Guest Opinion | Councilmember Jason Lyon: Building on Progress, Meeting Challenges, Seizing Opportunities Pasadena in 2026

With the rain behind us and a new year ahead, now is a great time to consider the opportunities and challenges on Pasadena’s horizon. In 2026, we will navigate important transitions, make decisions about our future, reinvest to economic vitality, and continue building a safer, kinder community. I am optimistic about our path forward—and clear-eyed about the work ahead.

Leadership transition: Searching for the right person to guide City staff in this moment of transition

This spring, City Manager Miguel Márquez will retire after leading Pasadena with steadiness and empathy through personnel transitions, natural disasters, and a challenging economy. Under his leadership, the City preserved economic reserves, invested in streets and public safety, and advanced our goal of serving 100% carbon-free electricity.  The City Council is conducting a nationwide search for Miguel’s successor. I am hopeful that our next City Manager will emulate his wonderful mix of pragmatic vision, fiscal savvy, and compassion.

Reconnecting communities: the 710 corridor’s future is taking shape  

In March, the Reconnecting Communities 710 Advisory Group will deliver its long-awaited recommendations on the redevelopment of the land once set aside for the SR-710 extension. Caltrans relinquished the property to Pasadena in 2022, opening a historic opportunity to reimagine a large part of our city, heal divided neighborhoods, and seek justice for businesses and families displaced by the State decades ago. After public surveys, design workshops, and more than two years of deliberation, the Advisory Group will propose options for mixed-use development, complete streets, and new green spaces. The City Council will next refine those options, evaluate traffic diversion strategies, and determine an appropriate governance structure for this major redevelopment effort.

The fiscal picture: rising costs, shifting revenues, and a renewed emphasis on urban village “placemaking”

Like many cities, we face higher personnel, pension, and benefit costs; inflation in goods and services; and volatile revenues from property, sales, gas and other taxes. The City Council has made implementation of Pasadena’s Economic Development Strategic Plan a budget priority. The plan focuses on expanding our medical, bioscience, and deep-tech sectors; supporting small businesses; and investing in the look, feel, and walkability of our neighborhood business districts.

Homelessness: moving from seasonal response to year-round solutions

We had mixed results on homelessness in 2025, with an overall decrease in the unhoused population for the year but a slight increase in unsheltered individuals during the annual one-night count. We continue to see seniors and longtime residents falling into homelessness, largely as a result of the ongoing lack of affordable housing. The City Council took two important steps in 2025: establishing a budget priority to create a year-round shelter, and creating a Housing, Homelessness, and Planning committee to provide sustained focus on these challenges.

Clean energy by 2030: expanding local solar and storage while keeping rates reliable

The City Council recently approved Pasadena Water & Power’s detailed plan to achieve 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030, while maintaining affordability and resource reliability. The City is currently on track to reach approximately 92% renewable energy in 2030, and PWP’s plan will bridge the remaining gap with expanded local solar generation and battery energy storage systems.

Safe, accessible streets: an integrated approach to pavement conditions, traffic management, and roadway safety

For several years, I have advocated for a paradigm shift in how the City thinks about mobility. Traditionally, roadway responsibilities were divided across departments—Public Works for pavement conditions, Transportation for traffic and mobility, and Police for enforcement—despite how interconnected those functions are in daily life. This year, the City Council has set a budget priority on a more holistic and less siloed approach to managing mobility. In addition to deeper investments in paving and safety, the City will begin extensive outreach and design work for four planned Greenways, which are residential corridors with intentionally calmed traffic for safer walking and biking. These efforts will move us closer to becoming a truly multimodal Pasadena, where residents can walk, bike, ride, or drive with equal ease.

Standing up for our community: disputes with the present administration in Washington

In 2025, Pasadena faced aggressive federal actions affecting our community. When public health, housing, and transportation grants were improperly withdrawn or conditioned on compliance with legally questionable executive orders, the City Council chose to preserve the rule of law by joining multiple lawsuits against the current administration. Then, when unidentified, masked individuals detained Pasadena residents without warrants or notification to local law enforcement, we were again forced to defend our community in the courts. The City will continue to stand strong against federal incursions this year.

Plugging in: how you can help shape our future

2026 will be a year to engage. Watch for the Reconnecting Communities final report, Greenways workshops, City updates, and local conversations with your councilmember. I post brief video recaps after each Council meeting to make City Hall more accessible; you can follow @PasadenaD7 on most platforms to catch those.

I am proud of Pasadena—our uniqueness, our compassion, our willingness to tackle tough problems together. From choosing the next City Manager to shaping the 710 plan, from continuing to build back after the Eaton Fire to achieving carbon-free power, from making safer streets to providing care for our unhoused neighbors, 2026 will offer opportunities for Pasadena to move forward with vision, reason, and empathy. I am excited to work together as we continue building a thriving community.

Councilmember Jason Lyon represents Pasadena’s District 7.