SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – This was the first full weekend with new parking regulations in place at Emerald Bay and implementation of the new Emerald Bay Shuttle.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) had officers stationed at Emerald Bay to enforce the “No Parking” signs along the highway. They are being paid for this month by the Tahoe Fund along with a $10,000 donation for enforcement made by the Sierra Parks Foundation.
From Friday, July 18, through Sunday, July 20, they issued the following tickets and citations, and tows:
Tickets (1): One ticketed for failure to obey traffic signs.
Towing (3): Two cars were towed for parking while obstructing normal movement of traffic, and one car was towed due to the driver being arrested for DUI
Citations (35): Failure to follow parking regulations – 17; Illegal parking – 4; Directing driver to illegally park – 7; County ordinance – 7
To help those who want to park to visit Vikingsholm and Eagle Falls, the paid parking lots remain, and there is a shuttle service in place through the pilot parking program’s run through mid-October.
The shuttle service will operate seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. until October 15, 2025. The round-trip cost to the rider is $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 13 and under. To make reservations or find more information, visit HERE. The Tahoe Fund and League to Save Lake Tahoe both invested $150,000 towards the shuttle service, which will cost $405,000. The fares are expected to cover the rest.
El Dorado County Supervisor Brooke Laine created a working group last year to find a solution to the haphazard and unsafe parking at Emerald Bay that sometimes brings traffic to a halt. Multiple agencies worked together to develop the pilot program.
Laine rode the shuttle on its first day, July 15, and spoke with riders to monitor the experience.
“I missed the board meeting today because I’ve been working on the Emerald Bay pilot project for a couple of years now, and it finally came to fruition today,” said Laine on the first day. “I wanted to be there to see it in action. I was on the first shuttle out to Emerald Bay, which left Camp Richardson at 9 a.m. It was a great experience!”
On the first shuttle were Alexis Lehman and Kaylee Dinh.
“I was one of the first passengers on the Emerald Bay Shuttle! ” said Alexis. “This experience was beyond what I expected, not just incredible views, but also quality time with all my friends right next to me, with no worries about parking or driving on those twisty roads. And might I add, the staff was great too!”
“As the first customer on the Emerald Bay Shuttle, I can positively say it was a super-efficient and convenient experience,” said Kaylee. “The shuttle was comfortable with great views of the bay. Along with a safe and smooth pick-up and drop-off, it was promptly on time. The customer service was the best part of it all and made our day trip to Emerald Bay unforgettable. and we will definitely be using the shuttle again!”
