California Transportation Commission Approves Funding for Pasadena Union Street Bike Track

Pasadena could soon realize its plan to install a modern protected bicycle track on Union Street, after the California Transportation Commission on Thursday announced grants totaling some $56 million for projects promoting bike lanes, sidewalks and safer ways to walk to school in cities throughout Southern California.

The Pasadena Union Cycle Track project between Hill Street and Arroyo Parkway, is one of 25 projects recently approved under the Commission’s Active Transportation Program. The program encourages transportation-related projects that promote getting around either on foot or by bicycles.

In the recent grant approval, the Union Street bike lane project will get about $3.7 million, enough to fully fund the 1.5-mile bike track that already received a $2.7 million grant from Metro.

Frederick Dock, the City’s Transportation Director, said the City will provide matching funds of up to $684,000.

The Union Cycle Track will mean additional eastbound and westbound bike lanes on the south side of Union Street, protected from vehicle traffic by a concrete median. In November last year, the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce wrote the City Council seeking to consider installing the bike lane on the north side of Union Street for safety reasons.

Dock said the City chose to build Pasadena’s first cycle track on Union Street because it is a one-way street with three lanes. The design phase could start in June with project completion around 2020.

Next to the Union Cycle track project, the City plans to complete bicycle lanes on Cordova Street which is also an east-west roadway.