Angela Nguyen

Downtown and Central Bakersfield Neighborhood Reporter

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield residents are calling for more trees, better air quality, and improved infrastructure as the city grapples with persistent heat and pollution challenges.

Ricardo Del Hoyo, who grew up in Bakersfield, said the city has always felt dry.

"I walked to school. I rode my bike to school. And so there were always time that we kinda wanted to shop and catch your breath."

For Del Hoyo, the heat is only part of the problem. Air quality is also a major concern.

"I think there's a bigger discussion about the air quality here in this town. That was one of the things I mentioned at that community meeting. We have one of the worst airs in California."

Some residents say planting trees alone is not enough. Eddy Laine, a longtime Sierra Club member, said maintaining existing trees is the more pressing challenge.

"Trees are dead on Bakers Street and at bus stops. So we need to have a watering schedule, a common sense watering schedule, a maintenance schedule for trees."

Bakersfield City Council Member Andrae Gonzales said the financial cost is only part of what the city would need to address.

"Maybe we have to extend sidewalks so we have to repave the street, build new curb gutter, extend sidewalks, build tree wells..."

Gonzales said those are just some of the physical changes needed, along with underground upgrades for water irrigation systems. He said the biggest challenge will be finding the time to redo streets if the initiative moves forward.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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