Pasadena Launches Major Road Safety Initiative With Federal Grant

The City of Pasadena is launching its Local Roadway Safety Action Plan, bolstered by a $1.5 million federal grant, to enhance transportation safety through a combination of temporary traffic calming measures and community-driven projects aimed at reducing fatalities and serious injuries.

The Pasadena Department of Transportation received $1,556,520 from the United States Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program to fund a demonstration project along El Molino Avenue from Atchison Street to Bonita Drive. The project will test various Greenway traffic calming safety treatments using quick-build materials.

The demonstration project, scheduled to begin public engagement in the summer of 2025, will implement and evaluate temporary safety installations throughout 2026 to inform the design of permanent improvements. It will serve as a model for future safety initiatives citywide.

Residents have a unique opportunity to shape the City’s transportation future through an online survey at bit.ly/PasadenaLRSAP until Nov. 30, 2024. Community members can rank their top five preferences among 20 proposed safety initiatives, from which 15 priority transportation projects will be selected for implementation.

The Local Roadway Safety Action Plan builds upon safety recommendations from the 2022 City of Pasadena Local Roadway Safety Plan, integrating projects from four existing City plans: the Pedestrian Transportation Action Plan, Local Roadway Safety Plan, Greenways Feasibility Study and Capital Improvement Program Project List.

The comprehensive strategy incorporates input from engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency medical services stakeholders. It employs a data-driven framework for identifying, analyzing and prioritizing roadway safety improvements based on local needs.

The initiative supports Pasadena’s Complete Streets approach and vision of creating a City where residents can circulate without cars. Benefits include enhanced mobility for pedestrians and cyclists, community-driven solutions, and a methodical approach to implementing permanent safety improvements.