Yes! Of course the short answer is yes.
As president of the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, I often hear questions about the bike paths around town. This summer, they have been focused on the brand new Bijou Park Connector Multi-use Trail, recently completed by the City of South Lake Tahoe.
This new trail cuts through Bijou Park between Johnson Blvd and the Dennis Machida Memorial Greenway, and closes several critical gaps between schools, parks, and the broader trail network. You might be surprised by the addition of another trail across the street from the existing one along Al Tahoe Blvd, but a closer look reveals how valuable it will be.
An existing trail leads from South Tahoe Middle School along Al Tahoe Blvd on the east side of the road, but there was previously no safe connection between the end of this trail at Johnson Blvd and the Bijou Bike Park, just a quarter mile away. Similarly, the park had no formal connection to the Greenway bike path, which currently extends from Bijou to Sierra Tract, and eventually will run from Meyers to Stateline. This lack of connection had people biking off-trail through the forest or dashing across busy Al Tahoe Blvd twice.
Now, it’s possible to easily connect to the park from the Bijou neighborhood via the Greenway, staying on the east side of Al Tahoe Blvd. And families can now continue on to South Tahoe Middle School, which previously also required two crossings of this busy street.
The new trail also eases the connection to Johnson Blvd, which is finally getting resurfaced this week and repainted with smooth class 2 bike lanes. There are plans to one-day add a multi-use path along Johnson Blvd., too!
Finally, I am grateful that the project includes a crosswalk and flashing beacon between the park’s main entrance and Lake Tahoe Community College. This has long been the site of frenzied scampering and an accident waiting to happen. If you see someone waiting to cross at this or any other crosswalk, please follow the law and bring your car to a complete stop for pedestrians and cyclists to cross.
This project was made possible in part due to funding from the long-standing Measure S, which was thankfully renewed in the most recent election as Measure G with a whopping 72 percent of the vote! Local funds were leveraged to match federal grants, and I am grateful that the voters renewed this funding source to ensure that this path and others will continue to be maintained for the next generation. Plus, kudos to City staff who managed to complete the project under budget!
So in celebration of Tahoe Bike Month, I hope you can get out on two wheels, try the new trail, and celebrate another step forward towards better safety and connection in our community.
-Nick Speal