The City of Tijuana has been on quite a tourism push. Ever since drug violence peaked in 2008 and 2009 and fears of that violence drove American tourists away in droves, the city has been making a concerted effort to promote a new image of Tijuana, touting new art galleries, high-end restaurants and music festivals.
In all honesty, in the countless times I’ve visited Tijuana since 2009, I've never felt unsafe.
But there was always one thing that made me just a little uneasy: crossing the pedestrian bridge over the Tijuana River, the one you have to cross to travel between the border crossing and Tijuana’s interior.
After sundown, it’s quite dark. Drug addicts are known to hang out below (along with many deported immigrants who are just trying to figure out how to get back into the U.S.), and I was once accosted by a man who seemed to come out of the shadows.
Friends I’ve crossed with have cited that bridge as a bit of a put-off.
So last week, I was pleased to see the city was finally doing something about it: Brand new lights, sure to put many of Tijuana tourists from San Diego, and at least one reporter, a bit more at ease.
