Police Target Dangerous Driving in Friday Pedestrian Safety Operation

Pasadena police said they will conduct a traffic safety operation Friday, Oct. 30, targeting speeding, illegal turns, failure to yield and drivers running stop signs or signals.

The enforcement effort focuses on driving behaviors the department says put pedestrians and bicyclists at risk. The operation comes during National Pedestrian Safety Month.

Neither the precise hours of the operation or its location was publicly announced.

The operation follows a citywide traffic safety review presented to the City Council’s Municipal Services Committee on Oct. 21. Pasadena recorded 336 injury and fatal traffic collisions in the first six months of 2026, which included four deaths — two pedestrians and two vehicle occupants — according to figures presented by the city’s Transportation and Police departments.

Those four deaths in six months exceeded the three traffic fatalities recorded during all of 2025. City officials have identified pedestrian safety as part of a broader effort to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2035.

The Police Department is also expanding traffic enforcement with state support. On Oct. 20, the City Council authorized a $512,200 California Office of Traffic Safety grant to support the department’s traffic safety work. The announcement circulated to residents did not establish whether Friday’s operation will use that particular grant.

Mayor Victor Gordo proclaimed October “Walktober” and Pedestrian Safety Month in Pasadena, emphasizing that drivers must watch for people crossing streets at both marked and unmarked crosswalks.

The city has paired traffic enforcement with street changes. In its Oct. 29 weekly newsletter, City Hall reported completion of pedestrian improvements along Allen Avenue between Walnut and Corson streets, including a pedestrian-activated signal at Locust Street, curb extensions and upgraded traffic signals and lighting.

With Halloween approaching, the city has urged motorists to slow down and be especially alert for pedestrians in neighborhoods. Friday’s police effort puts attention on driving decisions that affect people walking or cycling through Pasadena.