Pasadena transportation report card

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The city has posted a report card for its traffic performance in 2008, along with a very cool interactive map. The conclusion: only 2 out of 15 major thoroughfares have seen an increase compared to last year, and it was not a serious increase. That squares with my experience driving here- the times seem about right, and I can't say I've seen a lot of increase in traffic over the two years I've lived here.

I have to commend the city for putting together such a solid interactive feature (click on the colored map routes above and you can see how long each route takes to drive). I do wish they had contacted me directly about this info- I actually found it through Steve Hymon's blog at the L.A. Times.

Some other notes:

-The map seems to prove what I have long believed: Orange Grove Boulevard is the best way to cross the city. I love that road. I actually discovered this by riding my bike, where I noticed a surprising dearth of cross street traffic roads. Unlike the loathsome Colorado Boulevard cross street lights- I have a raging grudge against the stop lights at Catalina Boulevard and Michigan Avenue... has anyone actually ever seen a car actually turn on to Colorado from those streets while sitting at the interminable red lights there? I'd have those lights torn up if I ruled the city.

-Speaking of bikes, it would be interesting to see comparative data for how long it would take to do these rides compared to the drive. Maybe I'll time myself and put up a comparison. I do know that during the slow traffic hours I can keep up with cars on Del Mar for a surprisingly long time... they get ahead but then get stuck at red lights and I catch up.

-I imagine there could still be improvement to be had through traffic light synchronization... the city does have a grant to do that at some intersections in Eastern Pasadena, where it can take an excruciating long time to get north of the freeway on Sierra Madre Boulevard or Altadena Drive... the jumble of streets meeting up there really causes a lot of problems. Ditto for San Gabriel Boulevard in that area.

-Another sore spot is along Pasadena City College on Colorado. I don't know if something can be done there, but there are an awful lot of traffic lights there- mostly for the sake of pedestrians, which is fine, as long as there are actually pedestrians there. When students aren't there, like in the summer or in the evening, or just during scheduled class times, there are a lot of pointless red lights.

-Ridership on the Pasadena ARTS bus actually dropped by 3 percent in 2008- staff lists an increase in rainy days as a possible cause, as well as school changes that allowed students to attend schools closer to their homes. They note also, that bus ridership on other non-city lines in Pasadena did increase.