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110 Freeway shuts down for Arroyo Fest
The portion of the 110 Freeway between Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles was briefly shut down Sunday morning for Arroyo Fest, which allowed anyone to use the freeway recreationally.
PASADENA, Calif. - The Arroyo Seco Parkway between Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles was closed to vehicle traffic for four hours Sunday for the second-ever 626 Golden Streets ArroyoFest, which turned the heavily traveled freeway into a pedestrian and recreational corridor.
The festival mirrors the concept of the occasional CicLAvia events that close off various roadways around the Southland to allow pedestrians, bicyclists, skaters and others to explore the routes and neighborhood businesses.
It also comes 20 years after the first Arroyo Fest was held on June 15, 2003. That event was organized by staffers at Occidental College in an effort to bring together residents from the various communities that are connected by the area's oldest freeway, while also touting outdoor activity to boost public health and promote a clean environment.
Arroyo Seco Parkway. (Photo by: Visions of America/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Sunday's event was planned with the same goal, organized by Metro's Open Streets program in conjunction with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, ActiveSGV and the cities of South Pasadena, Pasadena and Los Angeles.
From 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday, the parkway was closed on a roughly six- to seven-mile stretch from the Lincoln Heights area to Pasadena, and stretching onto Mission Street in South Pasadena to link the route with the Metro A Line's South Pasadena Station.
A host of elected officials and community leaders gathered for the opening ceremony, including State Sen. Anthony Portantino, Assemblyman Miguel Santiago and county Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
After the ceremony, a 10K run was held along the closed stretch of freeway.
The hub at Highland Park hosted a Lummis Day Festival into the afternoon, while the South Pasadena Hub featured various activities and an "e-bike" demonstration zone.
Organizers and Caltrans urged people planning to attend the event to use public transit, specifically the A Line train, which has multiple stops along the route, including Lincoln Heights, Heritage Square, Southwest Museum and South Pasadena.