04 May Photo Recap – GELA Open House @ LA County Public Works, April 24, 2019

April 24, 2019 – At the second GELA Open House, the students from the East Los Angeles Renaissance Academy at Esteban E. Torres High School dove into their maps and zines with the engineers from LA County Public Works, experts in public health, urban planners, and mobility justice advocates, sharing their recommendations for enhancements along the five East LA corridors: Cesar Chavez, Eastern, First, Ford, and Whittier. The students walked the attendees through their observations on the safety conditions for each stretch of roadway and explained the nuts and bolts of how and why their recommendations would enhance safety, inviting conversation and participation from those in attendance.

>> Check out our Facebook album for a look into the event.

Emiko Thompson, Assistant Deputy Director at Los Angeles County Public Works, and Martin Reyes, Transportation Deputy for Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, presented alongside two students and shared context about the County’s Vision Zero Action Plan and STEM programs. The event marked the second annual presentation of Greetings from East LA at Public Works. Many thanks to event host and project partner LA County Public Works.

Special kudos to our project partners: Renaissance Teacher, Ms. Tenorio, and Principal, Mr. Buchman; USC Interns Christine Vazquez, LeAnn Kelch, and Richard Aviles; and USC Price School of Public Policy.

Photos: Ashley Ajayi, Urban Futures Lab Fellow