In 2014, MCM’s Boyle Heights Promotores program engaged local residents and small businesses to develop campaigns for bike lanes through discussions about gentrification and economic development. The project included a survey of the community’s bike and pedestrian needs, a much needed conversation on gentrification and how bike lanes do or not contribute, and a "bici paseo" that recruited local bike-friendly businesses to show their support.
To get started, we recruited advocates from within the community. The Promotores leaders were able to create a space for the local community to engage in conversations on the importance of cyclist and pedestrian safety, issues experienced by cyclists in Boyle Heights daily, health and socio-economic inequities, and the very real problem of looming gentrification.
This program harnessed the skills of our team members, especially those who are undocumented, bilingual in English and Spanish, and live and work in these neighborhoods, and paid them to conduct community-based research, mobilize local businesses and residents, and create a tool for city planners and decision makers to increase awareness of actions that lead to gentrification in communities
Funding by CalBike.
