This community with a “history of neglect” will get $7 million in street/sidewalk facelift

Seven months ago, 77-year-old María Sánchez injured her left shoulder and left hand when she slipped on a discarded banana peel on the street while walking home from a shopping trip to the store.

The longtime Calwa resident believes that a sidewalk would have prevented her accident.

“When it rains, I don’t even go to the store because everything is too wet,” said Sánchez, who walks for her errands two to three times weekly.

The good news she got Monday was that 3 miles of Calwa streets and sidewalks will get a $7 million facelift, thanks to a $4 million federal grant and $2.7 million from Fresno County’s Active Transportation Program (with a $300,000 match from Measure C).

New sidewalks will be installed, and existing sidewalks battered by more than a century of wear and tear will be repaired in the unincorporated community of 2,500 on the southern fringes of the City of Fresno. Latinos account for 86% of the population.

“Calwa has a long history but, unfortunately, part of that history is one of neglect and inequities that reflect too many parts of our county,” said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, who spoke at a Monday morning press conference to announce the street and sidewalk improvements.

Sánchez fell across the street from Calwa United Methodist Church, where the press conference took place.

The improvements, which will not start until the summer of 2025, are long overdue, said Costa, who spent time walking through Calwa with Fresno County Supervisor Sal Quintero to assess the need for federal funds from the Highway Infrastructure Program..

“Because of this project, residents in Calwa will be able to walk, drive, bike more easily and safely, while improving their connectivity and access to the community,” said Quintero.

Fresno County staff analyst Erin Haagenson said Calwa easily fit the criteria for the needed improvements.

“It scores in the eighth percentile on the Healthy Places index, which means 92% of Californians have healthier living conditions than Calwa,” said Haagenson.

Costa said it is “unacceptable” that Calwa is saddled with “inequities like poor air quality, broken streets and a lack of investment.”

Haagenson said the county is looking for addition funding for street light upgrades and alley improvements.

“We want to improve the quality of life for the people who live here,” said Costa, whose Congressional District added Calwa through redistricting.

Costa said the Calwa project is part of the country’s overdue investments.

“We’ve been living off the investments our parents and grandparents made a generation ago,” said Costa. “Well, that’s now changed with the actions of the last Congress in making real investments in our people.”

The improvements will be limited to the county portions of Calwa, which also lies within the City of Fresno.

The delay in construction, said county officials, is due to “funding source accessibility” and having other government entities sign off on necessary permits.

“Let’s speed it up. Let’s get shovels on the ground and let’s get ready to go to work,” said Costa.