Group Transportation

Pasadena Transit

Convenient Shuttles for Visitors

Pasadena Transit is a local bus system of six routes that are designed to compliment the Metro A Line and Foothill Transit. Metro gets visitors to Pasadena from other parts of Los Angeles, while Foothill Transit gets visitors to Pasadena from the San Gabriel Valley; once you have arrived, Pasadena Transit is a convenient way to visit the city's points of interest and hotels.

Cost

Each ride costs 75 cents per passenger, visitors can pay using exact change on-board, bus drivers do not carry cash to make change. Riders can also use TAP Cards to pay for fare.

Discounts

Children 5 & Under: Up to two children five years and younger ride free with one fare paying adult.
Students K-12: 50 cents (students in grades 8-12 must present student ID).
Seniors 60+: 35 cents with proof of age.
Disabled: 35 cents with Medicare or Metro Tap card.

Passes can be purchased online, by phone or in person by:

Visiting the website taptogo.net;
Calling 1-866-TAPTOGO (1-866-827-8646);
Visiting Continental Currency Services, 447 E. Orange Grove Blvd.; or
Visiting City of Pasadena Municipal Services at City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.

Passes Accepted on Pasadena Transit

Pasadena Transit 30 day pass
EZ Transit Pass*
Metrolink Pass/Tickets
Access Services ID
Pasadena Dial-A-Ride TAP pass

*For information on how to purchase an EZ Transit Pass contact Metro at (323) 466-3876 or www.metro.net. The EZ Transit Pass is good for unlimited local travel on many public transit carriers in LA County.

Transfers

Local (Pasadena Transit buses only) – FREE: If you will transfer to other Pasadena Transit routes, use your TAP card when boarding the first bus and you get unlimited trips on Pasadena Transit within 2.5 hours of the first tap. Do not forget to tap when boarding each new bus you take so that your (free) transfer is validated. PLEASE NOTE: If you board another agency (Metro bus or rail, Foothill Transit, etc.) anytime during the 2.5 hour transfer window, you will not be able to transfer back onto Pasadena Transit routes for free.
Inter-Agency (from Metro buses, Metro Gold Line, Foothill Transit, LADOT Commuter Express):
- When transferring onto Pasadena Transit
  - Full fare & Youth = 25 cents
  - Senior & Disabled = 10 cents

TAP Cards

TAP Cards look similar to credit cards without magnetic strips. Several transportation agencies use the TAP system in Los Angeles County, including Pasadena Transit, Los Angeles Metro, and Foothill Transit. TAP Cards cost a one-time fee of $2 and they are reusable, they can be purchased at kiosks located at any Metro Rail station, including the six Metro A Line stations within Pasadena. The same kiosk used to purchase a TAP Card can be used to load a balance onto the card, once you have loaded your TAP Card using cash or credit, you can tap your card on-board Pasadena Transit buses.

TIP: Load $5 (or more) at a time and skip the kiosk line on upcoming rides, this way you avoid missing your bus or train if it is pulling up while you are waiting to load your card.

Bike Racks

All buses are equipped with bike racks on the front of the bus.

Real-Time on Google Maps

Pasadena Transit buses transmit their location in real-time, this makes it easy for visitors to access bus arrivals online, mobile phones, and tablets. This service is integrated with Google Maps and Go511, as well as other apps.

Route 10

Downtown Pasadena Shuttle

This very useful route runs through the heart of Pasadena — it travels through Old Pasadena, the Civic Center District, Pasadena Playhouse Village, and South Lake Avenue Shopping District; then it makes its way over to Caltech and the Allen Metro Station. This was the route that started it all, it was originally designed for transporting visitors to popular points of interest. There are a ton of points of interest on this route, and it is convenient to most of the cities hotels, it is also the most convenient route to the Pasadena Convention Center.

Route 20

South Lake Avenue District — Old Pasadena

This route is a big loop around the outer edge of downtown Pasadena, it travels through both South Lake Avenue and Old Pasadena, and it connects to four of six Metro A Line stations located in Pasadena. Major points of interest here include Art Center College of Design South Campus, Huntington Memorial Hospital, and the shops and eateries of Old Pasadena and South Lake Avenue.

Routes 31 & 32

Northwest Pasadena — Hastings Ranch — Altadena

These two routes are almost identical to each other, the difference is that one route (32) diverts out to Hastings Ranch and Altadena, before meeting back up with the main route (31). While this route mostly travels through residential areas, it stops at Bungalow Heaven which makes for great self-guided walking tours (Pasadena Heritage offers visitors guided tours of Bungalow Heaven throughout the year).

Route 40

Sierra Madre Villa Station — Old Pasadena

This route is mostly used by locals and students, it connects Caltech and Pasadena City College to Old Pasadena, the Civic Center District, Playhouse Village and South Lake Avenue District. More info…

Route 51

Art Center College of Design, Old Pasadena, Rose Bowl, Arroyo Seco

Route 51 covers the eastern edge of Pasadena, the route loops between Art Center College of Design's two campuses, South Campus and Hillside Campus. This route is great if you are staying at the Courtyard by Marriott, there is a stop around the corner on the same block; it services Old Pasadena, the Rose Bowl, and the Arroyo Seco.

Route 52

Art Center College of Design (South Campus) — NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

This route is mostly identical to Route 51, but it splits off near Art Center College of Design's Hillside Campus to service NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory instead. The only different on this route is that it does not stop at Hillside Campus, it stops at NASA JPL — it does however stop at South Campus.