The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) and State Senator Martin A. Sandoval, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, stood together in front of the Little Village High School and called on the Chicago Transit Authority to provide bus service immediately to the 31st Street corridor.

For over 15 years the neighborhood of Little Village and many others along 31st Street in the City of Chicago have been without a standard east-west bus route (from Cicero to the Lake Front) through their densely-populated communities, as there is no bus route between Cermak Avenue (22nd Street) and 47th Street, leaving a three mile and a quarter gap between east-west bus routes. The Little Village community is the most densely-populated Latino community in Chicago and thus requires public transportation.

In addition, students who attend the Little Village Lawndale High School have been without public transportation since the school was built more than 10 years ago. This is the only Chicago Public High School without CTA bus services within three blocks of a school. Hundreds of students are left without a safe passage to and from school. This is unacceptable.

“Little Village has become a public transportation desert, during the height of the growth of the Latino community. This is unacceptable.” said Claudia Ayala, Community Organizer for LVEJO.

“It seems like every community is getting new transit service – the Green Line was rebuilt a few years ago and this week the Red Line will be completely rebuilt – but Little Village is left behind.” said Kim Wasserman, Director of LVEJO.