Pasadena Officials to Lead Greenways Bike Tour During Bike Month

Pasadena Councilmembers Jason Lyon and Rick Cole will lead a 10-mile guided Greenways Ride on Saturday, May 17, from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m., showcasing planned bicycle and pedestrian safety projects. The tour begins at Playhouse Village Park, 701 Union Street, and highlights the city’s commitment to creating safer streets.

“Pasadena has plans to add traffic calming to four neighborhood streets to make them safer for everyone, including people driving, walking, and biking,” event organizers said. A transportation department staff member will join riders to discuss the project.

The free event requires RSVP and is part of Pasadena Bike Month 2025, which features various bicycle-related activities throughout May, including Fix a Flat classes, National Ride a Bike Day, and Kids Bike Festival. Participants must bring bikes in good working order and sign waivers upon arrival. Helmets are mandatory for riders under 18.

Pasadena’s Greenways initiative focuses on improving safety on El Molino, Wilson, Sierra Bonita and Craig avenues. The city secured $12 million for North-South Greenways design and construction, with conceptual design targeted for 2025, community outreach planned for 2025-2026, and construction expected between 2028 and 2029.

Additionally, Pasadena received $1,556,520 from the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund a demonstration project along El Molino Avenue, testing safety treatments using quick-build materials beginning in summer 2025.

Safety data underscores the need for improvements. Between 2020 and 2024, the four targeted corridors experienced 220 injury collisions, including 15 severe or fatal incidents, with most occurring at intersections.

“We all have places to be and not everyone gets there by car. Bicyclists and pedestrians have the same rights to the road but face even more risk without the protections vehicles have,” said Lieutenant Anthony Russo of the Pasadena Police Department. “We should all be looking out for one another.”

Councilmember Rick Cole, who is also hosting a “Biking Towards A Sustainable Pasadena” forum as part of Bike Month, emphasized, “Biking can be healthy, convenient, fun and environmentally-friendly. But first, it must be safe! …”

Transportation Advisory Commissioner Becky Hartung noted, “Pasadena’s bike infrastructure could absolutely use some improvement, but we do have some great areas to bike.”

Currently, Pasadena maintains over 12 miles of bikeways on collector and arterial roadways, with approximately 82 miles of bike facilities throughout the city, including 21 miles of bike lanes and 61 miles of bike routes as of early 2014. Recent improvements include the completion of the Union Street Two-Way Protected Bikeway and the Cordova Street Enhancement Project.

The Greenways Ride is organized by the City of Pasadena Department of Transportation, Day One, and the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition. More information about Bike Month events is available at Bit.ly/PasadenaBikeMonth.