On November 6, 2013, Mayor Jim Janney, members of the Imperial Beach City Council, and City Manager Andy Hall proudly received recognition from San Diego Board of Supervisors Chairman Greg Cox as a Live Well San Diego Recognized Partner for their “leadership and commitment to the health and safety of the communities they serve.” 

Chairman Cox credits Imperial Beach for all that has been done to make the city “walkable and bikable.”  Everyone seems to be taking notice, according to Mayor Janney, who called out that Imperial Beach was also recognized just a few days earlier, on October 31st, by WalkSanDiego as the third most “walkable” city in the San Diego Region. On October 29th, the Imperial Beach Bikeway Village was recognized by Move San Diego with a Complete Communities award, representing multi-modal city planning that encourages biking and walking. This Bikeway Village will provide respite for cyclists making their way to and from Coronado along the Bayshore Bikeway.

Imperial Beach is uniquely located and has assets that demand special protection. It’s the smallest city in San Diego County, and the most southwesterly city in the Continental United States. Natural resources such as beach and wetlands make up a great portion of its land. This could explain why Imperial Beach leaders place special importance on protecting natural resources and are encouraging ecotourism as essential to the bottom-line. In this way, by promoting health and safety, public officials and residents alike are also promoting an economically vital Imperial Beach.

Dr. Dean Sidelinger, Medical Director of Children’s Health for the County’s Health & Human Services Agency, who along with Chairman Cox delivered the proclamation and seal to the Imperial Beach City Council, explained that Imperial Beach is deserving of the Live Well San Diego recognition for a number of reasons.  Imperial Beach is fostering and supporting a high quality of life among its community members and working collaboratively to advance this vision of healthy, safe and thriving communities.

However, more concretely, Imperial Beach supports improvements to pedestrian safety through its Safe Routes to Schools initiative and promotes a “bikable” community through infrastructure improvements including serving as home to a significant stretch of the Bayshore Bikeway, connecting Chula Vista to Coronado through the Silver Strand. In these ways, Imperial Beach is creating an environment where it is easier for residents to be active and healthier. Imperial Beach has also worked to improve its citizens’ access to healthy foods. A farmers market is held each week where Imperial Beach residents can find healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables and locally-grown foods.