Pasadena Gives Colorado Boulevard Back to People Today. Here Is How to Do CicLAvia Right

PASADENA: Colorado Boulevard belongs to feet, wheels and curiosity today. CicLAvia Pasadena runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 15, opening nearly three miles of streets to people instead of through traffic and adding another two miles of pop-up bike lanes. The free event is CicLAvia’s 69th, and the best way to enjoy it is to stop treating the route like a race. Enter anywhere, travel as much as feels comfortable and leave time for the businesses and neighborhoods that usually blur past a car window.

The main route follows Colorado Boulevard and connects with Raymond Avenue in central Pasadena. Streets begin closing well before the public start, and the organization says the broader closure window runs roughly from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. That matters for residents, deliveries and anyone trying to drive across the corridor. Participants should check the official map before leaving home because a familiar turn or parking entrance may not operate normally even after the event itself has ended.

CicLAvia turns an ordinary traffic corridor into public space for people walking, riding and exploring at their own pace. Image: Junkyardsparkle / Wikimedia Commons / CC0 1.0

CicLAvia is not a bicycle race and there is no required starting line. People can walk, use a wheelchair, skate or ride at a pace that respects the crowd. Families with young children, first-time riders and experienced cyclists share the same space, so speed is rarely the smartest plan. Pass on the left only when there is room, signal before changing direction and slow down near hubs, intersections and places where people are entering the route.

The easiest arrival may be public transit. Pasadena is served by the Metro A Line, and rail avoids the problem of finding parking near closed streets. Bikes are allowed on Metro, but cars and platforms can become crowded during major events. Riders should leave room around doors, use elevators when necessary and be ready to wait for the next train instead of forcing a bicycle into a packed car. Anyone driving should park outside the closure area and expect a longer walk.

A comfortable day starts with an unglamorous checklist. Bring water, sun protection and a simple repair kit if riding. Check tire pressure before joining the route. Wear shoes that can handle more walking than expected, because the most interesting stop may be several blocks from the place where a flat tire or tired child changes the plan. An identification card, charged phone and small amount of backup money can solve problems without turning the outing into a supply mission.

The route is designed around hubs and local activity, not only continuous movement. Those stops can include music, community organizations, family programming and services for riders. They also create crowding, which is part of the experience rather than a failure of it. Dismounting for a block may be faster and safer than trying to thread through people. The event becomes more memorable when a rider accepts that a pastry, bookstore or street performance is the destination for twenty minutes.

Local businesses experience open streets in different ways. A restaurant or shop with a visible entrance may gain a wave of new customers, while a business that depends on curb access can face disruption. Participants can help by buying locally, keeping doorways clear and treating staff with patience. CicLAvia’s long-term value depends partly on whether a one-day public celebration creates useful discovery instead of leaving merchants with only a complicated delivery schedule.

The event also functions as a transportation experiment. A road that appears fixed suddenly becomes flexible when the cars are removed. People notice shade, curb cuts, distances, storefronts and dangerous intersections in a way that is difficult at driving speed. Metro’s continuing support for CicLAvia and other open-streets programs through 2028 gives the region repeated chances to test how public space feels when movement is slower and access is shared more broadly.

That does not mean one Sunday predicts how a permanent street redesign would work. Emergency access, freight, transit, disability needs and daily commuting require detailed planning. CicLAvia offers something narrower and still valuable: a temporary demonstration that lets thousands of residents experience another use for the same pavement. The evidence is not a slogan. It is the behavior of people who arrive, move, stop, spend money and decide whether they want more days like this one.

Pasadena’s route closes at 3 p.m., but the streets will not immediately return to normal. Crews need time to remove barriers and reopen intersections safely. Participants should finish the trip with the same patience they brought to the start. For six hours, Colorado Boulevard becomes a long public room where strangers can move without a ticket or finish line. The smartest plan is simple: arrive early, travel lightly, slow down and let the city reveal more than a route map can promise.