By Li Terrell
UPDATE 10:30PM: Plans to raise the speed limit within South Lake Tahoe along Highway 50 were presented to the South Lake Tahoe City Council on Tuesday.
The proposed increase, based on a survey taken last year, would raise the speed limit 5 mph and would cover the length of Highway 50 from approximately the base of Echo Summit to the state line, said Pat Kelley, Caltrans traffic operation branch chief. A community meeting was held Tuesday night in Meyers where residents protested the proposed changes.
However, the only documentation provided at the time of the presentation was a map of one of the survey areas — between Kyburz Avenue to C Street. Kelley said she would make the actual written survey results available to council.
The area that Caltrans actually surveyed covered four sections, from Pomo Street to Country club Drive in Meyers, from Kyburz Ave to C Street, and from C Street, through city limits to the State Line. The survey, she said, includes radar readings of vehicle speed, accident reports, and other traffic related activity. The survey was done Tuesdays through Thursdays in dry conditions and during mostly off season times so the statistics would reveal local travel patterns rather than visitors.
The survey found that traffic moved faster than the 40 mph posted limit in the surveyed area and had a low number of traffic incidents, therefore the speed limit should be raised, she said.
Ironically another lesser known regulation on the books came out during this presentation. the entire reason for the survey is because the current areas are not in compliance with Federal Highway Administration and state giudelines.
Kelley told the council that if a highway in California is not surveyed regularly (every 7 years) then it will automatically revert to the state speed limit – which is 55mph for a two-lane highway and 65 for a four-lane highway. All other posted speed limits become “unenforceable.” Therefore Caltrans is recommending on reposting the new speed limits as soon as possible.
It is unclear if the action is something the city can vote for or against. Kelley told council that it would require legal proof that the survey or the reccomendation is wrong. They are acting specifically within the guidelines, she added.
Councilman Hal Cole made a motion that the city draft a letter to Assemblyman Ted Gaines and Caltrans officials to request further study and that Caltrans review the proposal and take into account that South Lake Tahoe promotes itself as a bicycle-friendly community and encourages pedestrian traffic.
It was unclear, in the meantime, whether Caltrans can go ahead and repost the speed limit anyway. Cole asked Kelley whether Caltrans needs public feedback before acting. Kelley replied that this is what the presentation before the council was about.