Free Rides on Pasadena Transit This Saturday for Earth Day Celebration at Brookside Park

Pasadena Transit will offer free rides on Route 51 this Saturday, April 18, to the city’s Earth Day celebration at Brookside Park, 360 N. Arroyo Blvd., where the City of Pasadena and the One Arroyo Foundation will release more than 800 goats into the Arroyo Seco as part of a new wildfire prevention initiative.

The free, family-friendly event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and features goat yoga sponsored by the Rose Bowl Stadium, a goat petting zoo, educational activities with the goat herder, and interactive booths hosted by City departments and local nonprofit organizations. Participating city departments include Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Transportation, Public Health, and Water and Power.

Joaquin T. Siques, Director of Transportation, announced the free fare in the City Manager’s April 16 weekly newsletter. Route 51 travels between Old Pasadena and the Memorial Park A Line Station along Fair Oaks Avenue to the Rose Bowl and Brookside Park. Schedules and maps are available at PasadenaTransit.net.

The goat grazing initiative was developed in response to the January 2025 Eaton Fire, which highlighted the urgent need for proactive vegetation management in the Arroyo Seco. Over two months, the goats will graze nearly 100 acres, clearing invasive plants and dry brush while returning nutrients to the soil. Their ability to navigate steep terrain makes them an effective alternative to mechanical vegetation management.

“Pasadena is committed to leading with proactive, community-centered solutions that protect both people and place,” Mayor Victor Gordo said in a statement. “This initiative reflects how we can turn that shared appreciation into action, implementing innovative, nature-based strategies that strengthen our city’s resilience.”

The Earth Day celebration will also include a kickoff activity for the city’s Climate Action Plan update, inviting residents to share input on Pasadena’s environmental priorities. Free compost will be available for residents to take home.

Pasadena Transit and Pasadena Dial-A-Ride will extend the Earth Day observance by offering free fares on all routes on Wednesday, April 22 — the official Earth Day. For routes and schedules, visit PasadenaTransit.net.