Colonia residents pose after winning a portion of Precinct 3 budget for installation of streetlights.

This month, Precinct 3 is taking the important first step down the enlightened path toward justice for colonia residents. Starting January 23rd, colonia residents will see the first round of streetlights installed in five colonias north of Alton, starting with colonia Pueblo de Palmas.

LUPE residents worked with Precinct 3 Chief Administrator Dr. Mona Parra on the plan to install solar-powered streetlights in the five colonias, including Pueblo de Palmas, Buena Vida, Mi Sueño, La Homa Meadows, and El Flaco. Precinct 3 found funds to purchase the lights via a federal grant and amended the county budget to pay for their installation.

We are celebrating the installation of lights, along with colonia residents, Dr. Mona Parra and Precinct 3 Commissioner Joe Flores. This is an important first step. We hope that Precinct 3 will continue down the path toward justice for colonia residents by following in the footsteps of Precinct 1 Commissioner Joel Quintanilla, who gave a percentage of this year’s CDBG budget toward the installation of streetlights. This is the path we hope each Commissioner follows.

Residents in the colonias suffer from dangerous streets at night. Without adequate lighting, children cannot safely go out and play in the evenings, contributing to health issues, including obesity, later on in life. Drivers cannot see clearly at night, resulting in accidents that put drivers and pedestrians at risk. Colonia residents deserve the same right to safe streets as residents of the cities.