El Dorado County looks at Traction Control Ordinance for Lake Tahoe roads

El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel and her fellow supervisors have taken the first steps to create a Traction Control Ordinance for Lake Tahoe. During their meeting on March 21, approval was given for the concept of an ordinance that, once created, will be back before the Supervisors in April for final adoption.

In coordination with the Community Development Agency, Transportation Division (DOT) and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office (EDSO), Novasel presented the item for vote to create safer roads during heavy snowstorms in the Lake Tahoe area.

Massive traffic jams on Sundays in Meyers throughout the winter led drivers onto side streets without chains or snow tires on their vehicles, creating a parking lot of disabled cars that were stuck in the snow.

"The new ordinance will provide our neighborhood streets in the Tahoe Basin a safer passage as well as better emergency access for providers such as fire, ambulance and snow removal equipment during severe storm conditions," said Novasel in her weekly newsletter.

"Due to new technology, our once-quiet neighborhood streets have become clogged by autos and other vehicles that attempt to use those streets as short cuts around traffic and chain controls," she added.

Now that a concept of the proposed ordinance has been approved, Supervisor Novasel’s office and staff from DOT and the EDSO will work with County Counsel, and other affected departments to draft the Traction Control Ordinance for the Board's review, and then present to the Board along with resource requirements for the proposed changes.

Through a series of meetings between Novasel's office, DOT, EDSO and the community, it was obvious something had to be done about the traffic jams that moved traffic onto side streets, and the new ordinance will be just one part of a solution.

The goal of the ordinance will be to provide for the health and safety of vehicles using the public streets as well as better access for emergency service providers such as fire, ambulances, law enforcement and snow removal equipment

They will be looking at a Traction Control Ordinance like the one that has existed in Calaveras County since 1997. Their code states: Tire chains or traction control devices are required whenever necessary in order for vehicles to maintain traction while being operated on county roads. Drivers of vehicles being operated on county roads are responsible to insure the proper installation and maintenance of tire chains or traction control devices when necessary to prevent loss of traction. "Loss of traction" is defined as the inability of a vehicle to stop, turn, proceed forward or backward in a sustained, controlled manner without skidding, sliding or becoming stuck.The department of public works shall place signs that state "Chains required when necessary to maintain traction on county roads. Calaveras County Code Section 10.32.010." Signs shall be placed at the discretion of the road commissioner. Failure of drivers to install and maintain tire chains or traction control devices in violation of Section 10.32.010 or 10.32.020 may be cited as an infraction.

If an ordinance is approved, all drivers will have to follow the rules and not just those from out of town.