Pasadena - Colorado Boulevard

Location

• Downtown Pasadena, CA
• Colorado Boulevard
• Passes through the "Old Pasadena" area

Background

Colorado Boulevard is the main street for Pasadena. It is a part of the route of the Tournament of Roses Parade, part of historic Route 66, and contains many preserved historic buildings and public artifacts. In 1989 the City of Pasadena spent $1.2 million to modify the street design by widening the street by 1.5 meters (5 ft.) at several intersections to better accommodate buses and to provide separate left turn lanes. They also included a “pedestrian only” phase in the cycle of the signalized intersections to accommodate the large number of pedestrians that use the street.

Notable Features

Pedestrian Only Phase in Traffic Signals

Due to the large number of pedestrians downtown, regular signalized phases for pedestrians to cross the street while vehicles attempt to turn left or right through the pedestrians would not work. For this reason, one of the signal phases is devoted to pedestrians only and no vehicles are permitted to enter the intersection during this time. Having a signalized pedestrian phase allows pedestrians to take full advantage of the road by crossing both diagonally and parallel to streets. The pedestrian crossings are striped with white paint, as usual, but diagonal crossings are also striped with white paint part of the way across the intersection. The pedestrian phase gives enough time for pedestrians to cross, but does not hold up traffic for more than 20 seconds. This enables vehicles to flow more smoothly through the intersections while not needing to worry about pedestrians. It also prevents potential collisions between pedestrians and vehicles. It is the best solution for a downtown that has high volumes of both vehicles and pedestrians.

Wide Sidewalks

Colorado Boulevard’s sidewalks are 4.6 meters (15 ft.) wide, and all of it is actively used. Vendors can set up on the sidewalks and restaurants also use them by putting tables out on a portion of the sidewalks. There are potted plants on the edges of the sidewalk and trees planted in the sidewalk with tree grates around the trunks to protect the trees and provide more sidewalk space for the mobility impaired (with wheelchairs, etc.). Parallel parking is permitted along the sidewalk for one hour from 9am to 6pm, and is unregulated on Sundays.

Streetscapes and Alley Walkways

Pedestrian activity in the “Old Pasadena” area is very high, not only from the design of Colorado Boulevard, but primarily from the construction of a pedestrian-oriented network of streetscapes and alley walkways. The City is currently implementing an “Old Pasadena Streetscapes and Alley Walkways Refined Concept Plan” which is geared to promote pedestrian activity in the Old Pasadena area. These alleyways lead onto Colorado Boulevard and adjacent streets. People have really responded to these, and pedestrian activity has grown.

Street Maintenance

The street design warrants no unusual maintenance. Very little landscaping is provided on Colorado Blvd., which reduces street maintenance to a minimum.

Accident Information

Colorado Boulevard’s new design has improved safety both for vehicles and pedestrians. The pedestrian only phase in the intersection signals has reduced pedestrian-automobile accidents. The widening of the street to provide separate left turn lanes improved safety for drivers and reduced vehicular accidents.

Public Response

People have voted with their feet. More people are walking because the new design better caters to pedestrians.

Transportation Philosophy of the Town

One of the seven guiding principles to the City of Pasadena’s General Plan is that Pasadena will be a city where people can circulate without cars. According to their Mobility Plan, they seek to reduce reliance on the automobile as the principal means of travel by increasing availability and use of transit, increasing use of bicycling and walking, land use planning, and other strategies.

Additional Information

Even though the street is 4 lanes, it has a posted speed limit of 25 mph and serves 20 to 25,000 vehicles per day. In the Old Pasadena area, it experiences heavy traffic congestion, especially during weekend evenings.

Original Contact

Cynthia Kurtz
Public Works Director
City of Pasadena
100 N. Garfield Ave., Room 212
Pasadena, CA 91109-7215
(626) 744-4333

This information originally compiled by Eric Spangler, 1999, as part of a senior project.