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How California’s Cap-And-Trade Program Offers Hope For Disadvantaged Communities
Fresno, California, seen above, is receiving $66 million for walking trails, sidewalks, bike lanes, and more. DenisTangneyJr / iStock / Getty Images
Grecia Elenes grew up in Fresno, California. She says some parts of the city have been neglected for decades. When she moved back after college she realized nothing has changed.
“You see the same vacant lots. You see the same liquor stores,” she says. “There’s still no parks. You have the same missing sidewalks.”
“That has historically not received any type of investment,” Elenes says, “to transform the community in the way that the community sees fit.” New infrastructure might include walking trails, sidewalks, or bike lanes, she says.
These amenities can help cut carbon pollution because they help create walkable neighborhoods. They also improve health and quality of life.
“I really hope it will catalyze a transformation that this community so rightly deserves,” Elenes says.
Reposted with permission from Yale Climate Connections.