Pasadena's CicLAvia Sunday Starts at 4 a.m. for Anyone Who Lives on Colorado Boulevard

On Sunday, November 15, parts of Colorado Boulevard and Raymond Avenue will go without cars for most of the day. The event itself runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The rules start five hours before that and stay in place for two hours after the last bike leaves. Pasadena last hosted CicLAvia in May 2015, so many people living along the route today have never had to plan around one.

The route covers 2.7 miles. It runs along Colorado Boulevard from Pasadena Avenue to Allen Avenue, plus Raymond Avenue from Pacific Alley to East Dayton Street. It passes through Old Pasadena, Playhouse Village and South Lake Avenue, and it links Metro's Memorial Park and Del Mar stations. If you live on those blocks, park on them or have a driveway that opens onto them, the event's 9-to-3 hours are not your schedule.

The street's schedule, hour by hour

These times come from the CicLAvia Pasadena event page and the City of Pasadena's update.

The two rows to circle are 4 a.m. and 3 p.m. Signs go up ahead of time, and towing starts at 4 a.m. A car left on Colorado overnight Saturday is likely to be gone before anyone in the house is awake.

Why 3 p.m. matters more than 9 a.m.

Cars towed from the route are held at the Pasadena Police Department, 207 Garfield Ave. You have to pick yours up by 3 p.m. that Sunday, or it gets impounded.

The pickup deadline lands at the exact minute the event ends, and two hours before the streets reopen. So getting a towed car back means going to Garfield Avenue during the event, while the boulevard you'd normally drive is closed. CicLAvia's page lists no detour streets and no bus detours for this event, and there are no freeway closures. Cars can cross the route at six major intersections. Those crossings are marked on the official route map, which you can find on the event page. If you plan to drive anywhere that day, look up your crossing ahead of time.

If your driveway opens onto the route

From about 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., every driveway on the route will be blocked, and no vehicle can enter or leave the route. CicLAvia's advice to anyone who needs a car that Sunday is to park somewhere else before 7 a.m. Delivery drivers can't drive or park on the route during the closure either. If you have a package or grocery delivery coming that day, it may make sense to move it to Saturday or Monday. Streets next to the route stay open for local access by residents and businesses. Parking on nearby streets may be restricted too, so check the signs on your block.

If you pay to park elsewhere, there's some help. If you live or work directly on the route, CicLAvia may reimburse up to $20 per vehicle for parking costs between 8 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. To request it, email your receipt to [email protected] with the subject line "Parking Reimbursement" within 30 days of the event. The page says the nonprofit "may reimburse," so a paid lot is a cost you can ask to have covered, not one that's guaranteed.

Two Slow Streets that stay open to cars

The city is adding two pop-up bike lanes, called Slow Streets, marked off with cones and signs. They are not part of the car-free route, and that's easy to miss.

• West: A 1-mile lane on Walnut Avenue from Raymond Avenue to Orange Grove Boulevard, continuing to Rosemont Avenue a few blocks from the Rose Bowl.
• East: A 1-mile segment on Colorado Boulevard from Allen Avenue to San Gabriel Boulevard, linking East Colorado to Lamanda Park.

Cars can still use these streets, but parking on them is restricted on the same 4 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule as the main route, with signs posted in advance and towing enforced. If you live on Walnut or on East Colorado past Allen, your street stays open, but you still have to move your car by 4 a.m.

Getting there without a car

The A Line takes care of most of the planning. These are the stations within a mile of the route, with CicLAvia's listed distances:

1. Del Mar, less than 0.1 mile
2. Memorial Park, less than 0.1 mile
3. Lake Ave, 0.4 mile
4. Allen, 0.4 mile
5. Fillmore, 0.8 mile

Metro is helping fund the event. The route has no start or finish line, so you can join or leave at any point, at any time. If you live within walking distance, your front door works as well as any station.

The two hubs

Each hub has free water refills, ADA restrooms, first aid, basic bike repair, bike parking, and free pedicab rides from its information booth.

• Memorial Park Hub, 145 N. Raymond Ave., is at the western end, near the Memorial Park station. LAist plans a booth here with giveaways and a meet-and-greet for listeners.
• Colorado Hub, at Colorado Boulevard and Allen Avenue, listed at 1778 E. Colorado Blvd., sits at the eastern end of the car-free route, right where the eastern Slow Street begins.

The hubs are about 2 miles apart along Colorado, so the pedicabs are a real help for anyone who wants to see the whole route without walking or riding all of it.

Morning specials, afternoon specials

Shops along the route have posted offers for the day on the CicLAvia event page, and their hours matter as much as the closures do. Several only run in the morning.

Ending at noon:

• Basecamp Fitness, 38 El Molino Ave., is open 7:30 a.m. to noon, with a free first class and a 14-day trial for $28.
• Dog Haus Biergarten Old Pasadena, 93 E. Green St., lists event-day deals from 8 a.m. to noon.

Running through the event or past it:

• Rebecca Crews LLC, 52 Hugus Alley, has mini cream cups and discount cards from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bokãos Aveda, at the same Hugus Alley address, offers free consultations and styling, 15% off at its table, and a drawing for a $1,000 extensions transformation.
• Sea Love, 28 E. Colorado Blvd., has a free gift with purchases of $50 or more, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays, 47 W. Colorado Blvd., has tote bags and a giveaway, also 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Wingstop, 1709 E. Colorado Blvd., near the Colorado Hub, offers 10% off for participants from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.

East Holly Street:

• Commune Records, 12 E. Holly St., 20% off store items.
• Jenette Bras, 18 E. Holly St., $50 gift certificates for the first 10 attendees and 15% off sports garments.
• Mesmer Mesmer, 65 E. Holly St., themed iced drinks made with Mammoth Coffee and discount cards for 15% off a purchase.

Farther east and elsewhere on the route: The Bar Method Pasadena, 32 Mills Place, has a free class pass. Store242, 123 Morgan Alley, takes 10% off store items. Karhyn, 50 S. De Lacey, Suite 208, is running early Black Friday deals. Carbon Health, 600 E. Colorado Blvd., will have water, Liquid IV, first-aid supplies and priority walk-in care. Strong Sports Gym, 985 E. Colorado Blvd., will keep its store open and offer mini lessons. Tea Spots, 1443 Colorado Blvd., offers 15% off the menu and a $5 coupon toward a future purchase when you join its free loyalty program.

The offers fall into a pattern. The western blocks around Old Pasadena have most of the morning deals, and the eastern stretch toward the Colorado Hub has more that run late. One plan is to start at Memorial Park in the morning and finish near Allen in the afternoon.

What you can bring, and what stays home

CicLAvia isn't a race or a bike-only event. Walkers, runners, skaters and strollers are all welcome. E-bikes follow CicLAvia's safety rules:

• Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are allowed.
• Class 2 e-bikes are allowed with the throttle off.
• Class 3 e-bikes are allowed with pedal-assist off.
• Electric scooters, electric skateboards, hoverboards and electric unicycles are not allowed.
• Non-electric scooters and mobility devices for people with disabilities are allowed.

Dogs are welcome on a short leash, and owners are asked to clean up after them. Unleashed animals are not allowed, according to CicLAvia's pet FAQ.

The Pasadena Star-News reported the event's return in August, and CicLAvia has produced more than 69 open-streets events across Southern California. For Pasadena, the practical plan comes down to three things. Move your car by 4 a.m., know which of the six crossings you'll use, and if you're towed, get the car back by 3 p.m.

We live and work in these neighborhoods too, and we're glad to see Colorado Boulevard open to people for a day. If you have questions about Pasadena, or about what the blocks along the route are like the other 364 days of the year, Chris Mardelli and our family team are happy to talk. Contact Us anytime.