GUEST OPINION
Residents holding “Slow Down” signs at a recent Pasadena Council meeting (Photo – Jonah Kanner)
Speeding on Pasadena’s neighborhood streets isn’t just annoying, it’s dangerous. On October 6, the City Council took a major step toward fixing that, approving a plan to design safer, calmer streets known as Greenways. These traffic-calmed streets are intended to improve safety on El Molino Ave, Wilson Ave, Sierra Bonita Ave, and Craig Ave. If properly designed, Greenways should reduce vehicle speeds to around 20 MPH and limit cut-through traffic.
By Jonah Kanner
Everyone wants to live on a safe, quiet street, and this proposal to reduce speeding is widely supported. Over 1,000 people have signed petitions backing safe Greenways, and 18 local organizations have endorsed the project. Ahead of Monday’s meeting, the City Council received about 200 emails in support of the design contract and heard public comments from roughly 35 speakers in favor of the project, with five speakers opposed. Some supporters brought signs that read, “SLOW DOWN! Speeding is nuts!”—echoing a message seen on yard signs across the city.
District 3 resident Andrew George called for safe Greenways, saying, “I want residents to open their windows to hear beautiful parrots rather than closing them to keep out road noise … Let’s get started on building some Greenways.”
Aubrey Schonoff told the City Council, “We need immediate action to improve the safety of our streets … When I lived on El Molino, taking a walk was just as dangerous because people run stop signs constantly and speed. I was almost hit by cars many times just walking to the gym or walking to CVS.”
During the discussion, City Council members and staff addressed some misleading information from Greenways opponents. “It’s important to point out these are not bike lane proposals,” said Councilmember Jason Lyon. “The idea with a Greenway is that the street itself is calm enough to bike on, so you don’t necessarily need a bike lane.”
The four north-south Greenways have been part of Pasadena’s Bicycle Action Plan since 2015 and are now funded through an award from the LA Metro Board. Monday’s show of support is consistent with community backing over the years, including public support for funding Greenways at City Council and Municipal Services Committee meetings in 2022, and for following All Ages and Abilities guidelines in 2023.
According to the Pasadena Department of Transportation, Greenways elements may include “speed humps … curb extensions, traffic circles and diverters, and raised median islands.” The final design has yet to be determined and will be shaped through a community engagement process beginning in 2026.
I’m looking forward to residents working together with the City to create the best Greenways design, and to enjoying safer streets soon!
More information about the Greenways is available at at this link.
Jonah Kanner advocates for safer walking and biking and is a volunteer with Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition.
Just add bumps. Sad to say but no one follows the speed limit (common sense). People use my street as a shortcut away from traffic and speed at 40 to 50 miles per hour down the street. I think it is time to gather signatures for a petition to add a couple of bumps on our street.
I’m a supporter of this.