Summary
Walking is now safer in San Diego, CA, thanks to a CalFresh Healthy Living partnership with Vista Community Clinic!
The Healthy Cities, Healthy Residents (HCHR) program is funded by the County of San Diego’s CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL) program, which is the SNAP-Ed program in California. HCHR was implemented through a contract with Vista Community Clinic (VCC), which served as the coordinator, and Alta Planning +Design, which served as the technical assistance provider (TAP) in the cities of Oceanside, Escondido, and Vista. VCC staff coordinated a HCHR coalition comprised of residents, city officials, business owners, and community-based organizations in each city.
Beginning in 2021, VCC established the HCHR Oceanside Coalition, known as the Healthy Oceanside Coalition (HOC). The HOC advocated with the City of Oceanside to improve the safety and walkability of the Crown Heights community through new sidewalks, pedestrian ramps, stop signs and lane striping.
Challenges
One in five residents of Oceanside rely on public and active transportation such as walking and biking. In 2021, 17 HOC members who received capacity building training and walk audit guidance provided by the TAP conducted a community walk audit to identify issues that were affecting families that resided in the Crown Heights community. Participants identified several issues, including a lack of signs and crosswalks, and the absence of sidewalks on certain streets, which made it inconvenient and unsafe to walk.
Solutions
With support from the County of San Diego CFHL program, VCC, and the TAP, the walk audit results were recorded and analyzed, and led to a comprehensive package of projects completed by the City of Oceanside. These projects aimed to beautify the neighborhood and improve safety for residents walking to popular destinations like Oceanside High School, a grocery store, Boys and Girls Club, Brooks Street Community Pool, Ortega Park, and Downtown Oceanside.
Sustaining Success
Oceanside approved funding and completed the sidewalk construction on several streets in the Fall of 2022. The HOC continued to advocate for more improvements such as lights and improved aesthetics. The sidewalk and curb improvements support pedestrian safety and encourage active transportation. HOC members, as well as other Oceanside residents, celebrated the neighborhood improvements on October 24, 2022, with welcoming remarks from the mayor and a community walk over the bridge to showcase the improvements.
CalFresh Healthy Living is the SNAP-Ed program in California.
CalFresh Healthy Living, California Department of Public Health
Hugo Salgado
County of San Diego CalFresh Healthy Living
For more information, visit Healthy Cities, Healthy Residents
