The City of San Bernardino’s downtown area is one of the first 30 communities in the State of California to be designated a “Clean California Community” by Caltrans as part of the Clean CA initiative.
“Downtown San Bernardino’s Caltrans Clean California Community designation is a proud moment for our city and reflects the hard work of our community and partners,” said Mayor Helen Tran. “This recognition also affirms our commitment to building a vibrant downtown that welcomes residents, attracts new businesses, and strengthens San Bernardino’s role as a hub for opportunity.”
The Clean California Program was launched in 2021 by Caltrans to clean up, reclaim, transform, and beautify public spaces statewide. Caltrans developed the program in partnership with Caltrans, Keep America Beautiful and Keep California Beautiful.
To become an officially designated Clean California Community, communities must meet at least 10 of the 15 established criteria. Communities with full designation status receive a variety of benefits, including priority access to grants, educational resources, and recognition on state websites, social media posts, and media outreach.
Downtown San Bernardino’s involvement with Clean California started in 2021, when the City Public Works Department, in partnership with local businesses and organizations, applied for and received a $722,000 grant to transform an alley between Court Street and 4th Street into an active gathering place, called Sole Alley.
The creation of Sole Alley has transformed a downtown space that for many years had largely gone unused. The alley now features an arched neon sign across the alley entrance, wall murals painted by local artists, new lighting, a stage, native landscaping, bike racks, and decorative pavers.
“This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without a broad community effort,” said Realicore’s David Friedman. “Small businesses, non-profits, city council members, and residents all came together to make our city cleaner.”
This summer, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced milestones that the program has achieved in the four years since it was launched, including the removal of over 3 million cubic yards of litter and debris – enough trash to fill over 136,000 garbage trucks.
“As a Boy Scout, I learned the importance of “Leaving No Trace,” added Friedman. “My troop often went further, ensuring we left places better than we found them by picking up trash left by others. This principle has guided me as we worked to earn the Clean California Community designation.”
Qualifying Clean California Community criteria include free dump days, public education programs, community cleanups, greening and beautification efforts, highway art installations, new parks, improvements to transit stations. Communities must also implement a system to measure and document their progress.
In recent years, the City of San Bernardino has undertaken additional projects to help beautify the downtown. Among those projects are the renovation of the historic California Theater’s front façade, the installation of solar lighting along several downtown corridors (2nd, 4th, and 6th Streets), the repaving of 2nd Street, and the demolition of the Carousel Mall.
