Mystery History -- Solved

Margaret wins with her 8:37 a.m. Tuesday guess "An early Pasadena Bicycling club taking a break from riding down in the Arroyo."

The photo description does not tell us the precise location, but sure enough these young men are members of the Pasadena Bicycle Club taking a break during one of their rides in 1887.

Pasadena has been a city of bikes since before it was incorporated!

Here's Arthur P. Smith (front) on a tandem with a friend.


And an early pioneer, Dr. Hiram Reid, and his wife Rachael heading to church with their grandchildren.


When Pasadena was incorporated in 1886, Dr. Reid was on the very first ballot for the City Commission (now known as the City Council). He also took the lead in the successful campaign to ban the sale of liquor in Pasadena, but I'll save that story for another time.

The elevated Dobbins Bikeway was awe-inspiring in its day.


And now here we are in 2010, and the Bicycle Master Plan has been updated in draft form.

The plan calls for increasing the proportion of people using bikes, decreasing the number of bicycle-involved accidents, making bike parking more secure and convenient, and creating a network of bikeways so every neighborhood will be close to an effective route.


So take a look, then plan on attending a community workshop Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber (room S249) at Pasadena City Hall. Your comments will be included in outreach for the update of the General Plan’s Mobility Element.

The last such meeting we had was well-attended.


Go here to see our "Pasadena: Geared for Bikes" video, the latest-greatest map of bikeways, a map of bike parking locations and more.

No Mystery History next Tuesday because I'll be out of the office all week.


Many thanks to Pasadena Public Library and the Transportation Department.

Bicycling in Pasadena: Tell Us What You Think!

Riding a bike is a great way to exercise and save on gas while getting a closer look at our beautiful city. The more people who ride bikes, the closer Pasadena comes to meeting its green goals.


By updating the “Century of Bikes” bicycle master plan this year, the Transportation Department wants to make Pasadena one of the most bike-friendly communities in the nation, and you can help!

Whether you ride regularly, would like to ride more or plan on becoming a rider in the near future, take a minute to fill out this simple, eight-question survey.

All input will be reviewed by the Bicycle Master Plan Advisory Committee – a group of local cyclists, advocacy groups, bike shops and city commissioners with a goal of updating the plan by December 2009.

We’ve made lots of progress since the plan was first created in 2000. Sixty lane-miles of bike routes have been created citywide, and a bike map promotes available routes, parking and safety. More than 500 bike racks line the city’s major streets and hundreds more can be found at retail areas, schools, parks, community centers, libraries, the Rose Bowl Stadium, shopping centers and Metro stops, including a new storage area at the Allen Avenue Gold Line Station.

Pasadena’s Green Building Ordinance even encourages developers to include bike racks and showers in their designs.

Even with these successes, more can be done! The team is looking for more innovative ideas for helping beginning and experienced bike riders feel more visible, safe and well connected with the regional bike network.

Get involved! For more information call Rich Dilluvio, our resident expert on all things related to bikes in Pasadena, at (626) 744-7254 or email him at rdilluvio@cityofpasadena.net.

You'll find lots more information about biking in Pasadena here.

Mark Your Calendars! (Updated 2/17)

Here's a sampling of some upcoming events sponsored by the City of Pasadena:

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 6:30 to 8 p.m. – An update of Pasadena’s Bicycle Master Plan will begin with a community meeting in the Council Chamber (S249) at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave. (626) 744-7254.

Wednesday, Feb. 18 -- 1 p.m. – This week’s movie in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut St. is “Pride” starring Terrence Howard as the real-life Jim Ellis, a determined coach who starts a swim team for troubled teens in Philadelphia. (626) 744-4066.

Thursday, Feb. 19 -- 7 p.m. – The 2009 L.A. Opera Talks series begins with a fun and lively talk on the new opera “The Birds” in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut St. (626) 744-4066.

Friday, Feb. 20 -- 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Today is the deadline if you’re interested in submitting an application for one of two at-large community seats on the General Plan Update Advisory Committee. (626) 744-4311.

Friday, Feb. 20, 1:30 p.m. – Destination Employment offers assistance to job-seekers at La Pintoresca Branch Library, 1355 N. Raymond Ave. (626) 744-7268.

Saturday, Feb. 21 -- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – The Black History Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Charles White Park in Altadena and end at Robinson Park in Pasadena. It will be followed by a family festival from noon to 4 p.m. at Robinson Park. (626) 744-7300.

The update of the Open Space and Conservation Element of the General Plan will begin officially with a free open house event Saturday, Feb. 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the courtyard at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., including an 11:30 a.m. discussion with Will Rogers, president and CEO of The Trust for Public Land, children's activities and much more. (626) 744-6767.

The Future of Bikes in Pasadena

If you're thinking about taking a bike to work or to do a little shopping, or if you're already pedaling around town, or even if you're a die-hard aficionado who bikes miles at a time, you'll want to help shape an update to Pasadena's Bicycle Master Plan.


The update will kick off with a community meeting Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Council Chamber, room S249 at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.

The meeting, hosted by our Transportation Department and the newly formed Bicycle Master Plan Advisory Committee, will be open to the public, and comments and suggestions will be welcome.

See the existing master plan here or call (626) 744-7254 or email rdilluvio@cityofpasadena.net for more information.

Rich Dilluvio is a senior planner in our Transportation Department, oversees all the bike-related programs and is a pleasure to work with.

You'll find more info about bike programs here, including a video that tells the story pretty well.