Every morning before work, Karla gets up a little early and takes her 7-month-old baby on BART from San Leandro to either Richmond or to South Hayward, where her mother-in-law and mother live. Both Karla and her husband work during the day, so they depend on family to help take care of Isaiah. After dropping Isaiah off, she takes BART to downtown Oakland where she works as an administrative assistant for a non-profit organization. Karla admits that juggling a baby on BART during rush hours can be quite challenging, but it has kept her connected with both sides of her family. "If we didn't live so close to BART, Isaiah wouldn't be able to spend the day with his grandmas, and it would be really hard for me to get to work."

It has always been important for Karla and her family to live near convenient shops and public transit. Until she was 10 years old, Karla lived in Nicaragua and was accustomed to getting around on foot, because her school, grocery stores and even her relatives lived near by. She would also take the bus with her mother and grandmother to other parts of the city. This was mainly possible because the bus stop was located right in front of her house. "Taking the bus was so empowering because I learned to be responsible and know my way around my neighborhood. I learned safety skills and I was exposed to all the different kinds of people who live in the big city."

After moving from Nicaragua, Karla and her family moved to San Francisco's Mission District, where they found that all the stores and services they needed were all conveniently located in her neighborhood. She lived half a block away from a bus stop, walked to school and took Muni all across the city. In high school, Karla was the first to teach her friends how to take public transit in the city. She showed them how to get around without cars and dispelled their fears of the public busses. "When I showed my friends how easy it was to ride the bus, it became like an adventure for them."

Now, Karla, her husband, and Isaiah live in Bay Fair, with grocery stores, public services and transportation within a short distance. She lives one block away from a major bus route and a 10 minute walk from the Bay Fair BART station. “I love the convenience and not having to depend on my car." In the future, Karla hopes that there will be a Bus Rapid Transit system for Isaiah to use. "Just as I always had independence to go wherever I needed, I want the same for my son. I want him to have a good connection to the people in the neighborhood, independence to get to where he needs to go, to value transportation and to understand his impact on the earth."