Photos and video from the media event held Monday in Pasadena at Del Mar Station:
Each year thousands descend upon Pasadena to attend the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena on New Year’s Day or the Rose Bowl playoff game — this year between the Stanford Cardinal and Iowa Hawkeyes.
If you’re thinking about driving to the parade, please keep in mind that street and paid parking is extremely limited near the parade route and traffic is horribly congested after the parade — just when people start arriving for the game. That’s why many people take the Gold Line to the parade and game.
The Gold Line’s Del Mar, Memorial Park, Lake and Allen stations are just a short walk from the parade route:
- Del Mar Station (walk two blocks north to the Parade route).
- Memorial Park Station (walk two blocks south of the Parade route).
- Lake Station (walk four blocks south to Parade route).
- Allen Station (walk four blocks south to Parade route).
Metro is running all-night service on New Year’s Eve and into New Year’s Day for those going to the Parade early; the Parade begins at 8 a.m. on New Year’s Day. All-night service will be provided on the Red, Purple, Blue, Expo, Green, Gold, Orange and Silver Lines in addition to bus lines which normally operate late-night owl service. The Gold Line will have longer trains and run more frequently than usual during the busiest hours before and after the parade.
Due to the large crowds expected to come out for the Rose Parade, oversized items such as umbrellas, chairs and coolers will not be permitted on the trains that day.
Football fans can take the Metro Gold Line to Memorial Park Station in Pasadena; when exiting the station turn right on Holly Street then take a short two-block walk to Parsons Parking Lot B for the free shuttle that drops you off next to the stadium. Shuttle service begins at 10 a.m. on January 1 and runs until about two hours after the game.
Here’s the web page on metro.net about taking Metro to the parade and game.
If you are riding a Metro bus after the game, please check the individual timetables for buses leaving Pasadena. Game day parking at the Rose Bowl or the Parson’s lot costs $40.
There is parking available at many Metro Rail stations, including Gold Line stations — please see the Gold Line map above and the system map below. Parking at most stations is free; it’s eight dollars a day to park at Los Angeles Union Station. There are also many paid parking in lots in downtown Los Angeles that are near the Red/Purple Line subway that can be used to connect with the Gold Line at Union Station.
Fares on Metro Rail are loaded on plastic TAP cards, which can be purchased on Metro Bus lines and all Metro Rail stations for $1; the machines at Metro Rail stations accept both cash and credit cards. The one-way regular fare is $1.75 and includes two hours of free transfers in one direction. A day pass good for unlimited rides in a 24-hour period costs $7 per person. More fare information here.
After the parade, floats are displayed at Victory Park in Pasadena. To view the floats at the park, take the Gold Line to the Sierra Madre Villa Station. Go the first level of the adjacent Gold Line parking garage to board a shuttle that provides direct service to Victory Park, where the floats will be displayed from Jan. 1 to 3. Shuttles will depart from Sierra Madre Villa until approximately 3 p.m. each day. Return service to Sierra Madre will continue to 5:30 p.m.
Shuttle Hours of Operation:
Every 5-10 minutes
January 1
12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
January 2-3
6:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Below is the Metro and Metrolink map for our area. Metro runs the area light rail, subway and bus system that criss-crosses Los Angeles County. Metrolink runs commuter rail that serves the five-county area in addition to one station in northern San Diego County (Oceanside). Metrolink is running service only on the Antelope Valley Line and San Bernardino Line on New Year’s Day. Click here for the Metrolink website.
And finally, the official press release from Metro.
Categories: Go Metro
I’ve always found it quite odd that a station wasn’t placed right at Colorado Blvd., which I would think have been the most beneficial location for visitors and businesses in Old Pasadena. Does anyone know the history of how this shortsighted decision came to be? Was it just about money or was it some silliness on the part of Pasadena officials, kind of like the now regretted decision of Georgetown in Washington DC to let itself be bypassed by the Metro there?
Hi Bob;
I think — but am not sure — that one big issue was that putting a station at Colorado would have meant a fully underground station as the decision was made to put the tracks underground. That would have greatly raised the project cost. Instead, there is now a station on either side of Colorado — and both are a pretty short walk to Colorado. All in all, I think a decent tradeoff.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
Im coming from downtown LA and wanted to see the Post Rose floats. How do I go there riding Metro?
Very helpful info!