Pasadena Transit Contemplates Major Route Overhaul

Pasadena’s transit system is poised for possibly its most significant restructuring in years, with proposals to eliminate some bus routes, extend service hours, and add new connections to better serve riders in a post-pandemic landscape.

The draft recommendations, to be presented as an information item to the Transportation Advisory Commission on Thursday, outline changes to address “new travel patterns” and “improve customer experience,” according to the staff report.

The plan calls for discontinuing Route 32 and Route 60 “because of low ridership,” while creating a new Route 710 to provide “transit connection parallel to former 710 extension alignment” between JPL and Huntington Hospital via Fair Oaks Boulevard.

Analysis shows a “shift in trips from morning and midday to afternoon evening on both weekdays and weekends,” with weekend afternoon and evening travel seeing a “35% increase in trips,” according to department data. Overall weekday trips have increased 0.6% since 2019, while weekend trips are up 4.5%.

The plan proposes extending operating hours on most routes to match “post-pandemic travel demand.” Additionally, two Metro bus routes – Lines 177 and 256 – will be integrated into the Pasadena Transit network starting December 15, 2024, with operations funded by Metro.

For Dial-A-Ride service, proposals include increasing fares from $0.75 to $1.00 and implementing a “pilot new same-day service program with alternative service providers (Uber, Lyft, UZURV),” limited to four trips per month, that would serve “expanded areas of South Pasadena, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, and Glendale.”

The recommendations emerged from extensive public outreach conducted between Fall 2023 and May 2024. “Overall, over 1,300 surveys were collected from Pasadena Transit users” and “150 surveys were collected from Dial-A-Ride users,” identifying key areas for improvement including “buses being on time,” “hours of operation,” “frequency of buses,” and “safety at bus stops.”

The Transportation Advisory Commission will receive these draft recommendations on Thursday, December 12 at 4:00 p.m. in City Hall Basement: Grand Conference Room #S038 (Take Council Chambers Elevator to Basement) at 100 North Garfield Avenue, Pasadena.

Public comments may be limited to 20 minutes at the beginning of the meeting, with two minutes or less per comment depending on the number of speakers. The public can also review materials and submit feedback through the project website at bit.ly/PasadenaSRTP.

The Short Range Transit Plan update is required “every five years” to maintain “local, State and Federal transit funding,” according to the staff report. The plan will “identify existing financial constraints and opportunities, and provide detailed cost breakdowns” while including a “bus stop amenities study” analyzing customer experience and safety at bus stops. The current plan is scheduled for completion in early 2025, following the previous plan finalized in 2019.

Language translation services are available for the meeting by calling (626) 744-4031 at least 24 hours in advance. Alternative formats and disability-related modifications can be requested by contacting the Department of Transportation.