Your passion for environmental justice made Barrio Live! a wonderful event. The afternoon began with a fully packed bus and a guided tour to environmental justice sites around San Diego.

First we first stopped in National City to see where the community will get 201 affordable housing units and easy trolley access without destroying Paradise Creek and this beautiful open space.

We drove through the Port of San Diego to learn how pollution directly affects air quality and asthma rates of children in neighboring communities and how we can work together to make the Port a healthy neighbor.

We got off the bus in Cesar Chavez Park to hear Policy Advocate Kayla Race explain how low-income communities feel the most significant impacts of climate change. Kayla says, "This is about reducing pollution while creating healthy communities and a healthy economy."

The tour ended at Strozzi’s SoCal Italian with almost fifty attendees and staff enjoying appetizers, drinks and each others’ company.

David Alvarez joined the party to talk about how, with the help of EHC and dedicated community members, Barrio Logan will continue to move forward building safe and healthy neighborhoods, beginning with a Barrio Logan Community Planning Group.

Thank you to all who attended our Barrio Live! tour and mixer. We appreciate your involvement and enthusiasm in achieving climate justice and #healthyhoods for all.

View more photos of the tour on our Facebook page.

Last week we partnered with San Diego's Home Safe Home program and the La Maestra Family Clinic to offer blood-lead tests to children and pregnant women.

After spending weeks canvassing the community, educating community members on the importance of lead-poisoning prevention and recruiting families for our free blood-lead testing event, our event turned out to be a fantastic success. We tested more than 100 children and spread awareness about the hazards of lead poisoning and tips for prevention.

Did you know 75 percent of homes built before 1979 contain some lead-based paint? Lead is most commonly found on exterior-painted surfaces, interior woodwork, doors and windows. EHC recommends children get a blood-lead test every year until age six to prevent blood-lead poisoning.

During the testing, children would often ask, “Why are you doing this?” Engaging in these important conversations about lead poisoning with children as well as parents goes a long way toward fulfilling EHC's goals of awareness and prevention. Get more information about the hazards of lead here, and stay tuned for our next community blood-lead testing event. 

We know voting is important, but we want to know why you vote. We asked some of our staff members, and now we want to hear it from you! Submit a short video to us on Facebook and Twitter and we'll share our favorites. Why do you vote?

What is going on with transportation justice?

SANDAG is in the process of composing the Regional Transportation Plan which determines how, when and which transportation projects will get funding for the next 35 years. Currently, they're considering scenarios that prioritize freeway expansion while our community residents have prioritized bicycling, walking and public transit instead.

On Friday, September 12, nearly 50 community residents supported a transportation justice network scenario that puts people first by investing in transit, bicycling, and walking projects prior to freeway expansion. Despite great opposition, the SANDAG Board voted to move forward with a scenario focusing heavily on freeway expansion.

As a result of the residents who protested the freeway-focused scenarios, SANDAG is considering developing a network scenario that puts bicycling, walking and public transit first, but it wouldn't be on the table for consideration to be implemented for at least another four years. For decades, Los Angeles invested in freeway expansion as a means of traffic congestion relief, yet this type of planning and investment only yielded more traffic, gridlock and air pollution. Let's not have the San Diego region learn the same hard lesson that our northern neighbor did. Let's be proactive and implement a plan that puts transit, bicycling and walking first.

A community resident from City Heights said it best, "Freeways can wait, but the community can't." Freeway expansion is hazardous to our region's health, safety, quality of life, economy and future. We need a Regional Transportation Plan that puts people first, not cars.

What can we do about it?
Become engaged in developing a transportation justice network scenario, which puts transit, bicycling and walking investments first. We need you to join us in demanding San Diego prioritize public transit, bicycling and walking before freeway expansion. You can speak up today by sending the below email to advocate for transportation justice. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Suggested Text:

As a resident of San Diego, I support a network scenario that includes development of public transit, bicycling and walking projects first over the next ten-year period, halting any freeway expansion until the transit system is fully built and operational. I hope to see these initiatives focused first on the San Diego urban core and overburdened communities most effected by the lack of affordable and efficient transit options.

Sincerely,

(Your name)

Recipients:

• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – General comment to be submitted to entire board
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – Project manager for the RTP
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – Transportation Committee Chair
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – Regional Planning Committee Chair
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – SANDAG Board President

For more information, contact Monique Lopez This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone: 619-474-0220 x 130.

Thank you for supporting transportation justice!

Nearly two-thirds of San Diegans surveyed prefer to invest in public transit, bicycling and walking paths before freeway expansion, yet SANDAG has prioritized freeway expansion. At a press conference last week, Environmental Health Coalition (EHC), 15 supporting organizations and residents asked SANDAG to consider a third transportation scenario that deprioritizes freeway expansion.

Speakers, including Monique Lopez of EHC, Bruce Reznik of San Diego Housing Federation and Alicia Sebastian of the MAAC Project, specified what a third scenario includes and explained why public transit, bicycling and walking paths are the first step toward transportation that works for all community members.

The third scenario represents an opportunity to improve air quality and quality of life for residents of underserved neighborhoods who can't afford public transit, struggle with hours of daily commuting and can't safely walk or bike on existing streets.