“Urban transit systems in most American cities, for example, have become a genuine civil rights issue. If transportation systems in American cities could be laid out so as to provide an opportunity for poor people to get meaningful employmentt, then they could begin to move into the mainstream of American life.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Communities along the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway (SR-94) need more transportation options, such as public transit stops, bike lanes and walking paths –our elected officials agree! And EHC is proudly paving the way!

“We need to build on the investments we have made in our Bus Rapid Transit lines. I am advocating for a BRT stop to serve the communities of Golden Hill and Sherman Heights.”
- Councilmember Todd Gloria, Third District

“My constituents have shared their concerns with the impact an expanded freeway would have on air quality, and have requested improved access to regional travel. We kindly ask [to] include these community-based alternatives in the DEIR.”
- Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, 80th District

“[By including these alternatives] the community will have a comprehensive understanding of the transit situation in this corridor and the decision makers can make a more informed decision on how to best spend our limited transit dollars”
- Councilmember David Alvarez, Eighth District

“I fully support the communities request for alternatives [that] may help us achieve the goals of our Climate Action Plan and will improve transit mobility not only for our impacted, overburdened, and underserved communities along the freeway, but for the entire region.”
- Councilmember Myrtle Cole, Fourth Council District

“The communities adjacent to the SR-94 have been historically underserved by public transit… please consider alternatives suggested by the community.”
- Council President, Marti Emerald, San Diego City Council

After months of persistent advocacy, in mid-July SANDAG announced its plan to reverse course on freeway expansion. Instead they will include community-supported alternatives in the environmental review for the Martin Luther King Freeway/SR94 and allocate $31 million for an innovative transit demonstration project.  The announcement directly responds to community concerns about the irreversible harm freeway expansion would cause.

With your contribution, we can continue prioritizing people before polluting freeways.

EHC, in partnership with City Heights CDC, MAAC, will continue advocating for a transit stop in the Sherman Heights/Golden Hill communities. This is one step in a larger march for transportation justice. Will you join the march with us?

$25 (or $2/month) – Posters for a public hearing on transportation planning
$120 (or $10/month) – One day of door-to-door campaigning for better transit in low-income communities
$500 (or $40/month) – Mobilizing 50 community members to attend a public hearing
$1,500 (or $125/month) – Four-week SALTA leadership training course on transportation justice for 55 community residents

Monique López
Policy Advocate
Environmental Health Coalition

No hablamos sólo de árboles… hablamos de derechos humanos.

Finalmente Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA) aceptó las recomendaciones de la Mesa Técnica del Alamar para que el encauzamiento en la última parte del arroyo sea eco-hidrológicas, respetando el bosque ripario y los mantos acuíferos. En un acto encabezado por el Gobernador de BC, el jueves 16 de julio, se dio inicio a la construcción del proyecto que se espera esté terminado para principios del 2016.

Estamos de fiesta porque no se destruirá el bosque del Arroyo Alamar, pero esto significa mucho más…

1. El encausamiento eco-hidrológico permitirá filtrar agua al subsuelo. Esto es muy valioso en medio de una crisis de agua como la que estamos viviendo. Además, mantener los mantos acuíferos permitirá la conservación de los árboles y con ello el hábitat para la fauna nativa y migratoria de la zona.
2. Trabajamos juntos muchas organizaciones de la sociedad civil de Tijuana y SD, construyendo una red de apoyo y solidaridad entre nosotros.
3. Pero principalmente porque conservar la zona arbolada del Arroyo Alamar significa para la comunidad la oportunidad de mitigar los efectos a la salud producidos por la cercanía con la industria maquiladora y por la construcción de nuevas vialidades y el eventual aumento en el tráfico de tráileres, una vez que esté en operación la segunda garita de Otay. Es además la oportunidad de contar con áreas recreativas y de educación ambiental para las familias.

Gracias a todas y todos por apoyar esta causa directa o indirectamente. Gracias a todos los que dieron su tiempo y a quienes nos acompañaron en el camino.

¡Estamos de fiesta!

In 2005, we worked with community members in Old Town National City to orchestrate the Westside Specific Plan; the community's vision for a vibrant and toxic-free neighborhood. The plan noted the importance of affordable housing units that didn't damage National City’s Paradise Creek, replaced polluted grounds with a healthy community park and was within walking distance of a trolley station.

After ten years, the community’s vision has become a reality. Today, if you walk by the 24th blue line trolley station on 22nd street, you will see people cleaning toxic soil in preparation for the construction of Paradise Creek Apartment Homes- 201 brand-new affordable housing units, developed by Community Housing Works and Related California, predicted to look like the image below. Construction begins in 2015 and plans to finish by 2017.

This project, spearheaded by the community voice, has received recognition across the country, receiving a national award from the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The innovative and visionary development has uplifted communities nationwide to use toxic pollution and a lack of transportation justice into opportunities to build better communities and #healthyhoods. We commend National City for prioritizing land use for and committing resources to the Paradise Creek Apartment Homes to help make this community vision a reality.The people of Old Town National City have made history and continue to inspire others to do the same.

EHC knows justice is achieved when empowered communities act together. In the last month, we've urged the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to put people before freeways when planning our region's transportation future and we've recently seen our hard work pay off.

These victories are possible because of your passionately donated time and money. Today, we ask you to support more change for our communities. Please join EHC today.

A revolutionary move for transportation justice is right around the corner.

For the past several months, the community has been asking for more bicycling and walking options and public transit accesss. In close partnership with City Heighs Community Development Corporation, we've asked for alternatives that don't grow freeways, but give us healthier transportation options and improved mobility.

Today, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) heard our voices. Instead of only moving forward with freeway-focused planning that jeopardizes the health of our neighborhoods, it recommended the incorporation of $31 million for a test project that would allow public transit to run on the shoulder/in the median along SR-94 and parts of the 805 freeway during high-traffic times.

To make public transit more accesible, SANDAG is also looking into putting a bus stop in the Sherman Heights/Golden Hill neighborhoods.

With a strong and unified voice, today the community's recommendations for a healthy transportation future have become valid and potential options as SANDAG has agreed to include them in the review process.

Policy advocate Monique Lopez says, "This starts the conversation in the region of how we do transportation planning. There's other ways that are more innovative and the community can stand behind than expanding freeways."

Working closely with City Heights Community Development Corporation, The MAAC Project and many community residents who live along the corridor, we would like to thank our elected officials who showed leadership in supporting innovative community-supported approach to improving mobility on the Martin Luther King, Jr. freeway corridor. Thank you Councilmember Alvarez, Councilmember Gloria, Councilmember Emerald, Councilmember Cole, Assemblymember Gonzalez and Assemblymember Weber. Additionally, we would like to thank SANDAG and Caltrans staff for their work on the project, for the continued open lines of communication and for being responsive to the community concerns and requests.

On Friday, July 24, SANDAG makes its final decision about transportation justice improvements in our communities. Until then, thank you for having a voice for a future of #healthyhoods and #familiesbeforefreeways. Follow us on Twitter and stay tuned.