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Students urge Loma Linda City to boost shade, safe crossings and healthy fast-food options
Summary
Doctoral students from the School of Public Health told the council students face limited healthy, fast dining options and unsafe crossings near campus; they urged more trees, safer crosswalk markings/lights and outreach to businesses to create a student‑friendly food hub.
Doctoral students Omang Sharma and Silvano Cardinas told the council that many students lack nearby, healthy quick‑serve options and that parts of the city need infrastructure improvements to be safer and more walkable for students and patients.
"I almost got hit crossing the street," Omang Sharma said, describing a near‑miss at the Anderson and Star crosswalk and urging stepped‑up pedestrian safety measures such as marked crossings, signage or lighting.
The students recommended planting more shade trees on main streets, improving sidewalks and pursuing public‑market or curated food‑village concepts that could provide healthy, fast meals. Cardinas said he had reached out to one national fast‑casual chain as an example and suggested working with developers and the university to identify suitable sites.
Council members acknowledged the concerns but cautioned balancing tree planting with water‑conservation priorities in the region and noted that private property ownership and market analyses influence whether chains and restaurants locate in the city. Council members encouraged the students to coordinate with city staff and alumni groups to explore options and learn about university master‑planning already in progress.
The presentation did not include formal policy requests; students asked to continue engagement with staff and council to explore feasibility studies and outreach.
