Northwest Commission To Review Slow Streets Neighborhood Protection Plan

The Pasadena Northwest Commission is taking the next step in the Slow Streets Neighborhood Protection Plan, which generally is intended to improve safety for local pedestrian and cyclist recreation, slow down or reduce vehicle traffic on residential streets, and encourage safe distancing behavior.

At 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13, the commission will review the Department of Transportation’s improved Slow Streets Neighborhood Protection during a special meeting.

The Plan was earlier presented to the City Council’s Municipal Services Committee.

Under the improved plan, the Transportation Department is proposing more community involvement, such as an “Adopt a (Slow) Street” component, where residents can nominate and “adopt” a street to be a Slow Street through an online application process.

The plan is essentially a continuation of the program that partially ended in July with the removal of Slow Street signs and the termination of a related social media campaign in June.

Earlier, Transportation Director Laura Cornejo stressed that when residents of a particular section in the City “adopt” a slow street, they are expected to assist Transportation Department staff with maintenance of equipment, regularly communicate with them on the state of the adopted street, assist with picking up or moving fallen or misplaced equipment such as Slow Street signage, ensure trash trucks can make necessary turns on trash day, and report if equipment requires replacement or repair.

At the Northwest Commission meeting Tuesday, Donson Liu, Associate Engineer at the Transportation Department, will present an update on  the Slow Streets Neighborhood Protection Plan, which will involve a Multi-Media Safety Campaign that kicks off this week, a “Slow Down” sign reuse plan which starts in November, as well as printing new lawn signs that will be made available to the public also starting in November.

Liu will also provide an update on the status of the application website for the “Adopt a (Slow) Street” campaign. Through the website, being piloted this month in Northwest Pasadena, residents can nominate and “adopt” a street to be a Slow Street online. Full roll-out of the application website is expected by next month.

The City’s Slow Streets Neighborhood Protection Plan was launched in April to implement Safer at Home mobility goals while at the same time improving safety for local pedestrians and cyclists, slowing down or reducing vehicle traffic on residential streets, encouraging Safe Distancing behavior, preventing congregation, and keeping residents home but allowing for recreation.

A report by the Transportation Department showed that because of COVID-19 restrictions, traffic on Pasadena streets dropped approximately 60 percent when comparing the first two weeks of April 2019 and the first two weeks of April 2020.

The improved Slow Streets Neighborhood Protection Plan will need a budget of about $81,500 to be funded through the Citywide Complete Streets Program for fiscal years 2021 through 2025.

Members of the community may access the Northwest Commission’s virtual meeting through https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89716516451 or by calling (669) 900-6833 and using the webinar ID: 897 1651 6451.

To send public comments in advance, you may email them to tsabha@cityofpasadena.net anytime before Tuesday, or use the web page  www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/public-comment to input your comments.