If you spot a swarm of cyclists rolling through the Arroyo Seco on Sunday, July 12, here's what's happening: nonprofit ActiveSGV is leading a six-mile group ride that doubles as a guided tour of Pasadena's water infrastructure.
The Tour de Arroyo, which sold out on Eventbrite by Saturday, July 5, will bring a large group of riders through the corridor between 9:30 and 11 a.m., starting and ending at Memorial Park, 85 E. Holly St. The ride moves at 10–12 mph on shared roads with mixed traffic, so drivers along the route should expect to share lanes with a sizable pack of cyclists.
Why the Arroyo Seco?
ActiveSGV describes the event as a behind-the-scenes look at existing and proposed water projects along the channel. The organization has not confirmed which specific sites the route will visit, but two major City of Pasadena projects sit along the corridor.
The Brookside Park Stormwater Capture Project, located just south of the Rose Bowl on North Arroyo Boulevard, will divert runoff from 1,166 acres into a subsurface infiltration unit to recharge the Raymond Basin aquifer. The City of Pasadena Department of Public Works has said the project will significantly improve water quality in the Arroyo Seco and Los Angeles River while increasing the city's water supply. Funding comes from the LA County Safe, Clean Water Program and the city's Measure W Local Returns. The city held its fifth community outreach event for the project on Tuesday, April 22.
Farther along the channel, the proposed Arroyo Seco Water Reuse Project would build two regional stormwater capture and treatment facilities covering a 5,005-acre drainage area, yielding an estimated 320 acre-feet of water supply annually, according to the project's environmental review filing with the state.
Both projects are part of Pasadena's broader push to capture local stormwater rather than letting it flow to the ocean, replenishing the underground aquifer that supplies a portion of the city's drinking water.
Who's behind it
ActiveSGV, a nonprofit founded in 2010, focuses on sustainable transportation and water education across the San Gabriel Valley. The organization operates GoSGV, which it calls the largest e-bike share program in California, and has facilitated active transportation plans in Pasadena and more than a dozen other communities. It has secured over $50 million in competitive grant funding, according to its website. Wes Reutimann, ActiveSGV's deputy director, is the listed contact for the event.
What riders should know
The ride covers roughly six miles with some hills and about a half-mile of walking, making it accessible to beginner and intermediate cyclists. E-bikes are welcome. Helmets are required for riders under 18, and all participants must sign a waiver.
The event is sold out, but interested residents can check the Eventbrite page for possible waitlist openings or email Reutimann at [email protected].
Upcoming Pasadena community events
- Sunday, July 12 — Tour de Arroyo bike ride, 9–11 a.m., Memorial Park, 85 E. Holly St. (sold out; check Eventbrite for waitlist)
- Sunday, July 12 — Rose Bowl Flea Market, Rose Bowl Stadium
- Friday, July 25 — ActiveSGV Rivers & Mountains Explorer Series: Emerald Necklace ride, Jeff Seymour Family Center, El Monte
