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Resident urges council to improve grocery access and transit for car‑free residents
Summary
A District 7 resident described walking long distances and limited transit access to affordable grocery stores, called Chattanooga a 'food desert' in parts of the city and urged the council to prioritize transit and affordable grocery access.
During the public‑comment period, Ho Penchi of District 7 described an experiment in which he walked 43 miles (100,000 steps) in a single day and spent a week without driving to better understand how residents without cars access groceries in Chattanooga.
Penchi said he encountered limited affordable grocery options and a lack of transit connections. He noted the impending closure of a Food City in Rossville and cited the USDA Food Access Research Atlas indicating low income and low access to affordable groceries in parts of the city.
“...I did an experiment where I walked a 100,000 steps in 1 day... one of my biggest takeaways from that experiment was, how few grocery stores we have and especially how few affordable grocery stores we have,” Penchi said. He described an example trip to an Aldi that required a mile‑long walk to a bus stop, an hour on the bus, and another mile walking while carrying groceries.
What the council record shows
Penchi asked the council to increase transit connections and encourage more affordable grocery stores in Chattanooga to better serve residents without private vehicles. The transcript records his comments but shows no immediate council action or referral recorded in the meeting minutes.
Speakers quoted in this article are limited to those who spoke on the record.
