October + Walking + Pasadena = Walktober

2020 Walktober (Photo – PasCSC)

The Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition (PasCSC) invites all of Pasadena to participate in a virtual Walktober!

By News Desk

The annual national, and international, Walktober, is packed with over a dozen virtual walks and tours for the month of October.

Just like in 2019, PasCSC is dedicating Walktober 2020 to all pedestrians who were injured or killed while walking in Pasadena in the past year. “We also recognize that streets are not safe until we are all safe. Therefore, we must commit to ensuring that all Black lives matter,” according to a press release by the organizers. “We call on city council, the Pasadena Department of Transportation, and all people who walk…to support policies and practices that make our streets places where people of all ages, abilities, and identities can walk safely and comfortably.”

Highlighted events

Highlights include:

• Weekly themed walks including an All Fall Walk, Walk the Vote, and Costume Walk.
• City district tours curated by each city council member to highlight unique sights and points of interests in their district.
• A Clean Air Day challenge and celebration with Vice Mayor Hampton.
• A special African American History tour created by the NAACP Pasadena branch to spotlight landmarks from the community’s history.
• A contest where you post your walks to Instagram (hashtag #WalktoberPasadena) for a chance to win prizes such as headlamps, insulated water bottles, RunWithUs swag bags and more. (Follow @PasadenaCSC or visit walktoberpasadena.org for details).

“DO WALK Month” will run until the end of October. DO WALK consists of a series of events aimed at encouraging the community to spend time outdoors and engage in safe routes initiatives while adhering to the rules of social distancing. Some of their events include: the DO WALK Treasure Hunt Art Contest, where students will design posters for Walk to School Day, and a virtual 5k, where community members will choose their own race routes.

Due to the on-going pandemic, residents are encouraged to safely distance themselves from those outside their household and wear face masks when participating in walking events.