r/fresno

Live/work in downtown/tower district and are expecting an easy commute?

I WOULDN'T FUCKING COUNT ON IT

Construction crews have streets after streets blocked off. I'm trying to get to work and cannot find the way out to the freeway.

EVERYTHING IS BLOCKED OFF. EVERYTHING.

And a heads up, there is a chance of rain towards the tail end of the event, which I myself am looking forward to. It's been a minute since I've danced in the rain. For the bands playing, have a game plan for your exposed electronics. Can't wait!

I understand that on event nights the crowds are larger than usual but waiting an hour and a half for an overpriced and underwhelming hot dog is insane. Not to mention the abysmal the parking situation. If you want to get your numbers up Chukchansi, do better!

2026 is setting records for Fresno Air Quality with the best air quality on record since starting the new year. You probably have noticed just by looking outside with how visible the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains are, as well as just how beautiful everything looks. Yesterday was actually the cleanest air quality day on record for April 23rd!

The first chart shows our air quality thus far in 2026 (charted green) compared to the previous years dating back to 2022. The second pic, look at all that green!

Each year air quality in Fresno has gotten better. According to lung.org, our air quality has been improving each year (https://www.lung.org/research/sota/city-rankings/states/california/fresno). However, there is still work to be done, if you look on that same link you'll see Fresno still has an F grade and fails to meet the threshold of 3.2 per year. We still have some of the worst air quality in the country ...

HOWEVER, things are improving, the graphs make this clear. I thought this would be a nice thing to share with the community.

What are some ways air quality is going to CONTINUE to improve in our city? Here's some of the biggest changes coming to Fresno that will make our air quality better year after year:

• More Biking: Fresno is committed to making our city a more bikable place, and you should be too. We have a community at r/BikeFresno of over 200+ strong now in less than a week. On top of that, Fresno received a grant of over $250M from the State of California to make Fresno a more bikable and walkable city under the Active Transportation Plan and Vision Zero. Even if you rely on your car to work, you should be pro-bikability because it: 1.) Reduces traffic 2.) Reduces pollution 3.) Reduces obesity (nearly 50% of Fresno residents are Obese).
• More Trees: Fresno is planting a lot of trees. Go take a drive (or better yet, bike!!) through Chinatown... Fresno just planted hundreds of trees to prep the development of china town. Go look at how beautiful Fresno downtown is because of all the trees! Did you know the word "Fresno" is actually Spanish-originated for "Ash Tree" because of all the trees present here when settlers came? We are a city of trees! There is also the non-profit Tree Fresno who will give you up to 5 trees for free for your front and back yards if you live near the downtown area. They actually just planted four beautiful trees in my front yard!

So, Fresnoians, if you want our city's air quality to keep getting better and following this trend, here's what you can and should do:

• Ride a bike instead of drive whenever possible (Fresno is so bikable, you'd be surprised! It's incredibly flat here, so even a 10 mile ride is a easy ride. But for short trips to the grocery store or to visit friends, ride a bike!)
• Plant a tree. Even just one tree goes a long way. If a thousand of us went out and planted a tree in our front yard (or guerilla gardened a tree on city property) that would have a HUGE impact on our air quality going forward. You can also contact Tree Fresno here https://treefresno.org/ -- the are pretty amazing!
• Walk instead of drive. Literally EVERYWHERE in Fresno is walkable. We have some amazing sidewalks lined with trees. Even just a handful of people choosing to walk can have a huge impact on public health, as well as your individual health. Consider shopping at grocery stores and going to restaurants that are within walking distance from you!
• Put the pressure on city council and elected officials to pay attention to our air quality. talk with your friends about the air quality. Raise awareness any way you can. Put a bumper sticker on your car. Whatever you can do to do your part to raise awareness.

Did you know Fresno has one of the highest rates of child asthma? That's fucking sickening, if you ask me. And it's completely preventable. We are the fifth biggest city in the STATE OF CALIFORNIA. We can do better, and we will do better if we all work together.

Go ride a bike! Go for a walk! Plant a tree!

I keep seeing it all over town lol. I think they’ve been flying around for hours doing this 😂

Dear Friends,

Earlier this week our Politi Friends of the Library Board had a tour of our new Leo Politi Library at the NE corner of First and Bullard next to Starbucks. Truly amazing! The furniture is in place waiting impatiently for opening day, as are we.

The latest: As much as we had hoped that our new library would open this spring, it still is not complete. Although the furniture is installed, security and technology systems are not. A worker was locating the places that would require exit signs. Exit signs are only one of a myriad of requirements that must be met.

Opening Day? The County Library is looking for the new Politi to open late August/September. Once the very popular Summer Reading Programs are finished, both the old and new libraries will be closed for most of a month. During that time, the books, computers, and all other materials will be moved and put in order.

Book Sales? Good news, Politi friends will have a room in which to store books and organize for book sales- AKA the dungeon! We’ll hold the book sales in the new community room. Not being able to have book sales has been frustrating, as it has been our way to connect with so many of you and hear your stories. Keep hanging on to your books & records and we’ll let you know the minute we’re able to accept them for a sale. Dare we say maybe the middle, end of September?

Thank you for sticking with us, a journey for sure. Our friends group formed in 2007, with the idea of passing Measure B and getting a larger library. It’s happening, dreams do come true!

Friends of Politi Library