“Fork in the Road” Returns to Pasadena

CalTrans not impressed with the conceptual art piece

A “fork in the road” located at a fork in the road in Pasadena has been serving up comment and controversy ever since it was originally placed in the city.

Conceptual artist Bob Stane said people were thrilled with the piece placed where Pasadena Avenue and St. Johns Avenue diverge.

“People just became unglued about it,” he said. “They just thought it was fantastic. They were so happy to have a bit of humor on the street.”

But the California Department of Transportation was not as impressed. They had the fork removed, citing safety issues.

Guerilla artist Ken Marshall recounts with some glee how he and “another crazy guy” dressed in CalTrans uniforms got the fork mounted in the first place.

“We dug the hole, we poured the concrete for the footing,” Marshall said. “Nobody bothered us. Police came by. They waved. We waved.”

Friday morning a small but enthusiastic crowd gathered as the fork was re-installed at the same location – just set a little further back.

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Residents of the area say they appreciated the imagination and the fun of the piece.

For Marshall, Friday was a good day, but he is excited about the future of the fork as well.

“When I am not here, my kids will go by and say, my dad did that,” Marshall said. “Which is kind of cool.”

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