Don't Drive in Pasadena

The New York Times may have a ginormous crush on Portland Oregon but we here in Pasadena know that we are just as good as that rainy Northwestern town if not better! For one thing, our weather is way better than the weather in Oregon! Like many larger cities these days, the powers that be in Pasadena are working hard to make Pasadena a commuter friendly city.

There are plans under way to improve the public transportation system as you read this. As of this writing, Pasadena contains the following:

Pasadena has fifty miles of bike trails that people can ride to their places of employment, to go shopping, to get to school and to get easily and without incident to other types of public transportation.

The ARTS (Area Rapid Transit System) bus service features seven regular routes around town and the fares are more than reasonable: Adults pay a regular fare of fifty cents. Students, senior citizens and disabled riders pay only twenty five cents while kids under the age of five can ride the bus for free as long as they are accompanied by a paying adult.

The MTA has even come up with a great way for people in Pasadena to get out to LAX without incident. There are FlyAway buses that pick up passengers at every terminal of LAX. These buses take passengers to Union Station, where they can find the Gold Line and ride straight to Pasadena! The FlyAway fare costs six dollars and the Gold Line fare costs one dollar and twenty five cents.

While we understand that people in Pasadena, and all over California for that matter, love their cars. If people didn't love driving so much the traffic would not be as terrible as it is. That written, there are some great reasons to leave the car at home and walk, bike or ride your way around Pasadena!

1. Walking and biking are a lot healthier than sitting in a car in traffic. Both are activities that work a variety of muscles and can build up your cardiovascular system. Plus, with the way traffic crawls, your commute might end up being shorter if you walk or bike to work or school.

2. When you don't drive you have less stress. Walking and biking give you time to yourself and taking the bus to work takes away the worry of having to navigate through town and deal with other drivers. When you are a passenger you can relax and get some much needed down time.

3. Leaving your car at home is better for your budget and the environment! The less greenhouse gas and pollution we pump into the atmosphere the better it is for everyone. Walking and Biking do not pollute in any way (unless you dump trash along the trails) and the bus cuts down on the amount of pollution and smog that sits over Pasadena every day.

Pasadena authorities have worked very hard to make a commuter lifestyle a viable option for the residents of the city. Don't you want to be healthier and less stressed as well?

For more information on Pasadena, California visit http://www.pasadenamicroblog.com and http://www.camicroblog.com.