Managing Traffic in Our Neighborhoods

The City of Pasadena has a longstanding interest in protecting neighborhoods from cut-through traffic and speeding vehicles. As early as the 1980's, the City authorized installation of speed humps to slow traffic in residential areas. Today, almost 400 of these traffic management devices have been installed along with many other traffic management measures. Neighborhood Traffic Management (NTM) activities are underway throughout Pasadena communities.  

Find Out the Traffic Volume on Your Street: 

Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP)

Neighborhood Traffic ManagementThe neighborhood traffic management planning program, as envisioned in the City's 1994 General Plan, strives to protect neighborhoods from traffic impacts by improving flow on the mobility corridors and controlling through traffic volumes, speeding and parking impacts on residential streets. Ways to reduce the speed of traffic through neighborhoods include speed humps, street narrowing, medians, necking-down of entry ways, appropriate traffic signs, and police enforcement. Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP) Ways to reduce traffic volume include turn prohibitions during peak traffic hours, appropriate guide signs, traffic barriers, cul-de-sacs, islands, and other measures that would reduce the speed which makes the street less desirable to travel on. Ways to reduce parking impacts include providing on-street parking, restricting parking duration and parking periods, preferential parking programs, and providing adequate off-street parking.

Details about the City's NTMP program are described in the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program Community Handbook.

Ongoing NTMPs

The following are Neighborhood Traffic Management Programs that are currently going on in the city:

Linda Vista Area NTMP

State Street / South Gateway NTMP 

The initial neighborhood traffic survey was mailed out May 16, 2011. The kickoff meeting was held on Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at the Westridge School Braun Music Hall. The link to the presentation is below:

Reporting Speeding Problems in Your Neighborhood

There are times when people don’t realize that they are driving too fast and just need to be reminded of their vehicle speed habits. The Pasadena Police Department may place the radar trailer on streets where residents and business owners call to report possible speeding issues. The trailer displays the posted speed limit then measures your speed and gives you the information by displaying it under the area indicated by “Your Speed.” The trailer provides valuable information to the driver and stores data regarding speed and time of day that can be used later by the Police Department for enforcement and safety issues and the Transportation Department for planning and safety purposes.

Pasadena Police Department
If you would like to report a speeding problem in your neighborhood, please call (626) 744-4590.

Speed Humps Request  
In the 1980s, the City installed speed humps on a number of residential streets. This process became part of the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program in the early 1990s. By incorporating the installation of speed humps into a comprehensive program for addressing neighborhood traffic issues, the City gained the ability to improve traffic conditions in an entire area rather than on just one street.

Preferential Parking Districts

Parking is a key component of Pasadena's transportation program. The City has addressed parking problems associated with educational institutions, entertainment uses, religious institutions, commercial activities, special events, and the Gold Line Light Rail service. Experience with such programs underscores the need for the City to foster ongoing coordination and cooperation among businesses, institutions, residents, and governmental agencies in order to address parking needs in a collaborative manner.

In 2003, the Department undertook an extensive review of potential parking impacts throughout the City in areas adjacent to Gold Line Light Rail service. After review and analysis, the Department established a comprehensive parking management plan at each station consisting of on-street parking prohibitions to restrict parking during certain hours of the day and, in some locations, the establishment of preferential permit parking districts.

The Department also prepared a booklet "An Overview of Common Parking Issues, Parking Management Options, and Creative Solutions", to assist neighborhoods in addressing parking problems. This booklet is used to develop parking solutions within the context of the NTMP.

The City developed a Preferential Permit Parking (PPP) program in response to neighborhood complaints regarding spill-over parking from nearby non-residential uses, such as schools, businesses, and churches. Since Pasadena is an older city, many of the existing buildings do not have adequate off-street parking so occupants of these older buildings rely on on-street parking to accommodate their guests, employees, patrons and/or students.

Unless restricted or prohibited, everyone has the right to park on any public street. However, the City also believes that residents and their guests should be able to park in their neighborhood. In areas where residents or their guests are consistently being forced to park two or three blocks away because the street parking on their street is being used by students, employees, patrons and/or guests of a nearby non-residential use, those residents may request the City to conduct investigation.

Resident Permit
Each household on a within an established PPP district, where the restriction has been posted after a voting process, automatically receives three (3) visitor permit placards at no charge, whether they need a resident parking permit or not. These placards are to be used by persons who are visiting or conducting business in their home. Please monitor the use of these placards and be responsible for their return and reuse.
 
Visitor Permit
Each household on a within an established PPP district, where the restriction has been posted after a voting process, automatically receives three (3) visitor permit placards at no charge, whether they need a resident parking permit or not. These placards are to be used by persons who are visiting or conducting business in their home. Please monitor the use of these placards and be responsible for their return and reuse.

Daily Permit
Each household on a within an established PPP district, where the restriction has been posted after a voting process, receives a batch of 10 Daily Permits for its occasional guests. Contact Pasadena Parking Office if these permits have been used.

If you are interested in obtaining additional information related to the planning, evaluation or process of the City's PPP program, please contact:

Traffic Division
626.744.8723

If you live within an established PPP district and have questions related to enforcement and permit issuance, please contact:

Parking Division
626-744-7665

Current Preferential Parking Districts in Pasadena

Currently a total of 8 Preferential Permit Parking Districts are established in the City:

Overnight Parking Restriction

City ordinance 10.44.010 prohibits overnight parking on City streets from 2 - 6 A.M. This allows street cleaning in the early morning hours and helps identify vehicles that areabandoned. Residents, for whom temporary or permanent parking is available, may apply for a Daytime or Overnight On-street Parking Permit to park during these hours. The Preferential Permit Parking program DOES NOT override the overnight parking restriction.

Note: Holiday Overnight Parking Citation Moratorium – 2 am to 6 am, from December 23 thru January 3. Vehicles legally parked on the street during the aforementioned hours and dates will not receive a citation for overnight parking. Overnight parking citations will resume being issued the morning of January 4, at 2 am.