Liz Schiller (left) lead the West Pasadena Night Ride on July 24 (Photo – Dale Zapata)
Pasadena Complete Streets can make riding a bike at night feel like magic!
By Jonah Kanner
For each of the past few years, Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition has hosted a series of Summer Night Rides. These easy-paced, social rides bring together a diverse group of people from Pasadena and the surrounding area. We decorate our bikes with lights and usually carry a speaker playing music to create a welcoming atmosphere. The groups include young children, seniors, and even a few dogs. The rides are very popular and are attended by 70-90 bike riders. These large groups create a safe space on the street, and drivers usually give us plenty of room. Sometimes, the ride looks a little bit like a parade, and kids will wave and cheer when the ride goes by.
This year, on July 24, the ride went through West Pasadena and included a stop at the Rose Bowl and a trip across the Colorado Street bridge. The tree-lined streets above the Rose Bowl are quiet and peaceful and make a wonderful setting on cool summer evenings. One rider showed up with a cargo bike carrying ice cream pops, and gave everyone a snack when we stopped for a break!
On August 24, we partnered with South Pas Active Streets for “The Grand Tour”, a night ride that connected Pasadena and South Pasadena along Grand Avenue. This ride took a cruise down Mission Street in South Pasadena, and we made a stop for boba tea near the South Pasadena Metro stop. Grand Avenue was a special place to visit, as the South Pasadena community fought to preserve a bike lane there earlier this year.
Our final Summer Night Ride of 2024 is planned for September 21. We are going to meet at the Caltech campus, and take a ride through the neighborhoods of East Pasadena. I hope you will join us! More information is at pasadenacsc.org/events.
Summer Night Ride 2024 September 21 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm Location Starting and ending at Caltech
Jonah Kanner advocates for safer walking and biking and is a volunteer with Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition.
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