Photos courtesy Solano Avenue Elementary PTA
It maybe dirty and stinky, but a pedestrian tunnel underneath the 110 Freeway serves as an important pathway for kids attending Solano Avenue Elementary. The freeway divides Solano Canyon in half, with students who live to the east of the freeway having to walk through the tunnel and under a freeway bridge to get to the school on the west side of the highway. The students often had to walk through the stench of urine and past graffiti-covered walls and piles of trash on their way to school. Conditions under the tunnel and a nearby freeway underpass had worsened as government budget cuts left less money for cleaning. As a result, the newly formed Solano Elementary PTA decided to host a clean up on Saturday.
“We had 30 volunteers, half of them children, and planted a small garden along the 110 freeway and at the Solano Avenue Community Garden,” said Sara Harris with the Solano Elementary PTA. In addition, Mario Hernandez and AMPM Maintenance Personnel, agreed to power wash the tunnel once a month.
What a nice, positive story! More power to them, and glad to see Mario Hernandez and AMPM Maintenance Personnel committing to the power washing once a month.
Let’s hope the plantings and cleanings make it not just better for the kids but also discourage those who would misuse the tunnel and area from hanging out there…