Caltrans and SANDAG are hoping to tackle an issue that’s been affecting many port communities in San Diego: air pollution.
Walker Renfro is from Tennessee but works in the Barrio Logan area. He said he notices the problem up close, every day.
“There’s always some kind of bad smell coming in your nose, and you walk by something, and you get that stench,” Renfro said.
The neighborhoods of Barrio Logan, West National City, Logan Heights, and Sherman Heights make up the Portside Environmental Justice Neighborhoods in the San Diego Air Pollution Control District. These communities make up about eight square miles with a population of about 53,000 people. It's a highly industrial area with a number of small and large factories, with high truck traffic.
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“They're idling and that's where most of the pollution comes from, when the trucks are stopping and idling,” said Caltrans project manager Jose Robles.
Caltrans and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) want to make the issue better.
“We're just trying to do our part to better improve this situation,” Robles said.
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Caltrans is asking for input on a new project aimed at reducing the pollution-causing traffic in these neighborhoods.
“It's going to reduce the amount of idling that occurs along the corridor, as trucks approach intersections,” Robles said.
The project includes a designated truck lane and a bridge that would connect the Vesta Street retaining wall wet side and dry side.
“Navy personnel moves from one side to the other without impacting the city streets and the truck-only lane is going to encourage trucks to use that,” Robles said.
But the changes are not set in stone. Community engagement is a key part of project development.
“We know that that area has been unrepresented in the past, specifically by Barrio Logan, National City, and we've done some harm. So, hopefully, with these projects we can improve the air quality and make their quality of life better,” Robles said.
The project is funded through the design phase and the design is set to start in late spring or early summer of 2024. When the design phase starts, it's going to take about three years to finish.
