A rare occurrence unfolded Sunday morning on the Arroyo Seco Parkway: No cars were allowed.
Instead, the stretch of the 110 Freeway that snakes its way through South Pasadena and Northeast Los Angeles — usually crammed with motorists — was people-powered and reserved for pedestrians, bicyclists and anyone else who wanted to explore the area from a new perspective.
The celebration known as 626 Golden Streets ArroyoFest is a sequel to the first ArroyoFest, held 20 years ago.
Hosted by Active San Gabriel Valley and presented by Metro, the free, family-friendly event shut down six miles of the freeway and local streets from 7 to 11 a.m. Pedestrians and bicyclists took over the roads, similar to the open-streets concept behind the car-free CicLAvia events. The emphasis for ArroyoFest is on foot traffic and allowing people to explore the neighborhoods of Lincoln Heights, Cypress Park, Highland Park, Hermon, South Pasadena and Pasadena.
Thousands of bicyclists, rollerbladers, skateboarders, walkers and runners enjoy the Arroyo Seco Parkway (110 Freeway) during 626 Golden Streets ArroyoFest, a sequel to the first ArroyoFest held 20 years ago.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
People enjoy the route by foot and on bike at ArroyoFest, in which the 110 Freeway — the historic Arroyo Seco Parkway — was closed off to cars from roughly its connection with Interstate 5 to its terminus in Pasadena.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Thousands traverse the Arroyo Seco Parkway (110 Freeway) during ArroyoFest, a sequel to the first such event held 20 years ago.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Rollerbladers Jenny Renderos, left, of Panorama City and Veronica Rico of Pacoima pose for a photo in the middle of the 110 Freeway during 626 Golden Streets ArroyoFest.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
An aerial early morning view of the participants in ArroyoFest, which shut down six miles of the 110 Freeway to automotive traffic. The first ArroyoFest was held 20 years ago.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Alex Trepanier, 35, rides his pennyfarthing, the same bike he rode 20 years ago at ArroyoFest when he was a teenager.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
