Community Luchadores For a Better Fourth Street
Project Team America Aceves
Lead Community Organizer, Proyecto Pastoral
Betsy Blanchard
Development Director, Proyecto Pastoral
Daisy Cuellar
Project Coordinator, Proyecto Pastoral
Qiuana Williams
Project Director, Great Streets (City of Los Angeles)
Jenny An
Project Manager, Great Streets (MIG)
Devon Provo
Project Coordinator, Great Streets (MIG)
Alan Nakagawa
Lead Project Artist, Great Streets
Lilia Acosta
Outreach Specialist , Proyecto Pastoral
Itzel Garcia Guemez
Outreach Specialist, Proyecto Pastoral
Kenia Saucedo
Outreach Specialist , Proyecto Pastoral
Stephanie Gonzalez
Report Design, Proyecto Pastoral
Table of Contents Executive Summary........................................1 Project Overview..............................................2 Before Great Streets.........................................4 Community Context........................................6 About Pico Aliso Pop-Up Project................9 The Engagement Process..............................13 The Pop-Up..........................................................17 Data Collection Methods ..............................21 Summary & Lessons Learned......................23 Change Maker History & Tool Kit ............29
Luchadores United: Executive Summary The demolition of the Sixth Street Bridge has resulted in increased traffic on Fourth Street in the Pico Aliso section of Boyle Heights. Community residents, already concerned about pedestrian safety, organized to find solutions through Proyecto Pastoral’s Comunidad en Movimiento / Community in Action effort. Through door-knocking, informational workshops and the May 6 Great Streets Pop-Up event, community residents have assessed possible options.
Of the 215 local residents surveyed, the following are requested:
70% High-Visibility Crosswalks
65%
58%
Pedestrian Scale Lighting
Decorative cross walks
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Project Overview The Pico Aliso Neighborhood project is a pedestrian safety initiative which emerged from the work of Proyecto Pastoral’s Comunidad En Movimiento / Community In Action community organizing efforts. In 30 years of partnering with community residents to identify challenges and develop solutions, Proyecto Pastoral and the CEM initiative has focused on community safety. What was once an intensive focus on reducing gun violence and improving community/police relations has evolved to now address the growing threats to pedestrians with new traffic patterns affecting the community. CEM leaders, primarily women who are raising their families in Boyle Heights, with the guidance of CEM Community Organizer America Aceves, have been partnering with and gaining insight on how to improve pedestrian safety from experts from LA Walks, California Walks, Multicultural Communities for Mobility, Vision Zero Alliance, UCLA and others. By learning from experts and gaining valuable feedback from their neighbors on the conditions they are experiencing, our CEM leaders have built momentum and awareness in their community about the power that community residents have in lifting their voices. CEM values the needs and experiences of our community residents, sharing their observations and partnering with the city and other stakeholders to make infrastructure changes to benefit neighborhood safety.
CEM leaders reviewing different engineering options for 1st Street corridor
CEM Safe Passage leaders greeting students at school
From Lot to Spot volunteer sharing “loteria card” with participants at Pop Up event
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CEM leaders at Utah Street School collecting community surveys and talking with parents
In the following report, you will learn about the evolution of our work, the needs assessments and leadership development efforts that have supported our residents’ drive for positive change in their community, and the clear and compelling statement from community residents about the solutions they are seeking for Fourth Street. The Pop Up Event, Luchadores Unidos for Pedestrian Safety, was as much a demonstration and celebration of community members’ voices in shaping their neighborhood as it was an opportunity to gather data for future permanent street improvements for Fourth Street. Project leaders completed over 1000 touchpoints with the community during the Pop Up planning and launch. Residents engaged with the project in a variety of ways--art workshops, surveys, a community walking group for senior citizens, talking with neighbors through door-knocking and phone banking and through the family-friendly activities at the Pop Up Event itself. The insight we received from the community pointed to a clear set of desired street improvements that they have identified, and that we are proud to share in this report. These include high visibility crosswalks, additional places to sit and rest while walking and improved lighting. To make further improvements that reflect the cultural vibrancy of the neighborhood, residents prioritized decorative crosswalks, small gathering places and neighborhood gateway signage and public art. We are grateful to Great Streets and the many partners who have made this project possible, and we look forward to the opportunity to work in partnership with the city in making long-lasting changes embraced by the neighborhood.
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Before Great Streets Comunidad en Movimiento community leaders have been engaged in improving pedestrian safety for several years. In 1999, the Camino Seguro / Safe Passage volunteer program was developed to improve safety for children crossing streets to and from school. A long-standing CEM Safety Committee has been building relationships and learning best practices in improving community safety, including visits to San Diego and Chicago to explore community policing initiatives. In partnership with the UCLA Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, residents used the Pedestrian Environmental Quality Index (PEQI) to assess walkability and safety in Pico Aliso. In 2015, CEM led surveys, presentations and workshops in the community to address pedestrian safety. CEM leaders took part in training by California Walks in 2016 to learn best practices in improving pedestrian safety. In summer 2016, CEM was selected by IOBY & Transit Center for a challenge grant to support crowdfunding for pedestrian safety initiatives in the community. Following these activities, CEM’s proposal for a Great Streets Pop-Up was awarded. For more details and background on our intensive education and community engagement process, please see the Change Maker History and Toolkit.
CEM leaders gathered at Dolores Mission’s community square after Safety Committee meeting
CEM’s Community Development Committee leaders gathered at LURN office in developing political awareness training series
CEM survey volunteers gathering data in the neighborhood for UCLA PEQI study
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Community Context Background: The community of Boyle Heights has many assets, among which are the resident community leaders who have worked in close partnership with Proyecto Pastoral and other Boyle Heights community organizations over decades to create positive change in a community that has faced more than its share of challenges. Community safety and safer streets are top priorities for our families in Boyle Heights. Boyle Heights is a historic community on the eastern side of Los Angeles, across the LA River from Downtown Los Angeles. It has long been a first stop for waves of new immigrants, counting Japanese, Eastern European Jewish, and Latino residents among those who have settled here. Boyle Heights is currently a predominantly lowincome Latino community of 95,000 residents. Pico Aliso is a smaller section of Boyle Heights that borders the LA River and has a mix of residential, manufacturing and light industrial areas, as well as schools, community organizations and small family owned businesses. The recent demolition of the Sixth Street Bridge has increased the volume of traffic through Pico Aliso into and out of Downtown Los Angeles, with a heavy buildup of traffic heading across the Fourth Street and First Street Bridges at peak commuting times. With this new challenge to pedestrian safety, our community has mobilized.
12%
Fewer people drive alone to work in Boyle Heights than LA City Vision Zero
14,229
People per square mile. Among the highest population densities in LA County 2010 LA Census
34
Fatal traffic accidents in Boyle Heights from 2013-2017 Vision Zero
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Our History:
Boyle Heights Mural
Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights
Proyecto Pastoral has a 30-year history of working with Boyle Heights community residents and partner organizations to promote grassroots projects in education, leadership and service. The California Province of the Jesuits, in partnership with the parishoners of Dolores Mission, began organizing to address the immediate needs of the neighborhood, including educational and economic opportunities for residents, alternatives to gangs for youth and increased safety in the face of gun violence. Among the projects that emerged from these efforts were the Comunidad en Movimiento / Community in Action Program, and its safety initiatives. A very significant change to the community came with the 1996 demolition and redevelopment of the Pico Aliso and Pico Gardens public housing complexes, then the largest public housing developments west of the Mississippi. The massive and decaying projects were centers of gang activity and narcotics sales. The community-police relationships at the time were characterized by mutual distrust. The new town home-style public housing promised improved living conditions, but many families were displaced in the lottery process for selecting residents for the new developments. However, even as the community evolved, safety challenges remained to be addressed.
Historic Boyle Heights
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Community Timeline COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS IDENTIFY SAFETY PRIORITIES
JAN-MAR 2015 MARCH 2015
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP JUNE 2015
5102
SAFETY AND WELLNESS MEETING AT PECAN PARK
SAFETY AND LEADERSHIP P SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS
AUGUST 2015
LAUNCHED MONTHLY COMMUNITY CLEAN UPS
AUG- SEP 2015 OCTOBER 2015
NATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY AND WALKING SCHOOL BUSES CALIFORNIA WALKS COMMUNITY WORKSHOP ON PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
APRIL 2016 APRIL -MAY 2016
PARENT FOCUSED GROUPS AT MENDEZ H.S AND UTAH ST.SCHOOL
COMMUNITY KICK-OFF EVENT (WITH SURVEY COLLECTION)
MAY 2016
6102
MCM AND CEM'S SAFETY AND LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS
SEP- OCT 2016
COMMUNITY RESEARCH PROCESS IN ANALYZING
NOVEMBER 2016 NOVEMBER 2016
APPLIED FOR GREAT STREETS CHALLENGE GRANT DOOR KNOCKING SURVEY PROCESS
NOV-DEC 2016
FEBRUARY 2017
PICO ALISO NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT OUTREACH PLAN BEGINS
GREAT STREETS CHALLENGE PROCESS BEGINS MARCH 2017 APRIL 2017
STREET SIGN MAKING "I'M WALKING HERE"ART WORKSHOP WITH YOUTH
7102
DOOR KNOKING SEIES SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT EVENTS
MENDEZ H.S. TEACHER INFORMATION SESSION
APRIL 2017
APRIL 2017
MENDEZ YOUTH INFORMATION SESION
MAY 2017
PICO ALISO NEIGHBORHOOD "LUCHADORES UNIDOS " POP-UP INSTALLATION EVENT
APRIL 2017
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About the Pico-Aliso Pop-Up Project
"Something that makes me feel unsafe walking to and from school is the crosswalk in front of the freeways... because the cars don't always see pedestrians walking."
---Boyle Heights Tech Center Student
Our Great Streets project was focused on one of two Boyle Heights ‘hot spots’ identified through community surveying and door knocking: Fourth Street between Gless & Clarence. Traffic through the neighborhood has been altered with the demolition of the 6th Street Bridge. Community residents have identified a higher frequency of traffic congestion, as well as cars speeding through the neighborhood when the roadways are clear. This has resulted in unsafe conditions for pedestrians, who navigate street crossings that have low visibility. Our project area along the Fourth Street corridor had been identified by the City of Los Angeles as part of the High Injury Network (HIN) for high-need street improvements by the City’s Vision Zero initiative. Vision Zero’s campaign is the, “(City of Los Angeles’) commitment to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2025. As directed by Mayor Garcetti, this citywide effort brings together transportation engineers, police officers, advocates, and policymakers to work together towards creating safer streets. (It’s) focus will be protecting our most vulnerable road users, including children, older adults, and people walking and bicycling.” (www.visionzero.lacity.org)
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For decades, Pico Aliso residents have had to deal with traffic related issues. The Pico Aliso community is centered along three major freeways and historically has served as a fast track to travel in and out of downtown LA. The existing interchangeable lanes along the 4th Street corridor between Boyle and Anderson and over the 4th Street Bridge allows drivers to quickly connect in and out of downtown during peak traffic times. Although this is an ideal street designed for people to easily commute in and out of downtown LA, it has created a very different environment and experience for the families who live in the area. The 4th Street corridor also houses over 400 families that live directly in the surrounding area, including 3 schools, 2 childcare facilities, 2 neighborhood parks, a youth technology center, and our local parish at Dolores Mission.
Pico Aliso Neighborhood Project Phase II map with street improvement and street enhancement suggestions by MIG
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Purpose of the Project
CEM leader tabling for the Pop Up event
In an effort to build momentum towards addressing the current safety issues the community is facing, CEM leaders decided to develop a campaign to raise awareness in the community about the existing pedestrian safety issues and engage residents in CEM’s efforts to address these issues. Traffic congestion, rerouted trucks, and commuters in the area have all resulted in an increased danger to pedestrians. CEM leaders felt it was critical to raise awareness on how the lack of street improvements and construction in the area can quickly lead to an increase in traffic related accidents.
Goals of the Project
CEM leaders gathered at 2017 Spring leadership retreat
Luchadores United (Unidos) Pop Up event with gathered participants at different booth stations
Our goal in embarking on this project was to continue to raise awareness of the emerging and existing safety issues, engage residents, seniors, youth, partners, stakeholders, and agency representatives in a process to address these issues. Through our past work in the community, residents identified a need for additional signage and visible crosswalks along 4th Street.
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Community Engagement
215
110
Community Members Through Survey bers m e M y it n u m Com at Event
27
15
Youth
Partner Staff
146 Dot Voting Exercise Participants
10 Seniors
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The Engagement Process CEM developed an outreach process that ensured engaging the major populations that represented the community. Our two month outreach process included: senior walking groups, youth focus groups, door knocking, an art workshop, surveying, and presentations. These efforts resulted in 5 door knocking sessions to engage with residents, 5 senior walking group meetings, and 4 core-leader meetings, 2 community leader meetings, and phone banking efforts.
Pico Aliso senior leader sharing information with resident regarding Pop up event during a senior walking group activity
Door Knocking During March and April, outreach specialists went door to door in the community, informing residents of the upcoming Pop Up Event and asking for their input on the needed changes to improve pedestrian safety. Over 1,000 flyers were distributed during the 50 days active of outreach.
Senior Walking Group As part of our outreach strategies, we piloted a senior walking group in which they assisted with leafleting in the Pico Aliso community to help with outreach for the event. Seniors were encouraged to practice a healthy lifestyle and were provided incentives such as umbrellas, tote bags, snacks and water. This pilot opportunity will assist in developing our future senior walking group project that will take the intergenerational experience that already exists within Safe Passage to the next level, by bringing together seniors and local youth for a weekly/biweekly walking club that provides them with exercise and a time to converse and learn from one another.
IMPACTO’s Pico Aliso site coordinator walking in community with senior walking group
CEM’s community organizer sharing information regarding proposal to include senior driven activities
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Art Workshop
Pico Gardens resident posing for street sign photo at art workshop event
Along with engaging families and youth from the community in door knocking efforts, we also hosted an art workshop in collaboration with Alan Horoshi Nakagawa, Great Streets lead project artist, local photographer Rafael Cardenas, and local artists from Self-Help Graphics to develop street signs. The street signs that were developed captured the silhouettes of residents from Pico Gardens and other residents who live in Pico Aliso in everyday scenarios. This project was an effort to highlight the need area as a residential zone, and acknowledge the people who live in the community in a way that highlights their use of our streets and sidewalks. Images of seniors with canes, families with strollers, teens on bicycles and others were placed along the Fourth Street corridor on the day of our Pop Up Event. This event also served as an opportunity to educate participants on the Great Streets project. Participants in the art workshop shared that they enjoyed participating in the development of the project and encouraged us to do additional similar projects in the community.
CEM leaders at art workshop sharing information regarding project and pop up event
Pop up event street sign visuals from gathered photos at art workshop
Youth & Teacher Info Sessions We hosted two focus groups with students from the Boyle Heights Youth Technology Center and Mendez High School to share information regarding the project, develop dialogue with students on what they saw as safety concerns, provided information on how they could report safety concerns or street infrastructure needs, and gathered their input by filling out our community survey. We also hosted a Teacher Info session with teachers at Mendez High School and presented to Boyle Heights Youth Technology Center staff at one of their staff meetings to inform them of our project and gain their support to engage students.
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Leader Meetings CEM leaders and other local residents led a large portion of our community engagement process and guided our plans. We held 2 leader meetings at the beginning and towards the end of the process before our Pop Up Event. The first leader meeting focused on reviewing and approving our outreach timeline, activities calendar, and budget. At our last leader meeting prior to the Pop Up, we reviewed our progress in collecting surveys, reviewed the event agenda and identified roles for the event. Throughout the planning process, we held regular meetings with CEM core leaders who kept other group members informed through phone banking. Core leaders also updated other CEM members at the start of each door knocking session. In our core leader meetings, we updated leaders on our planning with the Great Streets team, reviewed drafts and finalized the community survey, planned outreach activities, and developed and finalized the Pop Up event agenda and roles for the day.
Our Inspiration Peatonito the Pedestrian Safety Luchador and Community Luchadores
In May 2017, we completed a Pop Up Installation Event that had culturally relevant arts activities for the community, as well as a Mexican-wrestling theme, called Luchadores Unidos for Pedestrian Safety. Our theme was inspired by a well-known Mexico City activist Peatonito, who uses street theatre and a playful presence in a Mexican wrestler costume to enforce traffic safety and highlight poor conditions of the sidewalks and streets. “Peatonito” and our CEM leaders are living examples that anyone in the community can make a courageous act in helping others feel safer. Although our CEM safety advocates do not wear mask and capes each day, they serve as experts in their own community, with voices that are critical to creating change.
CEM’s Pedestrian Safety workshop with MCM hosted by CEM’s Education Committee leaders
Peatonito
Peatonito and fellow luchadores in Mexico City
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The Pop-UP On May 6, 2017, Proyecto Pastoral hosted Luchadores Unidos in collaboration with The City Of Los Angeles Great Streets team, MIG, The Boyle Heights Youth Technology Center, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, Pico Aliso Recreation Center, and Los Angeles Council Office 14. Including sponsorship from 4 other community organizations such as Lot to Spot and Multicultural Communities for Mobility. We had over 110 people participate at our pop up event, including volunteers and partners. The pop up event was an opportunity for community residents to experience the temporary street improvement demonstration, assessing their experience of how redesigned sidewalk areas and enhanced crosswalks could create attractive places for residents and the community. We also provided information on possible street enhancements that provided traffic calming measures that benefited pedestrians, especially seniors and youth to feel safe to walk in the neighborhood.
Pico Aliso residents at Pop up event distributing fresh fruit water
El Conjunto Nueva Ola band playing at pop up event
Visitors to the event began with an event Passport designed in partnership with LA Más. The passport directed visitors to key stations, including the community survey station where they could share their feedback on the temporary installation.
Temporary High Visibility Crosswalk by MIG In accordance with our Luchadores theme, MIG develop a street design to resemble a decorative high visibility crosswalk stretching along Fourth Street in between BH Youth Tech Center and Housing Authority of Los Angeles (HACLA) administrative offices and along Gless Street between Pico Aliso park and HACLA offices.
MIG team laying out Decorative High Visibility Crosswalk before Pop Up event
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Community Poll Area
CEM leaders gathering community surveys at pop up event
We also had a voting poll asking participants two questions, "Which design elements would celebrate the identity of the Pico Aliso neighborhood?" and "Which elements would make Fourth Street better?" MIG prepared visual boards with examples of street improvements and enhancements. Participants were also able to write down any additional comments.
Boyle Heights Youth Technology Center Interview Corner by Youth Across from the BH Youth Tech Center, the youth created an outside interactive living room space for people to be interviewed and share their thoughts on safety.
From Lot to Spot Temporary Parklet Area
Boyle Heights Technology Center youth interviewing CEM’s community organizer during pop up event
From Lot to Spot created a temporary parklet space made up of box crates and a canopy tent, where people passing by could stop and play loteria or rest under the canopy.
Luchadores Crossing by Lucha Libre Mexicana Entertainment Through the support of Lucha Libre Mexicana Entertainment luchadores, people were able to cross Fourth Street with a personal escort by a luchador. This fun and interactive activity not only highlighted our luchador theme, but also resembles what our CEM Safe Passage/Camino Seguro leaders do on a daily basis.
From Lot to Spot parklet station in front of HACLA administrative offices
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Streetscaping by MIG Various plants, succulents, and dwarf trees were placed along the street to create more green space.
Face Painting by De Colores Children received face paintings of luchadores or luchadoras and other characters by a local artist.
Self-Help Graphics Street Signs
De Colores artist painting faces at Pop Up event
Self Help graphics artists shared examples of different types of street signs created in our art workshop and other existing street signs with participants. Participants were able to create their own street signs after reviewing the various examples.
From Lot to Spot Loteria Wayfinding Area From Lot to Spot lead our wayfinding workshop where participants were able to create wayfindings out of loteria cards and also were able to develop their own design.
Contributors and Supporters:
From Lot to Spot volunteers at loteria wayfinding station
Food Finders, AARP, LADOT Transit, Keck Medicine of USC, From Lot to Spot, Boyle Heights Youth Technology Youth Source Center, Metro, El Conjunto Nueva Ola, DJ Survive, Jason Zepeda, De Colores Face Painting, Promesa Boyle Heights, MCM, Moni Perez, Santa Santos (agua frescas), Sergio’s Tacos, Planned Parenthood, and Fuerza Mexicana de Lucha Libre. Including, Ioby and Transit Center for helping us to establish this project last year. Self Help Graphics artist showing participants how to create street signs
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Data Collection Methods In order to develop our recommendations to the city, we conducted a survey of community residents to determine which street improvements were the most desired. A paper survey in both English and Spanish was offered during outreach activities leading up to the Pop Up Event, and 189 were collected prior to May 6. The outreach activities prior to the Pop Up included the door-knocking activities in the community, the family art workshop, and the meetings at the schools.
CEM leaders showing event participant how to fill out the visual survey at pop up event
The survey was at the core of our Pop Up Event’s purpose in gathering community input on improving the intersection at 4th and Gless, and we were able to collect 146 surveys on May 6. The survey included a range of street improvement options from crosswalks, signals, lighting, signage, furniture, plantings and more. The community members were asked to select their top three most desired street improvements. See page 35 for our survey. One aspect of the data collection that we did not anticipate was that several residents who completed the surveys made a point of selecting more than 3 improvements, with some making notes on their survey to indicate that they believed we needed more than three improvements to the intersection to fully meet the needs of pedestrians. We have tried to account for this in our data analysis.
Community resident filling out community survey during Phase I of the project
CEM leaders doing out reach at Mendez H.S.
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Proyecto Pastoral staff with Super Nacho luchador at pop up event
Results of the Project Through the course of our outreach, 215 individuals completed our survey of the proposed community improvements, and 146 people participated in our dot-voting process to select the top three improvements they wished to prioritize. The following were the community’s priorities: 1) Safer Crosswalks 2) More places to sit and rest 3) Improved lighting To celebrate the Pico Aliso Neighborhood identity, they had the following priorities: 1) Decorative Crosswalks 2) Small Gathering Places 3) Public Art & Gateway Signage The Community is already informed and has contributed to the direction of the changes and can mobilize easily to support city efforts in community engagement in the up coming phases on the work.
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Summary & Lessons Learned As we continue building on the efforts of our Pico Aliso residents to improve pedestrian safety, we welcome the opportunity to partner with the city and seek funding sources that can support permanent long-term changes to Fourth Street. We commit to continuing to invest in a community driven vision for Fourth Street. We believe the updates desired by the community are within the scope of what the city can offer to the residents in a permanent installation. Sidewalk markings indicate that the area around the intersection of 4th and Gless Street has already been identified within the city’s broader project to improve sidewalks that border city property. The community is already informed and has contributed to the direction of the changes, and can mobilize easily to support city efforts in community engagement in the upcoming phases of the work.
CEM leader with Proyecto Pastoral CEO and Carter Rubin from Great Streets
Community youth writing why they love Pico Aliso
The outreach and Pop-Up event created an environment that attracted more people, promoted dialogue, and built immense ownership for permanent improvements on Fourth Street.
CEM leaders with Erick Huerta from MCM discussing street improvement needs in the community
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Firs 5 LA leaders sharing information with participant at Pop Up event
To create this environment, it was important to work with other local experts that had immense knowledge of the neighborhood climate, history, and were willing to leverage their expertise to assist in lifting the community’s story. We were fortunate to gain local support in this project from local artists, music entertainers, land-use experts, and service providers who serve in our area. Most people who participated in our project shared that activities were well thought out, fun and interactive. We would not have been able to accomplish this goal without the support of our partners. On the day of the pop up event, we had a diverse group of volunteers that managed and assisted with the different stations. We had an event passport that guided residents throughout the event. Participating partners and volunteers shared that the event was well-organized and they had a clear understanding of their role. We also had entertainment, a professional sound team for greeting and speaking with the guests, art workshops, raffles and give-aways that helped attract people to the event.
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Challenges New Partnerships
Partnerships were a vital part of the project. We needed to invest time in gaining a mutual understanding of team roles, the overall project budget, aspects of planning for the event, the elements needed for a successful event and the communications process. MIG team setting up decorative high visibility crosswalk along 4th Street
Rain cloud overcast over pop up event
Event Plan
We were planning for good weather, but had some drizzle that day. Quick changes to our set-up were made with the help of our team of volunteers and partners, and we were still able to have a good flow of people through the course of the event. Partners and volunteers recommended having the band play earlier to maintain the momentum because of the weather. In future events where we anticipate weather challenges, we plan to have a group check in to walk through possible changes with all partners and key leadership to better prepare.
Planning Ahead for Street Work
Also, we anticipate that when recommended street improvement changes are made permanent, the heavy volume of traffic that crosses the intersection will need to be temporarily re-routed. Without many alternative streets, there may be a need to divert traffic into residential streets during the updates to the crosswalk and any installation of signage, lighting and seating that may be slated. LADOT employee assisting participants to cross street intersection between 4th Street and Gless Street
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4th Street corridor and surrounding area
Recommendations: In addition to the street improvements identified by our community, we would also recommend: Maintaining a strong focus on community engagement in further decision-making processes; Maintaining a process that is pedestrian-centric and promotes incremental changes through community recommended solutions, while including campaigns to educate drivers on alternate routes; Greater transparency in the street improvement process, including access to the guidelines that dictate street design decisions, (i.e. Street Engineers’ Handbook); Popular education workshops and grassroots approaches to increase awareness of the development process; Identifying consultants experienced in working with non-profits of varying sizes and capacity levels and value having a community-lens approach; Holding small land-use and transportation education workshops which can engage residents and other stakeholders. Gathering ideas on how to troubleshoot earlier on to help offset traffic and safety impacts before the construction phase occurs.
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Special Thanks We would like to give special thanks to three extraordinary community luchadoras whose time and dedication to their community will be an investment for our future generations: Lilia Acosta, Kenia Saucedo Perez and Itzel Selene Garcia Guemez.
CEM organizer with core CEM leaders at pop up event
We would also like to acknowledge the founding community leadership that helped establish the legacy of community advocacy in our neighborhood. We wish to continue to uphold their legacy in our future efforts and encourage emerging new leadership for the betterment of our community. We would lie to give special thanks to the offices of council member Jose Huizar and Congressional District 14. We would also like acknowledge the Mayor's office and their team for their support.
CEM organizer with CD 14 field deputy
Mayor’s Office representative and Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council representative at pop up event
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CHANGE MAKER HISTORY & TOOL KIT
Change Maker History Comunidad en Movimiento (CEM) is focused on building leadership,civic engagement, and systemic change around safety and wellness Issues.
Camino Seguro / Safe Passage: The Safe Passage volunteer program was launched by local residents, Dolores Mission School, and Proyecto Pastoral as a strategy to address the growing safety concerns in Pico Aliso. Since 1999, Safe Passage/Camino Seguro volunteers have donned their trademark green shirts and jackets, and positioned themselves on local crosswalks to help escort children safely to and from school.
CEM Safety Committee coordinator facilitating planning meeting with other leaders
On October 8, 2000, a local 10 year-old girl was killed by stray bullet from a drive by shooting between two local gangs. This led to large numbers of Pico Aliso residents coming together to demand speed bumps to help impede racing drivers. Seven days later, the Department of Transportation arrived to install them. CEM leaders continue working with residents to build relationships with community organizations, local schools, City representatives, and other stakeholders to address the prevalent safety concerns in the neighborhood. In January 2002, CEM leaders and residents traveled to Chicago and San Diego with local City representatives to study alternative policing strategies and community policing efforts. Through studying proactive models focused on preventing crime through a community-led approach, leaders were able to apply similar efforts in the neighborhood. Since then, we have seen the benefits of the institution of active programming and the culture of building relationships in developing long-term impacts by generating hope, awareness, connecting resources, and addressing the need for community unity and involvement.
CEM Leaders working on fundraising raffle
CEM leaders during transportation solution exercise
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CEM Safety Committee:
CEM leaders reviewing neighborhood maps with UCLA representative during PEQI evaluation
CEM’s Safety Committee organizes around short and long term strategies to address the safety issues in the community, such as pedestrian safety, needed street improvements, community walkability and connectivity, and safety in our local parks. As pedestrian safety emerged as an ongoing and pressing need, CEM’s Safety Committee members sought to better understand efforts previously employed by the community, identify best practices, and develop relationships with other residents and organizations. CEM also hosted small community meetings, one on one’s with residents and parents, and conducted neighborhood surveys to identify areas in the neighborhood with chronic safety issues. This process affirmed our focus on improving walkability and connectivity in the neighborhood, by addressing the existing street design and community landscape that encourages unsafe walking and driving practices and victimization of people who live in the area and/or travel in the area.
UCLA PEQI In 2009, Proyecto Pastoral partnered with UCLA’s Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (UCLA COEH) with support from The California Endowment formed ACCION, as a partnership between academia and the community to address health disparities and environmental issues. This partnership allowed UCLA COEH to fulfill its mandate to provide technical assistance to Los Angeles-area communities and offered Proyecto Pastoral the opportunity to develop their capacity to organize for positive environmental change in their service area. PEQI project community map of final recommendations
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“At the outset of the partnership, focus groups determined that pedestrian safety and walkability were a priority for Proyecto Pastoral members. Walkability is a term used to describe how well a neighborhood lends itself to walking as a means of transportation for residents. It is often expressed as a function of sidewalk and roadway design and presence of pedestrian amenities such as crosswalks, lights and signs. Walkability is an important factor of the built environment that can have long-term impacts on health depending on its presence or absence. Walkable communities promote physical activity and lower-risk for obesity and other chronic diseases and also confer protection to pedestrians from physical harm.” (UCLA Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, 1999 PEQI report.) The Pedestrian Environmental Quality Index (PEQI) developed by UCLA COEH, served as an observation tool that helped capture and explain the pedestrian safety needs, and assisted in determining community priorities for future planning and possible street improvements. The PEQI survey focused on six areas: intersection safety, traffic, street design, land use, perceived safety and perceived walkability. The survey findings helped CEM springboard pedestrian safety efforts in raising awareness in the community. In 2015, CEM leaders led investigations at our community meetings, through presentations with parents at schools, and at an event at Pecan Park around safety with other city representatives. We also collected 1,000 surveys in 2016 from parents and students in our local schools followed by parent focus groups in schools to share the results. CEM facilitated three workshops focused on pedestrian safety at schools and supported other safety efforts in collaboration with Dolores Mission and Proyecto Pastoral’s IMPACTO youth programs during the summer. These community investigation efforts asisited leaders to become more knowledgeable of the safety needs of students, parents and community members and highlighted chronic safety areas. This also began our focus on improving the existing street infrastructure to improve mobility.
CEM Leaders in a community clean up
CEM leaders and Mendez High School parents collecting community surveys from students during lunch
CEM leaders gathered for CA Walks community walking assessment training
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CEM leaders gathered for CA Walks community walking assessment training
Training by CA Walks In April 2016, CEM leaders were trained by California Walks about best practices in improving pedestrian safety. The training also included a walking assessment from 1st Street and Anderson Street to Plaza del Sol and Mission Road, and from Plaza del Sol and Mission Road to the 101 freeway exit and entrance on East Aliso Street. Participants were asked to 1) observe infrastructure conditions and the behavior of all road users; 2) apply strategies learned from the 6 E’s presentation that could help overcome infrastructure deficiencies and unsafe driver, pedestrian, and bicyclist behavior; and 3) identify positive community assets and strategies which can build upon these assets. California Walks created a report about these efforts entitled “Pedestrian Safety in the Pico Aliso Neighborhood.”
IOBY Project / Crowdfunding / Community Input In summer of 2016, the Pico Aliso Neighborhood Project was selected in a national competition by Transit Center and IOBY (In Our Back Yards) focused on community engagement in improving the accessibility of transit stops. The process of engaging residents included outreach and education through door-knocking, as well as a crowdfunding campaign in which IOBY provided a 2:1 match, resulting in $5,000 raised in support of The Pico Aliso Neighborhood Project. Many community members contributed toward this achievement, with donations ranging from $1 - $10 collected during door knocking by community leaders. These same residents who invested in the project have also been engaged in assessing the kinds of street improvements that could be implemented in their community along Fourth Street. The Great Streets project was a timely next step in our work to improve pedestrian safety.
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The Survey
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The Results Do you live, work, go to school, etc in the neighborhood? 60%
What is your age? 25%
45%
20% 15%
30%
10%
15%
5% 0% y a St 'nd iD 8 1 re dn U
52 -8 1
66 re vO
56 -6 5
54 -6 3
55 -6 4
ss e ni su B
kr oW
re ht O
loo hc S
ev iL
53 -6 2
0%
an w O
How do you usually get around?
How do you want to see 4th street improved ?
70%
90% 56%
60%
42%
30%
28%
0%
14%
Walk
Transit
Bike
Other
re fa S
Car
yr en ee r G er oM tlu c/ tra c ilb uP ed a h Se ro M gn ith g iL er oM tse R o t se ca lP kl a w sso rC
0%
What design would make 4th street a more pleasant place to walk ?
60%
80%
45%
60%
30%
40%
15%
20%
0%
0%
si v -h giH
sy a w et aG
trA cil bu P
se c a ps gn i re ht aG
sso r ce vi t a ro ce D
yp o n ac da e h sr re e vO tn alP ee r tw or e l bu te oD e rtS w o r -en er O u t in ru F k lw th g dS iL ela c Sde k l P w ssr C
Which design would help celebrate the identity of the Neighborhood?
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The Passport
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The Poster
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The Poster
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