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Making Colorado Boulevard more pedestrian-friendly

Pedestrians cross at the busy intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Raymond Avenue. "Pasadena is pursuing a broader concept of what streets are about," said Mayor Bill Bogaard. "They're not simply for moving cars as fast as you can. Streets are corridors of society and community."

Pedestrians cross at the busy intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Raymond Avenue. “Pasadena is pursuing a broader concept of what streets are about,” said Mayor Bill Bogaard. “They’re not simply for moving cars as fast as you can. Streets are corridors of society and community.”   (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Pasadena is considering plans to narrow portions of the famed boulevard -- a leg on the iconic Route 66 -- by as much as two lanes and use that space to widen sidewalks and create tiny parks with seating and greenery.

Coffee and tea

Patrons leave Intelligentsia coffeehouse as pedestrians walk past on Colorado Boulevard. The effort to put Colorado on a diet reflects a transformation that began a decade ago. Once largely a retail strip, the boulevard, especially in Pasadena, has seen an influx of apartment and condominium complexes.  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Pedestrians and a bicyclist

Pedestrians and a bicyclist navigate the sidewalk along Colorado Boulevard. Colorado is one of a growing number of busy boulevards across Southern California and the country that are being reevaluated as cities try to become more pedestrian- and bike-friendly.   (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Waiting for the signal

A pedestrian waits for the walk sign along Colorado Boulevard. From the very beginning, the thoroughfare was all about the car.   (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

In the headlights

A pedestrian makes her way across a busy Colorado Boulevard at dusk. Nowhere is the chance to remake Colorado in Pasadena more pronounced than in the once-sleepy Playhouse District east of Old Pasadena.   (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

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