Jerry Dyer proposes trolley service during annual speech. Fresno is ‘on the move,’ he says
At his State of the City address at Chukchansi Park on Thursday evening, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer announced a proposal for a trolley service to expose the city’s young people to all downtown has to offer.
The new trolley would run from the Brewery District north toward the Cultural Arts District, into the Tower District, and to Fresno City College, Fresno State and the Campus Pointe shopping center, Dyer said. He said to the councilmembers in attendance, teasingly, that he was sure they’d approve the proposed service.
In addition, Dyer told the crowd that Fresno is Southwest Airlines’ highest performing new launch market.
The event, hosted by the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, featured local restaurants, beers, cocktails and merchandise. Dyer’s “One Fresno” slogan was a big theme.
“Everyone should have an opportunity to enjoy prosperity, to live in a beautiful, safe neighborhood, and to not only have their voices heard by their elected representatives, but to have a say so in the city’s future,” Dyer said.
Dyer recognized with awards H Spees, his housing and homeless services director who recently retired; Mike Cruz, president of Tioga Sequioa Brewing Co.; Richard Burrell, director of Live Again Fresno; Dynan Walker of King Osiris Photography; Bruce Mitchell, a Fresno parks maintenance lead worker; and Tom Sommers, former executive director of Christian Business Men’s Connection Fresno.
Dyer presented the key to the city to Pastor Paul Binion of the Westside Church of God, calling him a “pastor to pastors” in the city.
Besides the transportation highlights, Dyer’s speech focused on housing, homelessness and public safety.
Dyer touted HART, the homeless assistance response team he created, and Project Offramp, his effort to relocate unhoused folks from freeways into shelters. Through Project Offramp, Dyer said his team found shelter for 650 people and now zero people are camping on freeway offramps.
“We will make sure this is the new norm for the city of Fresno,” he said.
While Fresno saw a big jump in single-family home construction, Dyer acknowledged high housing prices are forcing Fresnans out. His One Fresno housing strategy will pursue ways to expedite housing for all income levels, he said.
Dyer also recognized Police Chief Paco Balderrama for his leadership of the police department that Dyer led for nearly two decades. He praised Operation No Fly Zone, a multi-agency crackdown on criminal street gangs and human traffickers that resulted in 43 arrests and 48 guns being seized. Balderrama also is making headway on recruiting new officers to fill vacancies and bring the department to full strength, including expanding some units and adding a new street racing unit, Dyer said. Plans also are underway to design a new 911 center, he said.
The mayor’s speech also highlighted Beautify Fresno, increasing sales tax revenue, funding for parks and transportation through Measures C and P, and the city’s overall fiscal solvency.
“I truly do believe Fresno is on the move and headed in the right direction,” Dyer said. “We have a bold vision, innovative strategies, energetic partners, and a willingness to overcome naysayers and disruptors who stand in the way of progress.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2022 at 10:04 PM.