Tahoe Truckee Region Transportation Digest

Lake Link is forecasted to serve 120,000 people in its first year, said Raymond Suarez, project manager and executive director of South Shore Transit Management.

The law was prompted by an audit revealing that up to 35,000 parking placards in use were in the names of deceased people.

The Lake Tahoe Airport will raise its landing fees for visitors, following approval from the South Lake Tahoe City Council during its Nov. 15 meeting.

Mountaineer, the service that offers free winter transportation in Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows, will add new service routes and expand its operating schedule for the 2022-23 winter season.

Speeding, reckless driving, and highway violence have all increased in Tahoe/Truckee in recent years, as more people move to the area and drivers increase their speeds.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council approved a pilot traffic calming project in the Lakeview (Al Tahoe) and Highland Woods neighborhoods, where residents have complained about visitors cutting throughs, speeding and illegally parking.

The city of South Lake Tahoe has hired a new airport manager. John Dickinson has more than 14 years of experience with airport operations and planning, including 10 years in the US Navy as an air traffic controller.

The Truckee Tahoe Airport District is often portrayed as the golden goose. Some, however, are frustrated by the airport’s eagerness to fund community projects at the expense of internal improvements. A dividing line has emerged between the aviation-minded and the community-minded, and the makeup of the district board could shift in this November’s elections.

Residents and tourists on Lake Tahoe’s south shore are getting around with the help of Lake Link, a microtransit shuttle system. The shuttles carry up to a dozen passengers and are equipped with racks bikes, gear and wheelchairs.

Take Care Tahoe, Lake Tahoe’s collaborative stewardship campaign, is hosting a launch event at Sand Harbor State Park to kick off “Take it Slow, Tahoe” a campaign to remind drivers to be careful and watch out for people and animals.

Of the Californians who have taken the written exam to get a driver’s license over the past two decades, more than half have failed. The annual rate, however, has been inconsistent.

The Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transportation service is receiving positive feedback and a 20% growth in ridership, including in Placer County. The microtransit service began in the summer of 2021 and transports riders to a variety of Tahoe resort destinations.

According to a recent report from Energy Innovation Policy and Technology, in many states, electric cars are cheaper to buy than traditional gas cars.

The current plan for the controversial “Loop Road” project was essentially killed after the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted to use property the Tahoe Transportation District would need for the project as housing instead.

Truckee will be offering a micro-transit service beginning this summer, following unanimous approval from the town council. The transit system will be free of charge for passengers.

Construction on the Round Hill Pines Access project is set to begin this summer. The project is intended to provide safer access into the Round Hill Pines Resort. Currently, vehicles driving eastbound on U.S. Highway 50 must cross two oncoming lanes to enter the resort.

The Nevada Department of Transportation will soon begin construction of a new traffic signal on U.S. Highway 50 at Warrior Way, which provides access to two schools and Zephyr Cove Park. An advance signal warning light will be installed to alert drivers and striping and lighting will also be slightly modified.

Placer County confirmed that expanded California Highway Patrol traffic enforcement on county roadways will move forward without a contract. The CHP will work to “identify what that enforcement will look like,” Placer County Supervisor Cindy Gustafson said.

A proposal to set up digital highway signs along Alpine County highways has sparked opposition from the Friends of Hope Valley. Caltrans has extended the public comment period until May 2 on signs along Highway 88, Highway 89 and Highway 4.

The California Highway Patrol will step up traffic enforcement on county roads after the Placer County Board of Supervisors approved new contracts for expanded service.

Backers of California’s High Speed Rail project haven’t had much to celebrate, given soaring costs and scaled-back service, but a new poll shows a solid majority of voters still want to move forward and finish the job.

Gov. Gavin Newsom released a proposal to help Californians dealing with high gas prices, while also lowering the cost of public transit. Under the $11 billion proposal, California car owners would get a debit card worth $400 for each car (a limit of two vehicles, but no income cap).

The Tahoe Transportation District is seeking Incline Village residents, businesses and transit users to join a committee to advise consultants and staff in identifying transit hub opportunities.

An electric bike share program is coming to Truckee this summer, after the Town Council unanimously approved entering into an agreement with BCycle Inc. to install electric bike-share docking stations on town-controlled property.

The Biden administration will allow California to set its own rules on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks, rebuffing a Trump-era decision.

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved right-turn restrictions from North Upper Truckee Road and Sawmill Road on Sundays and holidays from May to October, with the goal of mitigating impacts of vehicular traffic in neighborhoods.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’s working on a plan to help Californians cope with rising gasoline prices. The Democratic governor said during his State of the State speech that he will work with the Legislature to provide relief for drivers.

Caltrans is seeking public feedback on two proposed Interstate 80 projects in Placer and Nevada counties, from just west of the Troy Road undercrossing to just east of the Soda Springs overcrossing.

Tourism has always been an essential part of the Tahoe region's economy, but with the permanent population growing, forms of transportation once relatively rare to the region are becoming more common.

El Dorado Transit is welcoming a newly added route to South Lake Tahoe with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 18.

The big infrastructure bill passed by the House could mean another $5.8 billion over five years in new federal dollars to California. The bill will help fix highways and bridges, and it provides funding for programs to make communities more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly.

This summer, TART Connect was a popular addition to North Shore transportation options. To see why, the Tahoe Daily Tribune spent an evening riding the micro transit buses.