Reconnecting Communities Advisory Group Bus Tour of 710 Stub Rescheduled for Wednesday

A new schedule for the bus tour of the 710 freeway stub by the Reconnecting Communities 710 Advisory Group and members of the public has been set. 

According to the Group’s agenda, the tour will be held on August 30. 

The bus tour was originally scheduled last August 16 but it was canceled after the bus did not show up. Participants waited at multiple locations, including City Hall, for about one hour before the tour was called off, Assistant City Manager David Reyes said at the time.

Rather than a private tour operator, the City intended to use its own municipal Pasadena Transit this time, Reyes said.

The bus will pick up participants in front of City Hall at 6 p.m. and it will arrive at its first stop at Bellefontaine St. and St. John Ave. at approximately 6:35 p.m.

It will reach its second stop, Del Mar Blvd. and S. Pasadena Ave. at approximately 7:05 p.m., and the third stop at S. Pasadena Ave. and Holly St. at approximately 7:35 p.m.

The Reconnecting Communities 710 Advisory Group’s mission is to provide insight and recommendations to the City Council about the planned site transformation.

There is a history tied to the nearly 50-acre site. In 1964, California seized the half-mile area through eminent domain, including hundreds of residences in southwestern Pasadena, South Pasadena, and the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles. The intention was to connect the Long Beach 710 and Foothill 210 freeways, though the project never came to fruition. 

In a historic move, Caltrans handed control of the 710 stub back to Pasadena in June 2022, marking a pivotal turn in Pasadena’s efforts to rejuvenate what was previously a bustling part of the city. As part of the decision, Pasadena also received a $5 million one-off payment.

The tour is expected to deepen the Advisoy Group’s understanding of the site.

Limited seating will be available on the bus for members of the public, can also follow along in their own transportation. A signed waiver will be required before entrance on the bus is permitted.