Community invited to join South Lake Tahoe Critical Mass on Friday

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The recent announcement by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) that they were no longer going to rain speed limits on US50 and SR89 in South Lake Tahoe shows that community engagement works. City Council and the two-wheeled, four-wheeled, and two-legged citizens came together to voice concerns about the safety of the public should speed limits be raised.

Local author Gantt Miller's daughter Aubrie Miller, an incoming sixth-grader at South Tahoe Middle School, went to the City Council meeting where speed limits were discussed. As a result of the meeting, Aubrie helped her dad write his column in the Mountain News about the possibility of a speed limit increase. Now, she is helping plan this Friday's Critical Mass in South Lake Tahoe.

What was originally planned as a protest is now more of a celebration, showing that people had their voices heard, said Gantt. He said the goal isn't disruption this Friday, it is teaching kids to be involved to see the change they desire.

All four of Gantt and Jayme Miller's children attend STMS and most of the time they go to school on their bikes. Any proposed speed limit increase would have created a trip to school where safety would be a concern.

The Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition and its members staged a bicycle ride protest on the way to the City Council meeting with Caltrans as well as providing "significant" public comment.

This Friday is South Lake Tahoe's first Critical Mass, and cyclists are gathering at Ski Run Marina before departing at 6 p.m. for a ride up to Pioneer Trail, then east to its intersection with US50/Lake Tahoe Blvd., then a trip down to Lakeview Commons. The ride will be en masse and travel will be slow. It is children and family-friendly and done in the spirit of civic engagement and education with the ultimate goal of making the South Lake Tahoe community safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Don’t be afraid to wear fun costumes! Any non-vehicle mode of transportation is invited.

For more information on the event, visit HERE.