Pasadena

It seems as though everyone is releasing their calendars for Bike Week, it's time for Streetsblog to release ours.  In addition to our regular coverage throughout Bike Week, Streetsblog will actively taking part in two events.

For awhile now, I’ve contemplated the perplexing question of “What can improve South Lake Avenue (an underperforming shopping district)?” and I’ve come up with my own conclusions as to why the moribund district performs so poorly.

Last night's event, "Planning the Future of Our Streets" was a smashing success.  Over 100 people packed the Crenshaw Family Forum for a symposium and interactive planning session.  Our thanks go to all the presenters, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, James Rojas, Mayor Bill Bogaard, Mark Gangi, Linda Immediato, Felicia Williams, and Erlinda Romo, the staff of KPCC that handled the logistics and CICLE, Pasadena Magazine, KPCC and the American Institute of Architects for bringing out such a great crowd.

Back in Jan 2010, I wrote about my disdain for the current suburban-styled Ralphs supermarket that sits in the middle of Pasadena’s urban downtown financial district along Lake Ave. This particular Ralphs that many of us Pasadenans shop at is surrounded by anti-pedestrian characteristics that actually harm the built environment as it pertains to pedestrian activity. The potential for creating a better community in this section of Pasadena sits tragically unfulfilled. That’s why I’m still not happy with it.

(Note: KPCC, who runs the Crawford Family Forum, wants you to RSVP for the event to make sure we’re not “sold out.”  The event is free and open to the public.  You can RSVP by clicking here.)

(Brigham Yen is a real estate agent and voice for sustainable transportation based in the city of Pasadena.  We've always welcomed his comments in the comments section, and double welcome his coverage of the Cordova Road Diet meeting last night.  What did I tell you yesterday?  We're going to start moving in to Pasadena in the coming weeks.  You can read more of Yen at his personal real estate blog, viewable at Brighamyen.com)

Opponents of expanding the I-710 near Pasadena to connect the road to the I-210 received a double dose of bad news in recent weeks from both the courts and our environmental governor.  First, Governor Scwarzenegger, between lecturing his wife about safe driving, found time to veto Senator Gil Cedillo's legislation that would have required any highway expansion in this area to take the form of a tunnel.  Second, a state court ruled against the lawsuits brought by South Pasadena and La Canada Flintridge against the inclusion of funding for the I-710 expansion in Measure R.

Last night, the city of Pasadena hosted a public input meeting for its new bike plan. The big news at the meeting was the release of a draft map of proposed bikeway facilities. Though that map is not yet posted on-line, the city's Senior Transportation Planner Rich Dilluvio assured L.A. Streetsblog that it would be posted within a couple weeks.