Sahra Sulaiman

The Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD) recently reported that it was considering two proposals for the development of the vacant lot at 1st and Boyle, just across the street from Mariachi Plaza. It received the proposals in response to a 78-page Request for Proposals (RFP) released this past May, which had detailed the specifics of the property, the history of the area and the community's aspirations for the site, and the requirements for the project as well as those governing the application process. [See the full RFP here: PDF]

“To be honest, sometimes, we feel abandoned…” William Flores, a community engagement coordinator at CD Tech, told the PLUM committee on November 1. “This is an intimidating type of a position [for residents of South Central] to be in.”

"Where do things stand now?" I asked Adonia Lugo as we organized potential discussion themes ahead of this Sunday's Untokening event.

"They've started work on that bike path!" a South Central bike shop owner announced excitedly after noticing mounds of dirt piled up in the rail right-of-way (ROW) at Slauson and Normandie.

"Maybe you didn't catch that you jumped into a convo specifically about transportation/police issues?" snarked the self-described "police/community relations specialist" and bike advocate.

He was so glad I had "talked about people of color committing violence against other people of color," the man gushed, shaking my hand.

Tuesday night, from 6 - 8:30 p.m., the Department of City Planning will be holding a Scoping Meeting to gather feedback from the community regarding the potential impacts the policies and goals contained within Boyle Heights Community Plan might have on the area's environment, as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

In thinking about the potential routes the eastern segment (B) of the Rail-to-River (R2R) active transportation corridor might take, stressed Mark Lopez of East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, it was important that the needs of workers, youth, and community members of the Southeast Cities be put front and center. Connectivity to job centers and schools should therefore be the first priority.

In lower-income communities - particularly those where rentership is very high - people often have very little access to clean energy or clean technology alternatives.

"Remember, the end goal is to get to 20% reduction [in traffic-related deaths] by next year, and then zero by 2025," said MIG Consultant Esmeralda Garcia of the city's effort to put together an action plan to implement Vision Zero.