Road to a solution for traffic jams as cars leave South Lake Tahoe

There are several reasons, as well as ideas for a solution, surrounding the traffic jams in Meyers that occur on many Sundays and holidays as vehicles leave the South Lake Tahoe area.

El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel held another town hall meeting about traffic with almost 30 people at the Lake Tahoe Environmental Magnet School this week. She brought along El Dorado County transportation staff and was joined by the California Highway Patrol.

The open discussion surrounded 21 suggestions that came out of her February 28 traffic congestion meeting, updating the public on their status.

The main problem is that the two lane highway over Echo Summit can never be widened nor handle more than 1,200 vehicles an hour, when weather permits. Because of that limitation, motorists move into neighborhoods as they attempt to find a short cut, much of the time guided by mapping apps like Wage and Google, especially during snow periods when much fewer than 1,200 cars can make it over. Add those conditions to closure due to avalanche control, and one has a "perfect storm" for a traffic jam on North Upper Truckee, Sawmill Pond, Mandan and Apache streets as well as Highway 50.

Hypothetically, if 50,000 people came into the Lake Tahoe Basin from the west and spent a weekend on the South Shore, and if an average of 4 people arrived in one car, it would take over 10 hours to get them out if all left on the same day and traffic kept flowing and never stopped.

The County tried behavioral modification of drivers on four Sundays in March. Also known as nudging, signs were placed strategically, telling those heading west to divert to Highway 50. Unofficially, 60-70 percent of drivers moved to the highway. It is unknown if those that continued forward through the neighborhood were residents or not.

This summer they will try this on four weekends to see if it will work again. They will look at funding for the project if it is successful.

One solution presented by the California Highway Patrol is to tell the mapping
apps that cars cannot try to circumvent the agriculture station in Meyers (also known as the Bug Station), thus creating an electronic closure of streets like North Upper Truckee and Mandan since it is a law that all cars must pass through the station. Lt. Terry Lowther told South Tahoe Now weeks ago about this idea and they have been trying to get others on board.

Signage that allowed "locals and returnees from Tahoe area" the ability to drive around the bug station have already been removed in anticipation of the mapping apps to follow the rules

EL Dorado County Counsel Michael Ciccozzi said he anticipated legal battles with app makers, but will work with partners CHP and Caltrans and compose a letter that will go to app makers to make them recognize the electronic closures. He said during Wednesday's meeting that he hopes to have that letter composed in a week or two. It would be a misdemeanor to avoid the bug station.

Weekend traffic isn't just a Meyers and South Lake Tahoe problem, but also experiences in Placer County on State Route 89 as well as other resort towns. Since August 2017, the County has been participating on the California/Nevada Bi-State Transportation Commission looking at long term traffic solutions with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), Tahoe Transportation District, Place County, City of South Lake Tahoe, Call Trans, Nevada Department of Transportation . Washoe County, Vail Resorts, League to Save Lake Tahoe and others.

Many of the ideas discussed during the traffic meeting will continue to be evaluated. The County only has the authority the State gives to them concerning transportation, unlike cities who can make their own rules on the roads.