Residents of Colonia Libertad in Tijuana marched to City Hall on April 23 to demand the relocation of a waste transfer station they say has plagued their neighborhood for decades. The facility on Avenida Miguel Anzures has drawn complaints about rat and cockroach infestations, foul odors, and garbage trucks blocking residential streets.
Community leader Arcelia Solano called the station an “infection hotspot” and said at least one child in the neighborhood has been bitten by a rat. Residents reported that the smell worsens during summer months, when temperatures in Tijuana regularly exceed 85°F in the Libertad area.
City Councilwoman Backs Residents’ Demand
Tijuana city councilwoman Sandra Magaña joined the residents’ cause, citing respiratory health risks during hot weather. Magaña backed the formal request for the facility to be moved out of the densely populated neighborhood.
Colonia Libertad is one of Tijuana’s oldest colonias, located east of the Zona Centro near the border crossing area. The neighborhood sits on steep hillsides and has long dealt with infrastructure challenges common to many of Tijuana’s older residential zones.
Tijuana’s Broader Waste Infrastructure Problems
The protest fits a larger pattern across Tijuana. The city generates thousands of tons of solid waste daily, and its collection and transfer infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with a metropolitan population now exceeding two million. A NADBank (North American Development Bank) project document noted that Tijuana’s rapid population growth created “an excessive production of waste and an extraordinary demand for public services, in particular the collection, transfer and disposal of municipal solid waste.”
Transfer stations serve as intermediate stops where garbage trucks unload waste before it is hauled to landfills. When these facilities sit in residential areas, conflicts over noise, odor, pests, and truck traffic are common. Tijuana operates several such stations across the city.
The residents delivered their formal petition to municipal authorities on April 23, but the city has not yet issued a public response. If the station is relocated, garbage truck routes through the Libertad neighborhood would likely change, potentially shifting heavy vehicle traffic to other corridors.
This story was first reported by Jornada BC.