SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The air quality in Tijuana has reached “critical levels” during the first quarter of 2024, especially in areas near the border.
Carlos Bustamante, with Baja California’s Breathe Association, says the contamination is now as bad as Mexico City, which has some of the worst air pollution in Latin America, according to the World Health Organization.
Bustamante blames vehicular traffic near downtown Tijuana and along Zona Rio, an area many commuters drive through on their way to the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
“The city is experiencing an impressive number of car trips and has not implemented better strategies to curtail vehicle travel.”
He says the main transit points to get into the United States are saturated with cars on a daily basis and Bustamente sees no short-term relief.
“We are seeing thousands of cars emitting gases that are contaminating the environment, these cars are barely moving polluting the air we breathe.”
Bustamante said the city is recording moderate to poor air quality on a daily basis.
“Due to the complexity of the region, it’d be hard to mandate people don’t drive their cars. It’s time to, maybe, implement better public transportation options, although public transport is already saturated in the city, especially during rush hours,” he said.
Bustamante said if things don’t change, Tijuana will continue to climb up the charts when it comes to the most polluted cities in Mexico.
Currently, he says, Tijuana is one step below Mexico City and six above Mexicali, Baja California’s capital city.
“Tijuana is seeing three to five times the amount of permissible pollutants in that air daily that is recommended by the World Health Organization.”
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