✨PMJ March Newsletter✨

(Photo from the Los Angeles protests against ICE Raids, February 2, 2025, Downtown LA)
 

“I believe that all organizing is science fiction - that we are shaping the future we long for and have not yet experienced.” - Adrienne Maree Brown

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Greetings PMJ Family, Friends, and Allies,

The environmental and political climate continue to test us, reinforcing the need to stand together, build cross-movement solidarity, and prioritize collective well-being. Rebuilding after the LA Wildfires will take time, but we have seen firsthand the transformative power of on-the-ground organizing, mutual aid, and community resilience. Simultaneously, our immigrant communities face increasing threats of mass deportations while cultural and racial identities are continually challenged. In these heavy times together, we remind you that self-care is a revolutionary actand that there is a deep power and resilience staying rooted in joy.

PMJ News

Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety in East LA

In partnership with National Core, LA County Department of Public Works, P.A.T.H., and Hope Through Housing, PMJ continues to provide free bicycle education for residents of Las Dahlias, a 100% affordable housing community in East LA. We remain committed to promoting safer streets, advocating for equitable transportation, and fostering active community engagement.

Promoting Safety, Community Engagement, and Collaboration

Alongside the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and the Los Angeles Department of Public Health (DPH), PMJ is advancing mobility justice by providing safety education and resources in East LA, Florence-Firestone, and Willowbrook-West Rancho Dominguez. Stay tuned for upcoming bike rides, programs, and collaborations in 2025!

Expanding Bicycle Education and Clean Mobility in South Central

The South Central Power Up (SCPU) lending library pilot program—designed by and for the South Central community—continues to break barriers in access to clean, sustainable transportation. Through partnerships with Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), LA Clean Tech Incubator (LACI), California Climate Investments, CARB, The Labor Community Strategy Center, Ride On!, and RIDEWITUS, PMJ has successfully trained 38 new E-bike users in February 2025 alone! During CicLAvia, SCPU participants experienced the event on their own program bikes, showcasing the impact of community-driven mobility solutions.

Currently available for select South Central zip codes, SCPU is empowering residents with clean mobility options while promoting environmental sustainability.

Click HERE to learn more about South Central Power Up.
Interested in joining? Sign up HERE!

PMJ Featured in the Social Primate Podcast

Jimbo Times, The L.A. Storyteller, and The Social Primate Podcast featured PMJ in their 150th episode! The discussion highlighted stories that inspire, challenge, and connect with the human experience.
Listen to the full episode HERE!

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Join the Mob J Team!

Interested in PMJ's programs and advocacy work?

At PMJ, we recognize that communities are the true experts of their lived experiences. Our mission is to provide the tools, resources, and knowledge necessary to create safer, more engaged, and well-informed neighborhoods. Together, we mobilize for mobility justice and collective empowerment.

Sign up HERE to get involved!

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Other Upcoming Events

League Cycling Advocate Workshop

The League of American Cyclists is hosting an engaging workshop on bike advocacy, storytelling, and policy. Join us in Santa Monica, CA from March 25-27, 2025 for a deep dive into mobility justice efforts!
Learn more about the workshop HERE.

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Immigrant' Rights & Resources

• Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC): Download Red Cards (Available in 16 languages)

• Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC): How to Use Your Red Cards

• "We Have Rights" Empowerment Campaign Videos: Watch HERE

• National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC): Know Your Rights: What To Do If You or a Loved One Is Detained

• National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC): If You Encounter ICE

• ACLU (Southern California): ICE NOT WELCOME: Verify, Document, and Report

• ACLU (Southern California): Southern California Rapid Response Network

• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): Know Your Rights: Healthcare and Health Insurance for Immigrants

• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): Healthcare Providers and Immigration Enforcement: Know Your Rights, Know Your Patients’ Rights

Other Community Resources

• MLK Community Healing and Trauma Prevention Center: Workshops and resources serving Watts, Willowbrook, and Compton.

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Metro Updates

• More Metro Stations Get Restrooms! Read the article on Metro’s "The Source"HERE.

• Vermont Transit Corridor: Engage and learn during Metro’s virtual meeting on March 6, 2025, at 6 PM. Join HERE.

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We are deeply grateful for the community love and support that has sustained our work over the years. Your collaboration fuels the movement for mobility justice in Los Angeles.

Subscribe to our newsletter or donate today to support equitable transportation and sustainable mobility solutions.

In love and solidarity,

The People for Mobility Justice Team

✨PMJ 2024 Highlights & More✨

People for Mobility Justice at the LADOT Quick Build Celebration on 54th St., October 2024

Greetings PMJ family,

As we step into 2025, our communities have faced immense challenges, from the devastating LA wildfires to the transition of a new leadership administration. These events have deeply impacted many of us, with friends and families displaced, homes lost, and widespread grief and uncertainty. Nevertheless, we remain committed to building our networks of solidarity, movement, and healing for our communities. 2025 and the years ahead will be powerful years to come together, and we welcome you to get involved in our efforts as PMJ.

2024 Highlights 

At PMJ, our team remains dedicated to advancing equity, racial justice, and culturally-informed bicycle education and policy. Our work is grounded in our 5D’s framework, which guides and inspires our efforts.

Here are a few highlights from 2024:

In partnership with the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) - Community Streets, PMJ hosted the Mob J Summer Ride Series! These rides celebrated and showcased local landmarks such as those along Slauson Ave. and Central Ave., and key infrastructure victories, including the new bicycle-pedestrian path on Slauson Ave.

We’re proud of the progress made and look forward to continuing this important work with our community.

Electric Bicycles in South Central:

2024 was a transformative year for South Central with the launch of the South Central Power Up! (SCPU) Program in April. This first-of-its-kind lending library pilot program promotes equitable access to clean and sustainable transportation.

In partnership with LADOT, LACI, California Climate Investments, CARB, and local organizations like Community Services Unlimited, Esperanza Community Housing, and TRUST-South LA, PMJ successfully trained 40 e-bike users through curated training materials and bike skills education.

We’re excited to build on this success in 2025 with more trainings, group rides, and expanded access for the South Central community.

Electro Bici Program Success: 

In collaboration with Shared Mobility, Inc., Equiticity, Mobility Development, and LADWP funding, PMJ partnered with Pacoima Beautiful to support the Electro-Bici lending library program. Together, we trained new cohorts of e-bike users in essential bike skills and safety practices.

Through Electro-Bici, residents of Northeast San Fernando Valley gained access to e-bike education and clean mobility options, fostering sustainable transportation in the community.

Promoting Safety and Community Engagement: 
 

With support from the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and the Department of Public Health (DPH), and in partnership with the Eastside Riders Bike Club (ESRBC), PMJ expanded bicycle and pedestrian safety education to East LA, Florence-Firestone, and Willowbrook/West Rancho Dominguez.

Highlights included the East LA Food Tour, supporting local food vendors, and programming like safety presentations, community walks, helmet distributions, and events like Parks After Dark. These efforts promoted essential safety skills and resources aligned with Vision Zero goals.

Building Leadership Through Mobility Justice:
 

PMJ collaborated with the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone (Slate-Z) to train members of the Resident Advisory Committee (RAC), key advisors of the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP) Steering Committee.

We facilitated 12 trainings on mobility justice and the Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) Program, including a Historic Tour of South Central. We are proud of the leadership and expertise of our RAC members and look forward to continuing this work in 2025!

Bringing Bicycle Education to East LA:

PMJ partnered with National Core, LA County Department of Public Works, PATH, and Hope Through Housing to provide free bicycle education to residents of Las Dhalias, a 100% affordable housing building in East LA.

Advancing Mobility Justice Through ACT-LA Coalition Efforts:

As an active member of the ACT-LA Coalition, PMJ continued to advocate for BIPOC transit users and cyclists through the Metro As A Sanctuary Campaign, the Vermont Avenue Bus Lane Campaign, and advocacy efforts towards Fareless Transit. In May, PMJ partnered together with the Korean Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA), ACT-LA, and CicLAvia for a ride-along experience ending at CSU-VMP with an educational discussion of the Vermont Ave. Bus Lane Campaign and strategies for proposed infrastructure along the corridor. 

PMJ Receives the "Award of Merit" by APA Los Angeles:
 

We are proud to announce that PMJ has been honored with the "Award of Merit" by APA Los Angeles for our project, "South Los Angeles Quick Build Community Planning: An Equity-Centered Outreach Model."

This project represents our commitment to reimagining community planning through an equity-driven lens, ensuring that historically underserved voices are heard and centered in decision-making. By collaborating with residents and stakeholders, we developed innovative strategies that prioritize accessibility, inclusion, and sustainability in South LA.

LA Wildfire Resources
 

In the spirit of community care and self-care, we’ve gathered a list of resources to support those impacted by the devastating LA wildfires. These efforts aim to provide immediate relief, recovery support, and access to vital networks for individuals and families facing displacement, loss, and uncertainty.

We encourage everyone to share these resources widely:

Meztli Projects Mutual Aid Resources

Mutual Aid, Los Angeles Network (MALAN)

MALAN Fire & Wind Storm Resources

Request Support: Resources for the Deaf Community & Folks with Disabilities 

Offer Support: Resources for the Deaf Community & Folks with Disabilities 

City of Pasadena Resources
 

Mutual Aid Distribution Efforts via the Eastside Coalition:

Esquina Bicycle Shop, LA Childcare Mutual Aid, Abrazos Healing Arts, Eastside Cafe, Mercado del Pueblo Co-op, and Mujeres de Maiz (more information HERE)

"We Are LA Fire Resource Page"
 

Metro’s Assistance for LA County Wildfire victims:

Metro has modified eligibility requirements for its reduced fare programs. Visit this website for more details.

LA Forward - Call for Submissions:

LA Forward is gathering thoughts and essays on how Southern California can move toward recovery and reconstruction. This is a joint effort between LA Podcast and LA Forward Institute. People of all backgrounds and positions are welcome to SUBMIT!  

Help Esquina Bike Shop Survive the Impact of the LA Fires!

Esquina Bike Shop in Boyle Heights urgently needs our help to keep its doors open. Functioning as a community hub and a home for so many folks, Esquina has also stepped in as part of the LA Fires Mutual Aid, Ease Side Coalition. The Fundraising page can be found HERE.

Other Community Resources

Mobility Wallet Program Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) - Pilot Program:

In partnership with Metro, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) expanded the UBM pilot program with Phase II. The Mobility Wallet Program grants access to transportation options to qualified South Central residents.

To express interest in Phase III, please complete the form HERE.

Questions about the program can be directed to: mobilitywallet@metro.net

The Source: Florence-Firestone

Community Resource Event for the Unhoused and Housing Insecure

Metro Updates
 

Metro has announced that fare collections will resume on Monday, January 27th, 2025. More information can be found on Metro's "The Source."

PMJ News and Upcoming Events
 

The South Central Power Up! Program is gearing up for another exciting round of trainings in 2025! This lending library pilot equips participants with essential e-bike safety skills while offering a fun and sustainable transportation option.

Currently available for select zip codes in South Central, the program continues to empower the community with clean mobility solutions.

Click HERE for more information on the South Central Power Up! Program. Interested in the program?

Sign up HERE!

We are so grateful for all the community love that has sustained our project throughout these years. As always, we welcome your collaboration and support. Subscribe to our newsletter or donate now to join the movement for mobility justice in Los Angeles.
 

In love and solidarity,

The People for Mobility Justice Team

To All Our Relations,

People for Mobility Justice (PMJ) has taken time to process the results of a challenging presidential election and reflect on our role over the coming four years with the incoming presidential administration and the state of our nation. Like many of you, we witnessed the republican candidate run and win one of the most hate-fueled presidential campaigns in modern history and we share in the collective frustration, disappointment, and concerns regarding the implications of this outcome.

While we are disheartened by this country’s endorsement of white supremacy, racism, sexism, transphobia, and xenophobia, we also acknowledge the painful reality that some within BIPOC communities align with these harmful ideologies. This realization compels us to recognize our own accountability in not addressing this rhetoric more effectively within our communities. PMJ views this as a moment to deepen our commitment and to learn from where we have fallen short, knowing there is much work ahead.

We remain grounded and committed to our values-driven work. And we believe that equity, love, and intersectional dialogue and collaboration with our partners, will be critical in solidifying strategies to protect and advocate for each other during the incoming presidential administration.

As an organization, we continue to be committed to serving BIPOC communities from a perspective of love. Love for our communities. Love for immigrants. Love for our youth. Love for the elders. Love for people with disabilities. Love for women seeking reproductive health. Love for all people regardless of gender. We believe these next four years will require all of us to build a movement of resistance together. We must find the intersection in our work in order to build power for our communities.

Take heart, family. We are with you. We love you. We will resist the Hate.

In Solidarity,
People for Mobility Justice

PMJ has continued our commitment to mobility justice for BIPOC communities in 2023. We developed culturally relevant/community oriented mobility programs.

The following are some highlights:

Bike Programs:

Electro Bici (E-bike Library, Pacoima) – PMJ provided electric bike education trainings for 4 program cohorts, hosted 4 community rides to promote the program in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, and provided marshal training for Pacoima Beautiful staff to lead group rides past the life of the program.

Electro Bici Community Ride - May 2023

Electro Bici Dia de los Muertos Ride - October 2023

South Central Power Up (E-bike Library, South Central LA) – PMJ is leading a collaborative of South Central LA organizations including Ride On Bike Coop, TRUST South LA, SCOPE, Labor/Community Strategy Center, Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, Community Services Unlimited, and Ride With Us bike shop to establish an E-bike library in South LA.

South Central Power Up e-bike test ride – October 2023

Bike Audits (South LA, Koreatown, Wilmington, Hollywood) – PMJ led a series of bike audits to engage BIPOC bicyclists with proposed LADOT planning projects throughout Los Angeles.

South LA Quick Build Bike Audit, August 2023

Community Rides (South LA, East LA, Wilmington, Mar Vista) – PMJ led a series of community rides in several BIPOC communities in Los Angeles promoting local art, culture, food, and people.

Wilmington Community Ride, February 2023

Venice Blvd Community Ride - July 2023

Community Planning (South LA, East LA, Wilmington, Watts) – PMJ led a series of community planning activities in BIPOC communities to engage people with planning projects in their neighborhoods. Community planning activities included street charrettes, bike rodeos, and bike/walk audits.

Mobility Justice Regional Roadmap

PMJ worked with Liberty Hill and ACT LA leadership to author a regional roadmap report for Go Biz (Governor’s Office) that calls to embed mobility justice principals in investments for ZEV programs and infrastructure.

During Black History Month 2021 our Bicycle Education Manager, Lena Williams alongside our Advisory Board Chair Yolanda Davis-Overstreet co-hosted several podcasts titled “We The People: Black Lives Roll’en,” where they discussed Black lives, mobility justice, Black history and cycling. To listen to the recordings, click here. Yolanda also released a short documentary titled “Biking While Black” where she ​​gathers the narratives of community constituents, grassroots advocates, CBOs, and city agencies around the topic of Black Lives bicycling in Los Angeles.

Our Project Director, Maryann Aguirre established PMJ’s leadership as mobility justice champions. She participated on the Latino/Latina Roundtable to discuss clean mobility options and mobility justice in BIPDowntown Los Angeles Tour TourOC communities. She also moderated a panel discussion with the Transit Center titled, “Supporting Parents: Policies for Transit Friendly Transit Agencies” alongside Jessica Meaney of Investing in Place and Clare Eberle from LADOT where they discussed public-facing policies that make transit work better for parents. To view recording, click on the links.

Programs & Policy:

PMJs longest standing program has been our culturally relevant bicycle safety education classes. In 2021 our bicycle safety education program continued to thrive through Metro’s Bicycle Education Safety Program and the Department of Public Health Vision Zero Program. Due to the COVID restrictions we were able to pivot and  conduct a hybrid of virtual and in-person education classes and bike rides. In total we hosted over 75 events with nearly 1,000 participants! Our community bike rides continue to be some of our most popular events. This year we organized the first ever South LA Mural Ride, Downtown Los Angeles Taco Tour in collaboration with L.A. Taco, and a self guided East LA Mural Ride.

Throughout the summer we participated in hosting a series of Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety classes with the Department of Public Health. We hosted classes in and around South East Los Angeles, Westmont/West Athens and West Whittier/Los Nieto alongside LACBC and Estolano Advisors. We were also awarded a mini grant through Metro for their “Adopt-A-Bike” program. PMJ successfully distributed over 40 refurbished bicycles to community members throughout Los Angeles for free.

PMJ has been an active member of the ACT-LA coalition. Last year we continued to advocate for BIPOC transit riders in LA through various campaigns such as; Metro As A Sanctuary, Divest to Invest and Fare Free Transit. We will continue to challenge Metro to divest from police contract and invest in alternative safety measures as well advocate for a fare free transit system for all.

2022 & Beyond:

As we begin 2022 PMJ looks forward to launching new programs that will benefit BIPOC communities such as:
 

LADOT Community First: PMJ will be part of a collaborative led by Dakota Communications that will support the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) with community engagement for projects developed for Vision Zero and Active Transportation Departments.

South LA Resident Advisory Council: PMJ will facilitate two of the trainings for the RAC cohort focused on mobility justice and the universal basic mobility.

East LA Active Transportation Education and Encouragement Project: PMJ is partnering with Public Matters, Pueblo Planning, and Esteban Torres High School to facilitate community engagement for proposed public transportation investments through workshops, walk audits, and bicycle rides.
 

Electro Bici: PMJ is partnering with Pacoima Beautiful to launch an electric bike library in the Northeast San Fernando Valley. A cohort of local street vendors, small business owners, and/or entrepreneurs will utilize the e-bike library as an economic resource for the community. PMJ will help develop the program's operations as well as lead training sessions for the initial cohort of e-bike library users as well as lead community rides to promote the bike fleet. 

Access Clean CA: PMJ will be a part of statewide network of CBO’s working with Grid Alternatives to promote the Access Clean CA program from the California Air Resources Board. PMJ will promote EV rebate programs as well as e-bike programs that will launch in the greater Los Angeles area.

PATH: PMJ will continue to partner with People Assisting The Homeless (PATH) affordable housing development to develop a bike share program for PATH residents as well as bike safety and basic bike maintenance workshops.

METRO B.E.S.T. program: PMJ will continue to work with Estolano Advisors and Metro to provide culturally relevant bike safety education classes and community bike rides in BIPOC communities throughout Los Angeles County with the Bicycle Safety Education Program.

We are so grateful for all the community love that has sustained our project throughout these years. As always, we welcome your collaboration and support. Subscribe to our newsletter or donate now to join the movement for mobility justice in Los Angeles!

In the wake of the recent murder of George Floyd, People for Mobility Justice Advisory Board Member, Yolanda Davis-Overstreet, shared an Opening Prayer and Reflection Grounding to read and reflect on with yourself, family, friends, colleagues and community:

Opening Prayer and Reflection Grounding: 

In Our State of Emergency for the Safety of #BlackLives

I thank each of you for Recognizing and Honoring #BlackLives, in this time, and into our history. When in,

• 1619, slave traders forced Africans to get on a slave ship and took them to Jamestown, Virginia - approximately 20 Africans were on that ship, originally from the present-day Angola. They were seized by the British crew from a Portuguese slave ship.

• And in 1776, when the United States declared its independence at which debates erupted and Congress removed a passage in Thomas Jefferson’s draft that condemned the slave trade.

• to December 1865, when the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, outlawing slavery. Yet, the horrendous white supremacy traditions of slavery forged on. Continuing to suffocate #BlackLives through its lethal and black-code practices. The reek of racism reached out from Sea to Sea in this America coercing its policies, laws, and poisonous venom into every #BlackLife – every Man, Woman and Child.

#JusticeforGeorgeFloyd symbolizes on a national level – that the sustainability and livelihood of #BlackLives have reached a level of crisis! The ‘ole negro spiritual saying My Cup Runneth Over implying an abundance of blessings in its time, but looked upon from the perspective of being Black in America in 2020, there is a definite river that runneth over of agony and oppression. Paradoxically there is too, a turning of the table that speaks to still reaching the Promise Land. Our psyches and being are flooded with a vivid summons on the systemic racism that George Floyd and #BlackLives have been born into, dating back to centuries ago, in this America. Born into a white supremacy construction that has oppressed and criminalized #BlackLives.  Our Cup Runneth Over into America’s first sin, as described and discussed in this time, the known evidence OF SLAVERY, the blueprints of the erection of RACISM and the UNBEARABLE trails of death that continues to leave its mark on our streets and in our homes - with its undertakings of slaughtering #BlackLives.

“Breathe”

In this moment, “we” are still able to breathe and use our 5th Chakra, our Throat Chakra. In Sanskrit, the word is 'Vishuddha' meaning purification.

George Floyd can’t breathe.

The 5th Chakra is the first of the higher or spiritual Chakras on the "chakra ladder". This Chakra is located in the region of the neck and shoulders. Its color is blue. 

The gift of this chakra is accepting our originality (George’s originality), expressing our authentic voice and speaking our truth. It is George, being able to express his authentic voice and speaking his truth!

The 5th Chakra, in its rawest state, is associated with higher discrimination and is associated with creativity and self-expression. 

When the Vishuddha, the 5th Chakra, the Throat Chakra is shut down, knelt upon in broad daylight for 8 minutes and 46 seconds by a police officer, Derek Chauvin accompanied by three other police officers,  - a person undergoes, George underwent DEATH. 

A moment of silence.

“Breathe”

A viewing and “Saying Their Names #Together”

#BLACKLIVESMATTER - link (start at frame 5:32)

Thereafter - take a moment of silence

In this time of recognizing the need for local, national, and global protests to Eradicate Racism and to dismantle America’ first sin, aka, Institutionalize Racism and Oppression that has caged and murdered #BlackLives for centuries,

 – we ask that we are given the strength, patience, resilience, and guidance to Expand and Evolve into the call of Eradicating.

Eradicating:

• America’s Institutionalize Racism and Oppressive landscape forced upon on my / our Black Brothers and Sisters! Set them Free!

• Eradicate the Knee and Chokehold on my / our neck, on my 5th Chakra, my Throat Chakra!

• Eradicate the Multiple Bullets that have been Shot into my / our body

• Eradicate the Cages and Shackles that America has continued to isolate us within! Hunting us down with the mission of shutting us down. Shutting down our livelihoods – thereby, blinding my / our #BlackLives – unable to see beyond oppression and death, it becomes my / our nearby companion.

• We must Eradicate the lethal ills of RACISM, that only toxify and bring upon death!

Help us to BREATHE and get securely grounded in our efforts to move into New Life, 

TO BREATHE INTO THE CALL OF JUSTICE – dismantling the old Constitution, its vast unjust legislation, and laws of a white supremacy America, 

Help us to BREATHE SO THAT WE, THE PEOPLE, move forward CO-CREATING A NEW CONSTITUTION for Our Democracy, for a Renewal of #BlackLives, 

For Safe Spaces, 

To Live, 

To Raise Our Families, 

To Be in Healthy Relationships, 

To Work, 

To Walk, 

To Bicycle,

To Breathe. 

Let Us Breathe into A RENEWAL FOR THE Liberation of Life and Movement!

Let Us Breathe into Justice for all who have been murdered and unjustly accused of crimes they did not commit!

Let Us Breathe!

Let Us Breathe!

Taking Our concluding grounding Breathes (three strong breathes) into Intention, Resilience and Love.

-Namaste

As our team designed the #MobilityJusticeDeck last year, we talked about how mobility justice includes the workers who manufacture, operate, and maintain our transportation systems. When the transportation industry creates new kinds of goods and services, they also create new kinds of workers. These are folks who support families, need safe working conditions, and who eventually age out of the workforce. Unfortunately, their prosperity is often left out of the plans of the industry, which is why there is a rich history of unions supporting transit operators and auto manufacturing workers.

Today’s mobility industry may tell the public that they’re all about innovation, equity, and sustainability, but they’re keeping up the tradition of worker exploitation. That’s why it’s so important for advocates like PMJ to demand better treatment for workers. We don’t consider mobility workers and mobility users to be different groups; we have a common cause. We’re all experiencing the insecurity that those profiting from the gig economy have in mind for our families and our futures.

In March, we hosted a webinar through The Untokening’s Transformative Talks series that spotlighted worker organizing in bike share and rideshare industries. Here in Los Angeles, Rideshare Drivers United is growing fast and their driver-led movement has a strong vision for mobility justice. At midnight on May 8, they are calling for all drivers and passengers to turn their rideshare apps off until midnight on May 9.

Check out more details about the strike here and join us in supporting #StrikeUberLyft on Wednesday.

This summer, we are launching our new Hood Planners Certification Program, and we are calling for All Hands On Deck to help us raise funds!

The Deck

With support from the California Bicycle Coalition, we created a deck of mobility justice playing cards (#mobilityjusticedeck), a popular education tool that shares important milestones for mobility (in)justice from the 1840s to the present. The deck was developed by a talented team of researchers, artists, graphic designers, and writers, including Chynna Monforte, Hector Benavides, Grace Lynne, and PMJ staff. With ongoing expansion packs, the deck will allow us to continue cataloguing the history of the mobility justice movement taking shape today.

The Hood Planners Certification Program

Too often, transportation agencies turn to planning consultants when trying to address equity concerns. PMJ is clear that community members are the real experts, their depth of knowledge and lived experiences should be valued and paid fairly, and they should be the ones consulted to share their vision for what lasting, community-oriented, and inclusive solutions look like. That’s why we are creating the Hood Planners Certification Program, a combination online and in-person course geared towards community-based activists.

The curriculum will be delivered through three modules over six weeks and will engage youth (Young-Stars) and elders (Super-Stars). Structuring the modules are PMJ’s 5 Ds of street safety - Decolonize, Decriminalize, Decongest, Dignify, Determination (learn more here). Each module will be led by a different peer leader as the cohort takes a look at the history of mobility (in)justice in communities of color and an overview of the current cultural and political landscape.

Our program is grounded in our values, which is why we pay community members a stipend to be certified and connected to employment opportunities in the transportation, planning, and advocacy sectors. In the spirit of equity, this course will also be available to professionals and government staff for a fee. This powerful design creates sustainability and a cohort that is intergenerational, multidisciplinary, and from varying economic backgrounds.  The first online course is set to be released in late summer and early fall 2019.

Help us meet our fundraising goal of $30,000 to develop the curriculum and offer stipends to 30 youth and elders to become certified Hood Planners by 2020!

Your contributions will go directly toward developing a radical educational curriculum that uplifts youth and elders to become advocates for their own communities, have their community expertise valued, and get certified in the process.

Hood Planners & Staying Alive

The Hood Planners Certification Program is being piloted through PMJ’s partnership with Ride On! Bike Shop & Co-Op in Leimert Park. With support from the 11th Hour Project’s Just Transit Challenge, we are co-creating Staying Alive Leimert, a two-year effort to identify and address various cultural, political, and economic factors keeping communities of color dependent on fossil fuels. The first cohort of Hood Planners will gather surveys from community members that we will use to define a local definition of mobility justice and authentic street safety.

Our work on Staying Alive Leimert will in turn shape a broader Staying Alive Street Safety Platform to be launched in early 2020. We know that our most vulnerable community members face higher rates of traffic fatalities, displacement, intercommunity violence and state-sanctioned violence, such as imprisonment, deportation and death. Yet conventional approaches to “street safety” in transportation and mobility, such as Vision Zero, focus only on reducing vehicular violence. After years of engaging with this model and learning from community safety, Indigenous sovereignty, and economic justice, we believe that a robust street safety platform must be designed by community members in order to address their most pressing concerns.  

The Mobility Justice Deck grew from a seed grant provided by the California Bicycle Coalition. Many thanks to Dave, Jared, and the rest of the CalBike team for your support!

This past weekend, we (PMJ team members Adonia Lugo and Río Oxas) traveled to Detroit for the third annual convening of The Untokening network. Untokening Detroit showcased the communities thinking beyond market-driven revitalization for mobility solutions, and we came back with a lot of ideas.

Visiting Detroit as Angelenxs, we saw familiarly wide streets and encountered the usual long distances between destinations. Río in particular felt a sense of connection with their history, as they share here:

Río in a selfie at the Motown Museum

Río in Motown

Detroit was closer to home than I realized. On the most superficial level, it’s the Motor City, which is closely linked to my many years of advocacy for bikes, bussing and walking. On the most deepest and profound level, Motown actually contributed to my existence.

My mom was born and raised in El Salvador facing such hardship that of all her siblings, half of them died due to starvation - Rest in Power. Mi mamá Bernarda tells me that when she was young, she survived starvation by filling up her belly with happiness. Her favorite way to do this was to escape into music, tunes that she’d hear neighbors blasting, as her family didn’t own a radio.

As a kid, I remember my mom’s glee as she listened to the Temptations, The Supremes, Diana Ross, and more. After I visited the Motown Museum this weekend, I realized the depth and the power of Black people in Detroit. Their insatiable desire to thrive transcended countries, language, culture, and more. This was contagious to my mom and her community in El Salvador, and it helped her survive. Simply put, there was no mountain high enough, no river wide enough. Detroit connected me further with my mother and reinvigorated and inspired me with the amazing and incredible power that Black people have in such a racistly rancid area. They’re thriving amidst racism there; I felt it in the air, water, and earth.

So, Detroit was a good choice for this year’s Untokening convening! At the convening itself, we were impressed by the good collaboration happening in Detroit between disability justice and transit justice advocates. We’ll recap the panels more fully in another post, and we’ll also be following up with information from the session we co-facilitated, “Untokening New Mobility.”

Below are Río’s photos from the Heidelberg Project, a legendary Detroit landmark created by artist Tyree Guyton in response to blight in his neighborhood.

Since the introduction of Vision Zero here in the United States, many of us have had sharp feels of dissonance. It has been touted as a great success in places like Sweden and New York.  However, success is often defined by the narrators and those who benefit. We have been in dialogue with other Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) communities across the country and we often share conflicted frustrations with the Vision Zero model. While it attempts to save the lives of pedestrians and cyclists, who are disproportionately low-income and BIPOC, Vision Zero is coming in as part of a wave of urban change efforts with “unintended” (1) consequences of BIPOC being heavily policed and displaced physically, culturally, and psychologically. This blog is intended as an invitation to collectively define safe and secure streets in our hoods. The points made below are meant to instigate and inspire critical dialogue.

Our Mobility Justice Team started this precise dialogue to identify the current gaps in Vision Zero that all cities and transportation agencies most certainly need to account for. We are responding to Vision Zero’s foundational elements of Education, Evaluation, Engineering, Enforcement. We will deconstruct each one of those in follow-up articles, but for now we want to introduce you to our 5 D’s, because in the alphabet, “D” comes before “E.”

DECOLONIZE: May our approach in any urban planning, design and decision-making be rooted in the ancestral land in which we work, live, and play to honor the indigenous people and the native flora and fauna.  Additionally, we are committed to halting the colonial practices that displace our people to ensure that long-term residents will be protected and have full rights to stay in their communities be it as tenants, homeowners, or business owners.
DECONGEST: May everyone have access to transportation and streets that support our full well-being and keep us alive.
DECRIMINALIZE: May Black, Brown and Undocumented people have the freedom to move in public spaces without state harassment, deportation or death. 
DIGNIFY: May the people who are houseless, have disabilities, are LGBTQIA+, work the streets (sex workers, street vendors, etc) have immense protection for their lives and the resources they need to support their well-being.
DETERMINATION: May our BIPOC communities have the right to self-determination, which we define as ensuring that our voice and leadership are valued monetarily, from expert advice to implemented reality on our streets.

This is our introductory article to Vision Incomplete. Please be on the lookout for our follow-up articles to continue to DECONSTRUCT Vision Zero. If you would like to be a part of this dialogue please email rio@mobilityjustice.org. 

Written By: Río Oxas - Program and Policy Organizer
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(1) Things that are “unintended” are rooted in historical and systemic forms of oppression, so this word takes no accountability

This summer, PMJ and Pueblo team members have been co-creating a new monthly webinar series for The Untokening. Transformative Talks is a collaborative virtual space where community experts can come together to connect, share, and uplift. 
Learn more about Transformative Talks here. 

Río Oxas will host the first Transformative Talk on QTIBIPOC Bike Medicine at 1pm PST / 2pm MST / 3pm CST / 4pm EST TODAY, Wednesday, September 5th. Join a panel of organizers sharing the importance of co-creating healing spaces through biking for Queer Trans Intersex Black Indigenous People of Color (QTIBIPOC). More details here. No registration required, just follow this link.

In addition to the public webinars, we're also hosting monthly "Family T-Times," a closed space where BIPOC and other individuals from marginalized groups can find support for their mobility and transportation work. The first T-Time will be on Wed Sep 12 at 1pm. To learn more, email adonia@mobilityjustice.org.