Meyers connects to South Lake Tahoe with Class 1 bike trail

The final portion of the Class 1 bike trail network between Meyers and South Lake Tahoe was formally opened Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Members of the El Dorado County project team were on hand along with current Area 5 Supervisor Sue Novasel and former Supervisor Norma Santiago. Partner agency staff were also there to celebrate the completion.

What started in 2005 as part of the ongoing vision within El Dorado County to make the community more walkable and bikeable, the Sawmill Bike Trail now connects Lake Tahoe Blvd at South Tahoe High and the business district of Meyers with an eight-foot wide multi-use path. The final 1.18 miles of trail along Sawmill Road joined the original Sawmill path that is .68 miles long.

"We now have a safe and sustainable bike infrastructure," said Gavin Feiger of the Lake Tahoe Sustainability Collaborative, one of the partners in getting the trail completed.

The trail system in Meyers now starts at the junction of Highway 50 and Highway 89 with the Pat Lowe Memorial Bike Project, which was constructed in 1992. That trail goes along both the north and south sides of the highway and connects with the first phase of the Sawmill Bike Trail (2007/2008) which goes along the side of Lake Tahoe Golf Course. As it crosses over a bridge, it connects to the newly opened portion of the Sawmill Bike Path, joins up with the previous phase (2012) and hooks up with Lake Tahoe Blvd enhancement project that was completed in 2012. From start to finish, the multi-use trail is six miles long.

Three local families donated easements on their property so the path could be built. The Amackers, Mikkelsens, and Silbersteins all played a big part in getting the trail project completed. They were joined by El Dorado County and several agencies including CA State Parks, USFS, TRPA, California Tahoe Conservancy, and Cal Trans. The Washoe Indian tribe was also a partner along with the California Conservation Corps, the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition and the Lake Tahoe Sustainability Collaborative.

Senior Civil Engineer Donaldo Palaroan (STHS '92 grad) opened up the ceremony, followed by Novasel, Santiago, Fieger and Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition President Chris Carney.

"I am so thrilled," said Novasel of the completed bike trail. "I have already used this path and it is a huge connector for us."

Novasel thanked Santiago for getting the work started in 2005.

"Congratulations all of you," said Santiago. "We are very lucky to have Department of Transportation staff who are committed to a bikeable and walkable community."

"This makes Lake Tahoe more bike friendly," Carney added. He said people on bikes look for a safe experience as well as one that is convenient. "This is an awesome thing for Tahoe."