The lack of reliable transportation can be a major challenge in people’s lives.
“Transit really provides access to education, job opportunities, and child care,” says Stephanie Ramirez of the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone.
She says South LA has high rates of poverty and many people who rely on public transit to get to jobs and school. But buses do not go everywhere. And some roads lack sidewalks and bike lanes.
It’s also an area long burdened by air pollution from truck traffic and industry.
So her group is partnering on a project to expand transportation options in South LA, with a focus on solutions that help the climate and people’s health.
The city and state are investing about $18 million into the pilot program, which will expand an EV car share program into the area, create an e-bike lending library, and launch an on-demand electric shuttle.
“Maybe the public transportation option that they’re looking at doesn’t get them to where they need to go,” Ramirez says.
And the city is piloting a system that would provide local residents with monthly stipends for use on transportation — so people have clean, affordable options to get where they’re going.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media