Transportation & Planning Update From City Heights
Friends, COVID-19 is one of the most challenging moments of our lives. While we physically distance, it's important to stay socially connected—and stay up to speed on what’s happening in the community!
City Heights' resilience is rooted in solidarity. For this reason, the Built Environment Team decided to continue to meet (remotely) after eight consecutive years of meeting together in person. Read below to learn what we discussed.
Rear Door Boarding & Fare Suspension
To protect the health of essential workers who drive and ride transit, we led a push with the transit drivers union and several orgs to allow rear door boarding and suspend transit fares.
MTS agreed to rear door boarding. This will allow drivers and riders to practice physical distancing.
Read more about transit service changes here.
Slow Streets & Automated Pedestrian Signals
To prevent the spread of coronavirus, we need to give each other at least 6 feet of space. Unfortunately, most of San Diego's sidewalks are too narrow to do this without someone stepping off the walkway.
We co-authored a letter with several orgs asking the City to implement near-term active transportation improvements:
Pilot Slow Streets
Reduce speed of traffic to 20mph in Transit Priority Areas
Widen walking areas on crowded corridors
Automate pedestrian signals
Creative engagement to inform Slow Streets planning with prioritization in historically excluded communities
Read more about it in KPBS.
Share your thoughts on Slow Streets via the City Council District 9 survey here.
Mobility Justice in Time of Crisis Webinar
Our Transportation & Planning Coordinator, Vianney Ruvalcaba, was invited to join a panel with statewide leaders to discuss new challenges to achieving Mobility Justice in the time of COVID-19.
Panelists shared how our work overlaps in efforts to prioritize multi-modal travel for essential workers, vulnerable populations, and Environmental Justice Communities. Such an honor, and great work, Vianney!
This concludes our quick update on a few of the transportation and planning work being done in the community. Thanks to ALL of you who continue to meet and work on behalf of justice in our streets!