Arroyo Trail Critical Linkages Project Breaks Ground

Years of planning and fundraising culminated in a groundbreaking ceremony at Brookside Park on Saturday, July 13 as The One Arroyo Foundation and the City of Pasadena celebrated the beginning of work on the Arroyo Trail Demonstration Project.

The two small links at the southern and northern ends of the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena are the first section of The One Arroyo Trail Critical Linkages Project, a project sought by One Arroyo since its founding in 2019.

Mayor Victor Gordo welcomed former Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard and Doug Kranwinkle, founders of One Arroyo, along with Vice Mayor Steve Madison and current board members, including new Interim Director Cynthia Kurtz, a former Pasadena city manager.

“The Arroyo Seco is such a unique space, a contiguous space from the mountains to the sea,” said Mayor Gordo. “What other city in the entire region, in the entire state, in the midst of its neighborhoods, has such a beautiful natural space?”

Vice Mayor Madison echoed this sentiment, stating, “The Arroyo Seco is the crown jewel of west Pasadena, and we’re so excited to break ground on this project to improve miles of well-loved trails in this beautiful natural resource.”

Gordo also acknowledged the original Tongva tribe, which lived in California hundreds of years ago, noting that they “were the original guardians of this land, and it’s our responsibility to continue that stewardship.”

The Linkages Project aims to enhance the Arroyo Seco experience by restoring approximately 3.5 miles of existing multi-use trails, with debris and erosion clearance, road crossings to improve access and connectivity, footbridges, wayfinding, trail restoration, planting native species, and creating natural seating and learning areas. This project addresses the current conditions of the trails, which have become inaccessible and unsafe due to heavy use, erosion, and deferred maintenance.

In February, One Arroyo announced the acquisition of a $500,000 grant from California State Parks for the One Arroyo Trail Critical Linkages Project. This grant, part of the larger $6.7 million recommended by California State Parks to the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreation Trails grant program marked a crucial fundraising step in the project.

More recently, the Foundation was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Ayrshire Foundation to support the One Arroyo Trail Critical Linkages Project. The grant will enable the foundation to further its mission of revitalizing Pasadena’s historic Arroyo Seco, fostering community health, well-being, and environmental sustainability.

State Senator Anthony Portantino also helped secure a $1 million grant from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to the Foundation in 2022. The City of Pasadena extends its gratitude to Senator Anthony Portantino’s Office, the Pasadena Community Foundation, and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy for their contributions and continued support of this important project.

The One Arroyo Trail Critical Linkages Project aims to address the deterioration of the Arroyo Seco’s trail system by connecting three distinct areas of the Arroyo, improving trail conditions, and re-opening the historic Mayberry-Parker bridge.

With nearly 1,000 acres of urban forest and 22 miles of potential continuous trails, the Arroyo Seco is a valuable resource for the Pasadena community, although heavy use, erosion, and deferred maintenance have led to significant deterioration, making some trails inaccessible and unsafe.

For more information about the One Arroyo Foundation, please visit OneArroyo.org.