What is best solution to keep visitors leaving Lake Tahoe on Highway 50 and not on side streets?

It's another snowy weekend, and another weekend of drivers trying to head home over Echo Summit via Lake Tahoe Blvd and North Upper Truckee Road. With a backup at the chain control stop in Meyers, many are trying to circumvent not only the traffic, but the controls and causing issues on snow covered side roads.

At the request of law enforcement at 11:15 a.m. February 20, they have asked Caltrans to change the message sign at the Y in South Lake Tahoe to read "Do not use North Upper Truckee as an alternate route" after numerous cars got stuck on North Upper Truckee, unable to get up the hill to Highway 50. They are also closing Lake Tahoe Blvd at Sawmill Pond at this time until snow can be cleared and cars removed. All five cars at this time are stuck near Mt. Rainier Drive, all without chains or 4WD.

This has been a common occurrence this winter.

As visitors to South Lake Tahoe head home over Echo Summit on Sundays (or end of a holiday period), traffic becomes a snarled mess in Meyers and the surrounding surface streets. Those who've been on the South Shore before have become familiar with normal bypass streets such as both North apnd South Upper Truckee, Apache, Lake Tahoe Blvd., and Sawmill Road.

Now with smartphone apps and GPS, drivers who don't want to wait in line have now started to take streets that previously weren't common bypasses such as Mandan, Cheyenne, Cornelian, Pomo, Navahoe, Oneidas, Pyramid Circle, and Mt Rainier.

In winter, all of these routes can be treacherous and not easy to navigate for those unfamiliar with mountain driving in snow conditions. And if the driver doesn't have chains or 4WD with snow tires, its worse.

El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel held a meeting in Meyers last week to hear residents' concerns and discuss solutions. It was a full house, with standing room only at the California Conservation Corps building. She was joined by El Dorado County Transportation Department, El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol as well as over 100 residents.

One way to control the drivers trying to beat the chain controls in Meyers, EL Dorado County is proposing a "traction ordinance" which would require chains or 4WD with snowtires during snow events. Anyone could be cited, including local residents.

Many in the area want some streets closed to non-residents, but that isn't possible on public roadways. But, there are ways to control the situations and ideas were shared during the meeting on what these may be.

- Use technology to beat technology. Consider utilizing the FastTrak system to implement a toll charge for entering the Tahoe Basin to help offset costs for enforcement and deteriorating roads.

- With smartphone applications (e.g., Spotify, Pandora, etc.), use advertisements to promote local businesses during peak commute periods and encouraging visitors for their support.

- During times of avalanche control and traffic is at a standstill, consider having law enforcement or Caltrans turning motorists away from North Upper Truckee to minimize the congestion.

- Consider law enforcement traffic control to allow for a stream of traffic to move forward from North Upper Truckee. This strategy may also be applied to Pioneer Trail at times.

- Traffic issues are also prevalent during the summer months, not just the winter months during extreme conditions, i.e., chain control and avalanche control.

- Consideration for legal action to the smartphone mapping applications? How can the mapping applications only show main routes and not local roadways for thoroughfares.

- Consideration for local resident vehicle stickers with traffic camera enforcement.

- Add signage and improve message boards to further aid the travelling public.

- Address people who pull over to play in the snow at Echo Summit and Strawberry, a reason for bottlenecks and backup of traffic.

All suggestions and ideas will be presented at another public meeting, perhaps within a month according to Novasel.

She said she was pleased with the turnout and participation about possible solutions, "is exactly what I was hoping for."