Tour de Arroyo


In Memory of Dennis Crowley

Dennis Crowley was a pioneer in promoting bicycling for fun, health and as a transportation alternative to cars.

Dennis spent much of his life on two wheels beginning with his boyhood on Ohio. Later when he moved to California in the 1970s he became a United States Cycling Federation racer and joined many local bike clubs.

His enthusiasm and advocacy reached a new level when he was appointed to The Mayor's Committee to Make Pasadena Bicycle Friendly, which Pasadena Mayor Jess Hughston established in 1990. Dennis crafted the Rose Bowl loop improvements that maximized the use of the Central Arroyo in Pasadena for bicyclists and pedestrians. Dennis often called this area "America's greatest outdoor gym," referring to the numerous recreational activities and users there. The Plan to Make Pasadena Bicycle-Friendly, which the Mayor's committee developed, also called for the development of a bikeway between Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles, similar to the Horace Dobbins Cycleway of a century earlier. Dennis adopted that bikeway as a personal crusade and promoted it for the rest of his life. Dennis also worked with Peter Jacobsen to develop the original Bicycle Master Plan for Pasadena in 2000 and participated in all the major Arroyo Seco planning efforts over the years.

Dennis was the original advocate for opening the Arroyo Seco Parkway (Pasadena Freeway) to bicyclists and pedestrians, a dream that was fulfilled by ArroyoFest on Sunday, June 15, 2003.

Dennis, who always brought great enthusiasm and vision to his causes, died last year still dreaming of the Arroyo Seco Bikeway and other bicycling improvements.

You can find out more about Dennis and the California Cycleway Corporation, which he championed, at this website: http://www.californiacycleways.org