class 1

STATELINE, Nev. - Six projects were given Best in the Basin awards Wednesday by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). The presentation of the 29th annual winners was made before their board meeting at Stateline.

The TRPA Best in Basin awards program showcases projects around the lake that demonstrate exceptional planning, implementation, and compatibility with Tahoe’s natural environment and communities.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The new roundabout in Meyers on Highway 50 at the base of Echo Summit has already been partially open but on Thursday motorists will be able to use the complete roundabout as designed, including the westbound by-pass lane.

Final paving will be done Wednesday and Thursday night so the bypass lane of the roundabout should be open by Thursday morning. The speed limit in the area is posted at 20 mph through the roundabout, 30 mph as one exits to the west and 40 mph will remain the speed limit through Meyers.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After this summer's work is completed on Sierra Boulevard, those driving, walking and riding on the road will enjoy sidewalks, Class 1 and Class 2 bike lanes, parallel parking spots, reduced lane size, lighted sidewalks, underground utilities, landscaping, crosswalks and see the new water quality improvements.

The $5.5 million project on the .6 mile long Sierra Boulevard is funded mostly by grants.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) plans to start work in April on their $4.1M project to convert the existing T-intersection at US50 and SR89 in Meyers into a three-leg roundabout.

Federal funds will be used to create what transportation officials say is a safety project by reducing the number and/or severity of collisions at the intersection. At this intersection there were 16 accidents on the Highway 50 side, and four accidents on the Highway 89 side from 2008 to 2013. There were no fatalities in those accidents.

There is a public meeting about the San Bernardino Class 1 Bike Path Project on Wednesday, December 5 at the Tahoe Paradise Park Club House at 1011 E. San Bernardino Avenue at 6:00 p.m.

The meeting will still be held even with the recent snowfall.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Sierra Boulevard Complete Streets project that was slated to begin as soon as the 2018 building season began is now scheduled for a May 1, 2019 start (or sooner if weather allows).

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Sierra Boulevard Complete Streets project was slated to begin as soon as the 2018 building season began, but some bureaucratic red tape has delayed it. The .6 mile stretch of road will receive Class 1 and Class 2 bike lanes, parallel parking spots, reduced lane size, lighted sidewalks, underground utilities, landscaping, crosswalks and water quality improvements.

Meyers, the commercial, public services, and recreation hub of unincorporated El Dorado County at the South Shore may soon have a new area plan and there are three upcoming public meetings on the plan. It could be adopted at the third meeting, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) board meeting on February 28.

Meyers, the commercial, public services, and recreation hub of unincorporated El Dorado County at the South Shore may soon have a new area plan.

The Meyers Area Plan is the comprehensive long-term plan for the Meyers Community and, if approved, will replace the original Meyers Community Plan (MCP) adopted in 1993. The MCP currently serves as the comprehensive land use and zoning plan for the community of Meyers, consistent with the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan and the El Dorado County General Plan. It was originally meant to last a decade, not the almost 25 years its been in place.

The second of two community meetings concerning the 2018 Sierra Boulevard Complete Streets Project will be held on Thursday, November 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center and Swim Complex at 1180 Rufus Allen Blvd.

he Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) on Wednesday recognized 15 exceptional projects completed in 2016 with Best in Basin awards.

Now in its 27th year, TRPA’s Best in Basin awards program each year showcases projects around the lake that demonstrate exceptional planning, implementation, and compatibility with Tahoe’s natural environment and communities.

The Al Tahoe Safety and Mobility Enhancement Project, also known as the “Safe Routes to School” project will begin with striping bike lanes on Al Tahoe Blvd. beginning the week of July 17th. The pilot project will be the first step towards the full project planned for 2019. As part of the project Class 2 on street bike lanes and a Class 1 off street multi-use path will be added in conjunction with vehicle lane restriping. To test of the concept plan, the pilot project introduces the bike lanes now by reconfiguring two of the four vehicle travel lanes and keeping the 2 way center turn lane. .

Get ready for the second of two seasons for South Lake Tahoe: Road Construction (the other being winter).

Caltrans will start their almost $57 million project along Highway 50 (US50) from the "Y" to Trout Creek Bridge on May 1, 2017.

A proposed 3-legged roundabout in Meyers at the intersection of Highway 89 and Highway 50 will not significantly affect the quality of the environment according to a report just released.

The Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is proposing the intersection improvements due to safety concerns for both cyclists and drivers. The purpose is to influence traffic calming with the implementation of a roundabout, something transportation officials say is needed because the intersection is experiencing a number of collisions related to the intersection type.

A 4,000 acres project in the North Lake Tahoe area is underway to thin trees in the forests to be both fire safe by reducing fuels, and to keep the forest healthy.

The latest project in the Incline Village area started last week on approximately 355 acres of National Forest System lands above Incline Village. Mechanical cut-to-length (CTL) tree removal will take place on USFS urban lots and in areas adjacent to communities over the next several months and some areas will be closed for public safety.

There are five small pieces of property standing in the way of completing the Ski Run Blvd to El Dorado Beach Class 1 multi-use trail, and it was determined in a City Council vote that South Lake Tahoe can resort to using eminent domain if necessary in order to complete it.

The walking and biking path is ten feet wide, and as it crosses the land in front of the old Don Cheapo's Ski Rentals, Beach Retreat at Tahoe, Heidi's Restaurant and Tahoe Beach & Ski Club, the City needs easement in order to make the path the required width, make it safe, and have it landscaped.

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.

Several South Lake Tahoe projects were awarded this week by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) as being the "Best in the Basin" for demonstrating exceptional planning, design, and compatibility with Lake Tahoe’s environment and communities.

The projects that were recognized upgraded highways, built new bike trails, improved water quality, restored environmentally-sensitive areas, remodeled blighted commercial buildings, and created defensible space for better wildfire protection.

The Best in the Basin award winners are:

If you've ever driven by South Tahoe Middle School just as the kids get to school, or as they depart, you know what an unsafe area it can be for students on bikes and on foot. Because of this, the Lake Tahoe Unified School District secured a $154,000 grant from the TRPA On Our Way program to work with the Lake Tahoe Sustainability Collaborative to conduct outreach and develop a connectivity and mobility plan for the area.

Bike trails in South Lake Tahoe received rehabilitation this summer with $250,000 of funds from Measure R. Trails inside city limits received new paving and are open and ready to ride. Planned restoration of the trails over bridges at Trout Creek and Upper Truckee Meadow are not completed yet and expected to be done this fall.

Several stretches of bike trails in South Lake Tahoe will receive some much needed attention in July when 2.6 miles of trails are restored.

The Class 1 Bicycle Trail Rehabilitation Project will use funds from Measure R ($250,000) and $475,452 grant funding through Caltrans Bicycle Transportation Authority to fix the 20 year old trails.

July 7th will be the project's starting date and all is expected to be completed around August 9th.

The City of South Lake Tahoe has been awarded $475,452 in grant funding from Caltrans through the Bicycle Transportation Account (BTA) among 111 applicants. This grant was written by the City’s grants coordinator, Lori Marino.

The city has identified through annual inspection, several Class 1 bike paths that have exceeded usable life span and are in desperate need of complete reconstruction. The pathways identified, provide key connectivity to various neighborhoods and business districts within the city limits.

By Heather Gould
Amid voting for favorite websites, blogs, restaurants, American Idol contestants and more, residents of South Lake Tahoe have the opportunity to vote in an actual public election. Elections for the Lake Tahoe Community College board, the Lake Tahoe Unified School District board, the South Tahoe Public Utility District board and a ballot measure regarding recreation funds will all be decided by voters on Nov. 8.