CicLAvia—Pasadena is listed as running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 15. On the street, the day runs longer. Parking on the route ends at 4 a.m., cars are off Colorado Boulevard and Raymond Avenue from 7 a.m., and the streets aren't fully open again until about 5 p.m. If you live or park along the 2.7-mile route, those outer hours matter more than the event hours. If you plan around them, you get a car-free Colorado Boulevard for the whole afternoon without a tow or a trapped car.
The last time Pasadena hosted one of these open-streets days was May 2015, so this is the first in more than a decade. Many households along the route have never had to plan around one.
Two schedules on the same street
The event and the street closure keep different hours. Here is how the day breaks down, using the times CicLAvia and the City of Pasadena have posted.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 14, 8 p.m. | Start of the window for possible parking reimbursement for people who live or work on the route |
| Sun., 4 a.m. | No parking on the route; towing begins |
| Sun., 6 a.m. | Streets near the two activity hubs may begin closing |
| Sun., 7 a.m. | Colorado Blvd and Raymond Ave close to cars; driveways on the route become inaccessible |
| Sun., 9 a.m. | Event opens |
| Sun., 3 p.m. | Event ends; also the deadline to pick up a towed car before it is impounded |
| Sun., about 5 p.m. | Streets fully open to cars |
The car-free stretches are Colorado Boulevard from Pasadena Avenue to Allen Avenue and Raymond Avenue from Pacific Alley to East Dayton Street. Cars can cross the route at six intersections, SoCalCycling reports, and the crossing points are marked on the route map linked from the CicLAvia event page. Streets next to the route stay open for residents and businesses. There are no freeway closures.
If your driveway opens onto the route
CicLAvia's resident guidance is plain: all driveways on the route will be blocked and inaccessible from about 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and no vehicle can enter or leave the route during that time. If you'll need your car that Sunday, park it somewhere else before 7 a.m.
That one rule shapes the whole day for anyone living along Colorado or Raymond, so it's best handled a day ahead:
- Move the car Saturday night. CicLAvia says it may reimburse people who live or work directly on the route up to $20 per vehicle for parking costs from 8 p.m. Saturday, November 14, through 5 p.m. Sunday. Email the receipt to [email protected] with the subject line "Parking Reimbursement" within 30 days of the event.
- Check the signs on side streets too. Parking near the route may also be restricted, and the event page asks residents to read the posted signs on their own block.
- Know where towed cars go. Cars towed from the route can be picked up at the Pasadena Police Department, 207 Garfield Ave. Pick up by 3 p.m. that Sunday, or the car will be impounded.
The 3 p.m. pickup deadline matches the end of the event, so a car towed at 4:30 a.m. leaves you most of the day to retrieve it.
The route reaches farther than the closed streets
The closed streets cover 2.7 miles. Two temporary "Slow Streets" extend the event toward neighborhoods off the route. These are pop-up bike lanes, separated from regular traffic with cones and signs.
- West: about a mile along Walnut Avenue between Raymond Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard, continuing to Rosemont Avenue a few blocks from the Rose Bowl.
- East: about a mile along Colorado Boulevard from Allen Avenue to San Gabriel Boulevard, connecting East Colorado to Lamanda Park.
Cars still use the Slow Streets, and temporary parking restrictions apply on them from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no-parking signs posted in advance and towing enforced. For households near Walnut or east Colorado, that turns the 4 a.m. rule into their concern as well, even though their street is not technically on the route.
The lanes also bring the event within reach of neighborhoods the closure doesn't touch. Someone near the Rose Bowl or Lamanda Park can roll to Colorado Boulevard in a separated lane instead of loading bikes into a car.
The Metro A Line does the same for everyone else. Memorial Park and Del Mar stations are each less than 0.1 mile from the route, Lake and Allen are 0.4 miles away, and Fillmore is 0.8 miles away. Arriving by train sidesteps the parking, towing and driveway rules in the table above. CicLAvia hasn't posted bus detour details yet, and its event page points riders to the Transit app.
Which direction to ride, and where to stop
There's no start or finish line. You can join anywhere and leave anywhere. The route isn't flat, though. CicLAvia's elevation map shows an incline from the Colorado Hub up to Raymond Avenue, so riding west toward Old Pasadena means climbing.
The two hubs anchor each end:
- Memorial Park Hub, 145 N Raymond Ave
- Colorado Hub, 1778 E Colorado Blvd
They're 2.2 miles apart. Both will have free family activities, restrooms, water refill stations, basic bike repair, bike parking, seating and first aid. Free pedicab rides run between the hubs, first come, first served, from each hub's info booth. Riders need to be able to step or transfer into the pedicab. That makes a one-way plan easy. Start at the Colorado Hub, take the climb at your own pace, or ride the downhill direction and catch a pedicab back.
All mobility devices are welcome, including manual and motorized wheelchairs, mobility scooters, pedal-assist bikes and adaptive bicycles. Volunteers will be posted at any steep section. E-bikes have their own rules. Class 1 pedal-assist bikes are allowed. Class 2 bikes are allowed with the throttle off, and Class 3 bikes with pedal-assist off. Electric scooters, electric skateboards and hoverboards aren't allowed. CicLAvia also notes that California law requires helmets for riders under 18 on bikes, scooters, skateboards and skates. The event goes on rain or shine.
Who's open along the way
With the route running through Old Pasadena, Playhouse Village and South Lake Avenue, the businesses along it get foot traffic they don't usually see on Colorado. A handful have posted event-day offers on the CicLAvia event page:
- The Bar Method – Pasadena, 32 Mills Place: a free class pass for anyone who bikes, walks or rolls in.
- Bokãos Aveda, 52 Hugus Alley: free sidewalk consultations and styling, 15% off at their table, and a drawing for an extensions service worth $1,000.
- Carbon Health, 600 E. Colorado Blvd., Ste 120: water, Liquid IV and first aid supplies, plus priority walk-in care for participants.
- Jenette Bras, 18 E Holly Street: $50 gift certificates for the first 10 attendees and 15% off sports garments.
- Strong Sports Gym, 985 E Colorado Boulevard: store open and mini lessons available.
- Tea Spots, 1443 Colorado Blvd: 10% off for Pasadena residents.
Hub programming and performers haven't been announced yet, and the list of specials may grow. On event day, map.ciclavia.org shows the route on your phone with filters for hubs, Local Gems and business offers.
Why this Sunday matters past November 15
CicLAvia is free, non-ticketed and paid for in part by Metro. It also arrives while the city is planning longer-term changes to its streets. Pasadena Now reported on October 21 that the Department of Transportation is developing a Citywide Active Transportation Plan to improve connections for people who walk, bike, use mobility devices or ride transit. The Walnut and east Colorado lanes are temporary, set up with cones and signs for one day. For one afternoon, though, residents can see what those connections are like on streets they normally drive.
For a household on the route, the practical version is short. Move the car Saturday evening and keep the receipt. Walk or take the A Line to Memorial Park. Then spend the afternoon on Colorado Boulevard without traffic.
If you own along Colorado or Raymond and want to talk through what these streets mean for your home, Laurie Turner is glad to have that conversation. Let's Connect.
