Boyle Heights Promotores Program:

Multicultural Communities for Mobility led a bike advocacy campaign in the fall of 2014, focusing on the proposed bike lanes in Boyle Heights on Boyle and Soto. Using the promotores model of organizing, project leaders Rio Contreras and Maryann Aguirre recruited advocates from within the community. The project included a survey of the community’s bike/ped 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.

The team created 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 is only the beginning of the conversation in Boyle Heights, but we hope this video helps organizations and groups across the state and the country better understand how to engage, work with and empower communities of color to speak for themselves.

Special thank you to CalBike for supporting this program.

Gathering Community Support:

The team had posters made with images of people that represent the community to demonstrate the diversity of cyclists within the neighborhoods; from abuelas to small businesses – why shouldn’t their voice be represented in the decision-making conversations? As the City of Los Angeles hosts meetings to get public feedback on the proposed bike lanes across the city, how can we make sure the young women, the youth, and the abuelos are at the table?

These were posted on store fronts throughout Boyle Heights. The back of each poster lists conditions for city and county planners to take into consideration, including infrastructure that better supports cyclists an pedestrians, access to free or low-cost bike safety education classes, diversion programs for first-time bike law offenders, and more. Please click HERE to see our list of bike-friendly businesses in the area. Show them some love by stopping by – buy a cup of coffee and pan dulce, get your hair done, or finally get that tattoo you’ve always wanted!