Our Recommendations for the 2024 Short Range Transit Plan

Written By Jesus Molina

Times and Locations to provide feedback about the 2024 SRTP presentation Pasadena DOT will provide.

The City of Pasadena is currently in the process of updating their Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP), which will guide the operations of Pasadena Transit and Pasadena Dial-A-Ride for the next five years. The last update of the SRTP was in 2019, and included a lot of good recommendations, particularly to implement Sunday service (which was successfully accomplished and has been maintained), increase the frequency of Pasadena Transit bus service, and extend bus service hours.

The pandemic and subsequent drop in ridership disrupted the implementation of most of these recommendations, but Pasadena Transit ridership has already reached 90% of what it was before the pandemic and is continuing to climb. With transit use set to grow, members of the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition compiled a set of recommendations for the updated SRTP that will enhance transit service for all users. Some of these recommendations are as simple as increasing existing service, while others look to the long-term: enhancing transit connections to neighboring cities and implementing infrastructure improvements to support the growth of our mass transit system.

Ready to get into the weeds? Our recommendations for the Short Range Transit Plan fall into four broad categories:

Implement unfulfilled recommendations from the 2019 Pasadena Short Range Transit Plan:

  • Increase weekday frequency on Routes 10 & 20 to 10-minute headways, and Route 40 to 20-minute headways, to meet current and future demand.

  • Operate earlier on Saturday. Extend Saturday service hours on Routes 10, 20, 31/32, and 40 so they start at 7 am, rather than the current 11 am start time.

  • Increase Saturday frequency on Routes 10 & 20 to 15-minute headways, to meet current and future demand.

  • Operate later on weekdays. Extend weekday service hours on Routes 10, 20, 31/32, and 40 to 10 pm, rather than the current 7 pm end time.

Improve bus stop amenities:

  • The City of Pasadena should conduct a survey of all existing bus stop amenities for all transit services (Pasadena Transit, Metro, Foothill Transit, LADOT, etc.) within city limits, such as seating, shade, shelter, and next bus arrival info. Although those other providers handle their buses and scheduling, the City of Pasadena is responsible for ALL bus stops in the city.

  • After identifying the most heavily-used bus stops that currently lack amenities, the City should move quickly to address these inadequacies so that bus riders may wait in comfort and safety.

  • Focus future City tree planting adjacent to unshaded bus stops to mitigate forecasted increases in extreme heat. Tree cover provides multiple benefits!

Expand transit service to support regional connectivity:

  • Support development of Pico Rivera’s proposed Rosemead/Lakewood Boulevard Complete Corridor Project. If built as envisioned, this project would establish a bus rapid transit line from Sierra Madre Villa Metro Station to Cal State Long Beach, bringing high-quality transit service to a currently underserved corridor and connecting Pasadena to numerous communities, destinations, and major transit lines. The City of Pasadena should sign on as a willing partner to make this project a reality. PasCSC has already sent a letter to the City Council asking them to take this step.

  • Restore bus service to Oak Knoll Avenue and South Lake. Metro’s NextGen initiative rerouted Route 258 away from Pasadena, removing the only transit service along Oak Knoll–which also provided an important north-south link to Alhambra, Monterey Park, and other communities to the south. The City of Pasadena should seek to restore service along Oak Knoll, either through establishing a new line or through funding an extension of Montebello Transit’s Route 30 with increased service frequency. Route 30 currently terminates on Huntington Drive just short of Oak Knoll and would provide a direct connection between South Lake and the Garfield Avenue corridor through Alhambra, Monterey Park, and points further south.

  • Establish a transit link to La Cañada-Flintridge. Despite being Pasadena’s direct neighbor to the northwest, there is currently no transit connection between Pasadena and La Cañada-Flintridge that doesn’t require a lengthy transfer at JPL. The City of Pasadena should coordinate with La Cañada-Flintridge to establish a direct transit connection, for the benefit of the residents and businesses of both communities.

  • Transit to Trails. The City of Pasadena should support development of transit service to nearby trailheads and attractions in the San Gabriel Mountains, specifically Mount Wilson and Eaton Canyon.

  • Establish more direct connections between West and East Pasadena. Current services on Colorado Boulevard, namely Metro 180 and Foothill Transit 187, only cover portions of Colorado, so transfers are needed for anyone who wants to get across town. To address this, the City of Pasadena should establish a crosstown service that runs the full length of Colorado Blvd. within city limits. Given the centrality of Colorado Blvd., its high number of businesses, neighborhoods, and attractions, and its historical significance as part of Route 66, such a service would also be a prime candidate for a fare-free “trolley” shuttle service that would appeal to both visitors and residents.

  • Increase transit service to the Rose Bowl and Upper Arroyo. Current service along the existing Route 51/52 to this important civic and recreational amenity is very limited, with buses running only once an hour for most of the day on weekdays. We want to see increased transit service for non-event days to improve access to the public, and better promotion and enhancement of the service on event days, such as dedicated bus lanes and increased service, to make it a viable alternative to driving and parking during crowded Rose Bowl events.

  • Synchronize Pasadena Transit schedules with those of regional operators (namely Metro). Currently, transfers between transit services are not always coordinated and can be lengthy. Where possible, Pasadena Transit should look to synchronize its service with regional agencies to improve connectivity and minimize wait times for transit users.

Support infrastructural improvements to improve transit service:

  • Pursue a full build-out of the new Pasadena Transit maintenance facility. With funding from Metro (using funds previously allocated to freeway construction), Pasadena will be building a new bus maintenance facility that will accommodate a new fleet of rechargeable buses. Under current funding, the new maintenance facility will only allow for the replacement of the existing fleet to electric buses, without allowing for an expansion of the fleet. In order to meet Pasadena’s current and future transit needs, the maintenance facility must be built with expansion of the fleet in mind. Schedules that include more frequent buses require a bigger fleet.

  • Implement bus-only lanes along portions of Colorado Boulevard. The City of Pasadena should install bus lanes to enable faster and more reliable transit service along the most congested portions of Colorado Boulevard, particularly through Old Pasadena. Metro is currently planning the NoHo-Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit project. A dedicated bus lane will mean greater speed and efficiency for the many transit users along the Colorado Boulevard corridor.

  • Provide modern amenities to transit riders. With a replacement of Pasadena Transit’s fleet imminent, now is the time to ensure that riders of the system will have access to modern features that riders of Metro’s buses are already accustomed to, such as free Wi-Fi on buses and modern fare collection technology that can work with contactless payment methods.

If any of these ideas appeal to you and you would like to have your voice heard, please attend one of the upcoming meetings about the SRTP update that the City of Pasadena will be hosting in the next couple of weeks!

  • GENERAL MEETING • In Person

Saturday, April 27 • 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Victory Park Recreation Center Room 3 • 2575 Paloma St, Pasadena, CA 91107

Closest transit routes: Pasadena Transit 31 or Metro 256 to Altadena/Paloma; Pasadena Transit 40 to Orange Grove/Altadena

Wednesday, May 1 • 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Online

  • OLDER ADULTS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES • Focus Meeting

Thursday, May 2 • 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Pasadena Senior Center • 85 E Holly St, Pasadena, CA 91103

Closest transit routes: Metro A Line to Memorial Park station; Pasadena Transit 20, 40, 51, or Metro 256, 267, 501 to Raymond/Holly; Foothill Transit 187 to Raymond/Walnut; Metro 260 or 660 to Fair Oaks/Holly; Pasadena Transit 10 or Metro 180, 662, 686 to either Colorado/Raymond or Colorado/Arroyo Parkway

  • TALLER EN ESPAÑOL • Meeting in Spanish 

Sabado, 4 de mayo • 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Washington Park Community House • 700 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91104

Rutas de tránsito más cercanas: Pasadena Transit 31, 32 o Metro 256 a Washington/El Molino; Pasadena Transit 20 o Metro 662 a Lake/Washington

  • YOUTH • Focus Meeting

Tuesday, May 7 • 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Robinson Park Recreation Center Multipurpose Room • 1081 N Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103

Closest transit routes: Pasadena Transit 20 or Metro 660 to Fair Oaks/Hammond; Pasadena Transit 51 to Mountain/Fair Oaks

Jesus Molina
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