When I arrived at Ezra Prentice at seven on a Thursday morning, Willie's eyes were a bit bloodshot. By 7:30, I understood why. Counting diesel trucks as they whiz by this public housing complex on South Pearl Street is a hazardous occupation.
By the end of my one-hour shift I had counted 52 diesel trucks and buses going north toward downtown, and 64 going south. That's not counting the constant stream of cars and light trucks,heading into the city.
My eyes were tearing and itchy and I had developed a scratchy throat and a cough. I went down to Rite Aid and bought some masks for our volunteers, but this is what the residents of Ezra Prentice Homes have to put up with every day. By the time our crew of volunteers from AVillage finished counting at 9 pm, we had seen more than 100 diesel vehicles pass by each hour until 6 pm, when activity decreased some.
There has been a lot of attention paid to the "bomb trains" that loom over the back yards of the homes here, and rightly so. But the incessant, heavy traffic on South Pearl Street, which is also State Route 32, is at least as important a health issue for people who live there.
You'll be reading more about how AVillage, the Ezra residents and our partners in the health field are investigating health issues here in the coming months.
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