Column: Active Transportation Plan adopted for Tahoe

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, in its capacity as the Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization, on Wednesday adopted an active transportation plan that will help communities continue to improve transportation options for bicyclists and pedestrians in the Tahoe Basin.

Transportation projects that improve infrastructure for bicyclists and pedestrians also help improve air and water quality, revitalize the economy, improve public health, and enhance recreation opportunities.

Developed through extensive public outreach, the Linking Tahoe: Active Transportation Plan identifies high-priority transportation upgrades needed around the Tahoe Basin. It also identifies best-practices for road and intersection designs and actions communities can take to improve bicycle and pedestrian mobility and safety and build trails and complete streets that serve everyone from drivers to walkers.

The goal is a complete network of trails, sidewalks, bike lanes, and intersection crossings around Lake Tahoe that allows people to safely and efficiently get to school, work, shopping centers, and recreation sites without having to get into a motor vehicle. “We asked the community how the active transportation system can better serve them. The strategies, programs, and infrastructure recommendations in the plan reflect what we heard,” said Morgan Beryl, associate transportation planner and lead contributor to the plan.

In coming months, TRPA and TMPO staff will launch an interactive website and executive summary that highlight the purpose and main components of Linking Tahoe: Active Transportation Plan. Staff will also start work on action items outlined in the plan, such as code amendments, permit process improvements, active transportation monitoring and reporting, and public forums about the “first and last mile” of transportation upgrades.

With the Active Transportation Plan approved, communities can use the document to help support grant requests for projects. The plan is one of several plans TRPA and TMPO are working to finalize and adopt this year as part of a comprehensive update to the 2012 Regional Transportation Plan. Other plans focus on improving public transit service, improving highway corridors, and incorporating new technology into Tahoe’s transportation network. The Linking Tahoe: Active Transportation Plan is available online at http://www.tahoempo.org/activetransportationplan/.