewide policies with members and allies throughout the state and the Congreso is our annual gathering to connect, reflect, and celebrate. We’ve already made big moves on our priority bills this spring, and as the summer heats up, so will our people power!

EHC will also join the Congreso to celebrate visionary grassroots policy-making fueled by people power in San Diego and across the state. We will share our community-rooted solutions with the rest of California’s environmental justice community and also learn about the strategies of other successful, resilient communities throughout the state. EHC will even lead roundtable discussions on how state agencies, elected officials and community members can all work together to advance environmental justice.

The Congreso has reached capacity and registration is now closed, but we encourage you to join our conversation by following #PeoplePowerPolicy.

Over a decade ago, EHC began collaborating with Hesperian Health Guides on a health handbook for factory workers. At the time, the general consensus was that job safety and health pertained only to physical problems caused by machines or chemicals at work, like getting shocked by frayed electric cords or breathing fumes.

But EHC and Hesperian Health incorporated a comprehensive understanding of health that included workplace violence, discrimination and gender issues, basic healthcare access, pollution from factories and the link between healthy workplaces and healthy neighborhoods. EHC even gathered direct and specific feedback on the materials from workers. Pictured below is a border event organized by EHC to review early drafts of Workers’ Guide to Health and Safety.

Workers’ Guide to Health and Safety was published on May 1st of this year, “a long process but with a great result,” as Martha Ojeda, EHC partner and director of the Fe y Justicia Center said, and “a powerful tool for all workers worldwide.” Martha was one of Hesperian’s earliest partners, helping lead an extensive community validation and field-testing process with women workers on the border.

The field-test led to the creation of a section called “Beyond the factory walls.” The chapter on pollution discusses how work hazards may be experienced in the surrounding community, not just during work. This was most clearly visible with chemical hazards. But of course, workers shared much more about their lives and struggles. Their stories of organizing are told throughout the book.

Workers’ Guide offers workers and their supporters the practical tools they need to take action for their health at work. It expands the notion of “workplace health” to include the social and political determinants of health, from problems like low wages and harassment, to mental health and safe water. Workers go home to their families after work, so Workers’ Guide includes the problems of pollution, substandard housing and services, and other “social hazards” that affect so many workers.

Pictured left is Magdalena Cerda, EHC’s Campaign Director – Border Environmental Justice, holding the Spanish draft of Workers’ Guide. Magdalena led field-testing with women maquiladora workers. EHC is proud to have helped build this book and we are excited to continue to collaborate with Hesperian to get this material in the languages of the people we serve and in the hands of those that will use it to improve their lives.

How to read and use this book:

• Download free chapters  
• Buy a book 
• Send a book to a workers center 
• Help us raise funds to develop the Spanish edition of Workers’ Guide
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with comments or suggestions.