New bike lanes, bike trail and reduced lanes in upcoming South Lake Tahoe project

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After three years of a major highway project through South Lake Tahoe from the Y to Trout Creek, a 2021 planned project will further address needs in South Lake Tahoe from Emerald Bay Road at the Y to Viking Road, the entrance to South Tahoe High School.

In 2015, the Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Community Outreach Report listed Lake Tahoe’s most common routes and needs. Within the City of South Lake Tahoe limits, the South Wye (the Y) was listed as the most highly used bike and pedestrian area that did not have adequate facilities. This project was proposed in order to close a major gap in the area bike trails as well as serve the high school with an alternate mode of transportation.

The project to improve vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle safety, connectivity, and access along Lake Tahoe Boulevard will include a ten-foot-wide Class 1 bike trail on the south/east side of Lake Tahoe Boulevard, Class II bike lanes along each side of the road, and added pathway lighting. To develop these the roadway will be reduced from four lanes to three lanes. The design will include one lane in each direction with a dedicated center turn lane. Also included in the project is landscaping, drainage, pathway lighting, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant infrastructure improvements.

The project will primarily be funded with federal funds (CMAQ, ATP, STBG, and HIP) with about ten percent being funded with City General Funds according to Randy Carlson, PE, the City of South Lake Tahoe's Associate Civil Engineer.

During the most recent Tahoe Transportation District meeting, their board had the South Lake Tahoe Y project as one of their funded 2019 Federal Transportation Improvement Program awardees. The $4.031M needed includes just over $500k from the City of South Lake Tahoe's General Fund. Acceptance of grants and final funding will come before City Council before needed.

The main features of the Project include:
Roadway/Asphalt Concrete Removal
- Removal of existing asphalt concrete within the existing Lake Tahoe Boulevard
roadway section for the installation of a Class I shared-use path and separated
landscaped buffer to meet Class I shared-use path design requirements.

Bikeway and Roadway Improvements
- Reduce Lake Tahoe Blvd from four lanes (two lanes in each direction) to three
lanes (one lane in each direction with a dedicated center turn lane).
- Construct Class II bike lanes on both sides of Lake Tahoe Blvd.
- Construct a Class I shared-use path on the South/East side of Lake Tahoe Blvd.
- Construct a dedicated center turn lane to protect vehicular turn movements.

Drainage Improvements
- Improve curb and gutter and drainage infrastructure to improve surface drainage.
- Reduce flooding at driveways.
- Implement landscaping improvements/reduce impervious coverage.
- Include landscaping compliance with the TRPA Code Section 36.7 and establish
plantings consistent with the recommended Native and Adapted plant list.

Pedestrian and Safety Improvements
- Improve signage and striping on the roadways and include directional striping and
appropriate signage on Class I shared-use path.
- Update or add ADA–compliant ramps at all intersections within the project
boundaries.
- Construct high-visibility crossing improvements at the intersection of Viking Way
and Lake Tahoe Boulevard intersection.
- Install City of South Lake Tahoe standard community lighting for the Class I
shared-use path.

Even though the complete project won't start until 2021, a pilot project is planned for May of 2020. It will be the initial step toward implementation of the full project. The City plans to restripe Lake Tahoe Blvd from Viking Road to Emerald Bay Road (the Y) as an initial public outreach effort. The restriping will reflect the proposed roadway reconfiguration for the final project and give users the opportunity to test how the new configuration will affect their travel conditions and behavior. The public will be informed prior to the beginning of this phase. The SLT Planning Commission had a presentation on the project at their August 8 meeting.