South Lake Tahoe's Harrison Avenue project officially dedicated

Driving by Harrison Avenue in South Lake Tahoe shows what dedication, perseverance and teamwork can do.

In a ribbon cutting ceremony today, several of the partners responsible in completing the beautification of Harrison Avenue spoke as they celebrated the completion. The featured speakers included Mayor Hal Cole; Ray Jarvis, Public Works Director for the City of South Lake Tahoe; Jim Marino, Assistant Public Works Director for the City of South Lake Tahoe; Julie Regan with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency; Collen Shade with RO Anderson and Barbara Shanley with the U.S. Forest Service.

Nearly twenty years after the project was identified in the Bijou/Al Tahoe Community Plan (1995), the Harrison Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project began in May of this year. The completion of this project has addressed several City-wide strategic infrastructure replacement and environmental compliance objectives.

The Harrison Avenue business district was identified as an important commercial area within the City for capital investment. In fact, the Harrison Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project was identified through the City’s strategic planning process in 2011 as the highest ranked CIP in the City. The CIP selection criteria were crafted to address the enhancement and modernization of urban infrastructure facilities that include pedestrian access, bicycle access, improved vehicle circulation, parking, street paving, sidewalks, signage, landscaping, lighting, nuisance stormwater ponding, and stormwater treatment. Ultimately, the 2011 Strategic Plan directs the implementation of a “complete streets” infrastructure program as is being proposed with the Harrison Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project.