Having a voice in the Lake Tahoe Main Street Management Plan

STATELINE, Nev. - Dozens of residents from both sides of the state line on the South Shore attended the Main Street Management Plan workshop Wednesday to participate in planning the future of Lake Tahoe Boulevard from Pioneer Trail/Raley's area to MontBleu.

When US 50 is rerouted behind Raleys and behind Harrah's and MontBleu via the US50 South Shore Community Revitalization Project, the corridor left behind will be more pedestrian friendly and welcome more outside dining, community art and allow for events that require the closing of the street. There are no plans for the corridor to be renamed Main Street, this is just the name of the plan that will provide a more welcoming environment and a continuation of the area revitalization begun by Heavenly Village.

Those attending the first of several workshops hosted by the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) spoke with planners and worked on plans via interactive large scale maps. Design Workshop, the lead planner on the project, answered questions along with TTD staff and explained why input from the public is so important.

People that live and work in South Lake Tahoe and Stateline provided designers with information on how they go to work, shopping and free-time activities, and collected their ideas on what would make the area more attractive and user-friendly to everyone. Some participants suggested light-rail, trolleys or another system that would move people from outlying areas to the section being discussed.

Many used the words "Tahoe Experience" on how they want the section to look. Defining that image will be combined with the other needed information provided by locals for the next stage, one where Design Workshop will come back in July with all their ideas in a consolidated format.

"We'll have a better idea of what it will look like," said Brooks Cowles of Design Workshop of the July public open house. "We'll introduce strategies and best practices.

He also said it is important to see the goals as people participate in the planning. Participants offered comments on the environmental, economic and transportation goals. The final plan will incorporate all including the creation of a year-round destination for recreation, meetings and events; revitalization and remodeling of the casino corridor; welcoming new investments in the community; improving the appeal, access to Lake Tahoe while improving air and water quality.

The Main Street Plan will also have to achieve the goals of the area's adopted Regional Plan, Regional Transportation Plan, South Shore Vision Plan, and Tourist Core and Casino Core Area Plans as traffic shifts from the Main Street corridor to the new highway.

The Main Street portion of the project has an appointed working group with representatives from TRPA Governing Board, Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, South Tahoe Alliance of Resorts (STAR), Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce, League to Save Lake Tahoe, Heavenly Resort, City of South Lake Tahoe, Douglas County, Heavenly Village, Tahoe Transportation District (TTD), Caltrans, NDOT, California Public Safety, Nevada Public Safety, Business Community, South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center, Rocky Point Residents.

Then met prior to the evening workshop and will continue to meet as the Main Street Plan is created.

The next workshop will be held on July 24, 2019, time and location to be determined.