Coachella Sets Virtual Unveiling of Frida Way

City of Coachella to Hold Virtual Unveiling of Frida Way

COACHELLA —  The young woman who inspired a street sign in this community will be in the spotlight when the City of Coachella will virtually celebrate the unveiling of Frida Way located at Coral Mountain Academy on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 10:30 am.

Attendees who would like to attend the event can view by visiting the City’s Facebook page @yourCoachella.

What’s special about this street name change? Frida Arriaga is. In 2016, Frida as Coral Mountain Academy’s ASB Vice President recognized the need for a traffic signal to be located at her school due to her friends nearly being struck by vehicles and the traffic congestion that would occur during pick-up and drop-off times.

With this goal established, young Arriaga collected over more than 800 signatures from parents and organized a campaign to have the city install a traffic signal. The city agreed to support 50% of the cost equaling $100,000 but remaining unfunded amount would have to come from the Coachella Valley Unified School District.

Undeterred, Frida persevered and moved forward with parents in tow to the CVUSD Board meeting to make her request where her petition would be evaluated. By August 2019, the City of Coachella and CVUSD completely funded the project with a total cost of $280, 000. The traffic signal was installed and ready for the first day of school in 2019. In November 2019, the Coachella Planning Commission and the Coachella City Council approved a street name change to Frida Way where the signal was installed.

“It’s truly an honor to have such a great distinction,” said Frida Arriaga. “I understand now that I have a bigger responsibility to be a better community member and citizen of the United States.”

“It’s always a proud moment when Coachella’s youth, in this case Frida Arriaga, set a goal and moved forward without trepidation and without self-imposed limits,” Mayor Steven Hernandez said in a prepared statement.. “It just shows you and her student counterparts that if you set your mind to it anything is possible with perseverance and determination.”