Meet Pamela Jiner of Montbello Walks in Montbello

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pamela Jiner.

Pamela, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve lived in my community of Montbello, in Denver, CO for over 45 years. In September 2016 I joined the Girltrek.org health movement for Black women and girls. I believed that I was going to connect with black women in my community, form walking groups and simply enjoy walking for weight loss. mental and emotional healing. You see, GirlTrek inspires women to get outside and take daily walks in our communities to fight heart-related diseases that are taking the lives of 130 Black women each day in America.

Once out walking I quickly realized that nothing has changed since I was a child playing and riding my bike through my community. Yet, everything had changed – my community has changed from 90% Black to become the most diverse community in Denver, CO with African, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mexican (66% Latino population) and Cantonese immigrants,

While out walking I noticed the many language barriers between successful communications with people. I discovered many pedestrian-related problems with our infrastructure, such as severely cracked sidewalks or blocks and segments that were total without sidewalks; nowhere to sit and rest; no community gathering places; traffic congestion and speeding traffic; no crosswalks within the community especially at our parks and schools; locked restrooms in our parks; and public transportation was not timely and bus routes were scheduled to be removed.

GirlTrek.org offered a six-month Pedestrian Advocacy Training program in early 2017. I quickly registered and completed the course.

In April 2017, I hosted my first Walking Audit attended by many City, State and Federal employees. This Audit was quite a learning experience and I knew that I had to repeat it if I had any hope for success. Since then, I’ve hosted over 100 Walking Audits (smaller and with private groups) to bring awareness to the problems and to gain support for my advocacy work to improve walking conditions along Peoria Street at I-70. The problems I identified were: water drainage problems in the “Montbello Swamp” (named by community) – at the corner of Peoria St. @ I-70.

The water retention caused flooding over two northbound lanes on Peoria Street, and the water lingered for weeks after a rain or snowmelt. It took several Walking Audits before Public Works and Waste Water Management (WWM) looked into why the water was gathering there. In June 2018 WWM returned after locating drainage pipe plans from 1969 that identified pipes were installed under Peoria Street and they immediately had the drains cleaned out. Today, water continues to move quickly through the drains and no longer floods.

During Walking Audits, I discussed the fact that Montbello has gone without sidewalks on Peoria Street south from 46th to 38th Street. Peoria Street is the main corridor of our community and pedestrians have traveled on a dirt trail leading out of Montbello for 53 years. It’s time to remedy this problem. The lack of sidewalks on either side of Peoria forced pedestrians of all types to travel alongside speeding traffic in all types of weather conditions. I presented this information and more, during my October 2018 Walking Audit with CDOT, RTD, Public Works, Water Waste Management, Community Planning and Development, Kiewit, AACOM, City Council Representatives, community organizations and concerned residents.

After the Audit, CDOT Executive Director, Anthony DeVito (at the time) agreed to install ADA required sidewalks at the I-70 interchange that would be detached from the street and that he would include sidewalks on all on/off ramps. On December 13, 2019, CDOT delivered on this promise and uncovered the most beautiful sidewalks that I’ve ever seen. Not only were they 10ft wide, there was an additional 10ft detachment installed and another 20ft of cement was poured for future lane expansion.

Forty feet of cement walkway was installed and they will eventually include landscaping. WOW!!!! Also, in mid-2019 the City of Denver applied for a grant to pay for the cost of installing sidewalks that will connect to the sidewalks CDOT was installing. This grant was approved and they will be installing these sidewalks in the Spring of 2020. Once this is done, we will have complete sidewalks on Peoria Street. It’s a dream come true. We can build a more walkable community!

Our next problem had to deal with connecting to public transportation at the new RTD Peoria and Smith Road/Light Rail Station. You see, Montbello had an RTD Park’n Ride for many years before it was stripped from our community and relocated to the new Smith Road Light Rail Station. And if that wasn’t enough, RTD added insult to injury by building a bridge over the train tracks that’s at the maximum allowed 6% grade.

The purpose of the bridge (Peoria Crossing) is to move cars up and over the tracks to prevent interruption or delay of the Light Rail. Well, this was not in the best interest of our community. Pedestrians are forced to climb this very steep bridge every day. Bicycles, wheelchairs, people traveling with luggage, mom’s pushing strollers, our elders and the homeless. Crossing the bridge on foot is totally brutal on the human body; it’s too hard to climb. Also, there is no covering on the bridge to protect pedestrians from the elements of weather and flying debris.

Additionally, pedestrians were confused and frustrated with the difficulty they experience connecting to the Light Rail Station due to a ramp that was installed on the northeast side of the bridge which leads to a dead-end; and a pedestrian trail on the northwest side of the bridge that also leads down under the bridge to the same dead end. So needless to say pedestrians were faced with dangerous decisions to either walk over the bridge alongside speeding traffic; cross six lanes of speeding traffic to the other side, or return to the corner of 38th & Peoria and cross at the light.

Many pedestrians had to deal with this situation until they learned that in order to reach RTD, they had to cross the bridge before going down under the bridge to connect to a trail that would lead them to the station. After walking with RTD decision-makers, I suggested that RTD make a simple sign with a pedestrian figure and an arrow pointing which way to go in order to connect people to the Light Rail Station.

In June 2019, #5 signs were designed and installed starting at the west corner of 38th and Peoria Street which directs pedestrians to cross at the light; and #2 signs that further directs them up over the bridge; and #2 more additional signs directing pedestrians down the southeast ramp to complete the wayfinding to the Station. We were told that these signs will be used across the city to assist and direct pedestrians to public transportation stations.

Today, we are finding pedestrians who refuse to climb the Peoria Street bridge because it is too steep and too hard to climb, it’s uncovered and it adds more time onto the pedestrian commute. Hence, they are going under the bridge, running across the Union Pacific tracks and climbing over the RTD Light Rail fence and running over the tracks. This act could cause to be fatal.

My next Walking Audit will focus on securing the installation of either a sidewalk with electronic gates at grade level for pedestrians to cross the tracks; or a pedestrian elevator to access a covered/protected walkway over the Peoria Bridge. I will not stop until pedestrians have a safe and smooth commute from Montbello to the RTD Peoria @ Smith Road Light Rail Station.

Has it been a smooth road?
In the beginning, it was very difficult connecting with City, State and Federal Executives because many of them just wouldn’t take the time to listen to the concerns of a resident. When I scheduled Walking Audits, they were attended by workers who didn’t have the authority to make the decisions we needed. Therefore, it took persistence and cost money that I took from my household to host 4 Walking Audits over a three year period, advocating for and seeking pedestrian dignity” along the Peoria Street corridor in Montbello. I felt that I was being discouraged, delayed and pushed to drop my concerns. Since I wouldn’t go away, the decision-makers gradually started attending my Walking Audits.

I had a difficult time learning the jargon used by the many young professionals that I came in contact with. Sometimes I would respond: “what does that mean, you know I’m a grandma and I don’t understand what you’re saying?” Today, I still have to ask questions and sometimes look up definitions for the language being used.

It was also difficult turning down what I was being offered as a potential resolution to our problems and it was hard sticking to what I felt, and what I understood; even though I sometimes couldn’t explain that it didn’t feel right or fair for pedestrians. My internal struggle was for EQUITY.

We’d love to hear more about your organization.
In August of 2017, I formed a community-based walking program called ‘Montbello Walks”, created to address the high numbers of childhood diabetes and obesity; adult obesity, heart-related diseases and the overall health of residents in my community. Montbello Walks promotes getting outside and walking 30 minutes per day/5 days per week. My program engages our elderly community (the “Senior Steppers”) in weekly group walks and we provide them with bags of supplemental fruits and vegetables through the “Struggle of Love” Food Pantry.

I take our elders out into community to engage and reconnect. We attend just about every community event, fair, festival, luncheon, community meetings that occur in our community. Most recently, I started engaging our elders in meetings with programs and City agencies that relate to senior’s health care, public transportation, food; etc. to allow them an opportunity to speak their concerns and to share the problems they are experiencing. We also host bi-weekly “Healthy Senior’s Cooking Classes” to teach quick meals that are healthy and to prepare and share meals that represent our various cultures.

We connect with moms and inspire them to get out of the house and take a walk with their children to help disconnect from their daily trials and to reduce stress. In 2020 we will start connecting with students to engage them in physical activities on a weekly basis.

We hosted our first annual “Senior Olympics/Community Field Day” in July 2019 where our Senior Steppers participated in races and activities to encourage community to MOVE their butts! If our elders can run a relay race, three-legged race and other physical activities (some with a walker – then why can’t we? Everyone that attended participated in rock wall climbing, obstacle courses, zorb ball races and enjoyed a community field day. We engaged our City Council Representatives and their staff, DPD Officers from District 5, community organizers, programs and residents in the day’s activities and we all had an awesome time playing outside. Montbello Walks is honored to be building a healthier more connected community.

Over the past three years, I have dedicated my life to helping create a safe and more walkable community. I have advocated for and have secured crosswalks at schools, parks, pedestrian islands with hawk signals and the installation of benches in various locations to allow people to sit, rest and enjoy spending time outside connecting to community. The more time we spend outside, the more we realize what improvements, changes and repairs need to be made.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like most about living in Montbello is our diversity. We have 5 or 6 dialects spoken in my community. And I just love walking through my neighborhood during the day and enjoying the different smells of food cooking from house to house. I enjoy greeting people sitting on their porch or working in their yard. I often stop to chat and enjoy a laugh or two. Language is only a barrier if you let it be the reason that you don’t reach out to connect.

Having lived here for 45 years, I’ve built great relationships with the businesses and staff that serve my community. When I walk in with a group of community members, many of them offer us free bottles of water and or snacks to enjoy on our walks. The local 7 Eleven has been providing our walking group’s water, coffee and Slurpee’s free of charge for the past two years!

What I like least about living in Montbello is the systemic oversights and neglect that we have endured due to our racial makeup. Montbello is 53 years old and there have been very little improvements or infrastructure changes since it was established as a community in 1969. I feel this is unfair, unethical and unjust!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.montbellowalks.com
• Phone: 720-620-5735
• Email: pamjiner@yahoo.com
• Instagram: @poundingpam
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/pam.jiner
• Twitter: #jiner_pam
• Other: www.montbello2020.org

Image Credit:
Jill Locantore of WalkDenver and Sarah Schwallier of Walk2Connect

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