Dedication for Latest Phase of Stateline to Stateline Bike Path

The official dedication of South Lake Tahoe's 1.2-mile shared-use bike path that connects Elks Point and Round Hill Pines and provides access to Rabe Meadow with Nevada Beach and Round Hill Pines Resort will be held on Thursday, June 19 at 12 p.m.

The second segment of the Stateline-to-Stateline Bikeway, South Shore Demonstration Project adds to the existing path for a total of 2.2 miles. Meanwhile, the North Demonstration Project is expected to begin construction in 2015 and the first phase will connect Incline Village to Sand Harbor State Park.

Eventually the Stateline-to-Stateline Bikeway will span 30 miles and connect Stateline, Nevada to Crystal Bay, Nevada. The South and North demos along with other existing paths are all part of America's Most Beautiful Bikeway that will eventually circumnavigate the lake.

Guests christening the new trail will include Curtis Fong, ride director Bike of the West; Alfred Knotts, project manager, Tahoe Transportation District; “B” Gorman, president of the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, and Mike Bradford, general manager of Lakeside Inn & Casino.

The South Shore Demonstration project, led by the Tahoe Transportation District, opened the latest section to public in October 2013. The first one-mile was dedicated in June 2013. The bike trail complements the lifestyle of “America’s Best Lake” (USA Today, Aug. 2012) with safer biking and walking options and will improve air quality and lake clarity by reducing auto emissions and vehicle miles traveled.

More than 70 percent of the pollutants contributing to Lake Tahoe’s clarity loss come from the existing transportation systems and developed areas. Riding the bus can reduce emissions as well as road-use erosion, improving air and water quality.

"By having these first two phases complete we are closer to reaching our long-term goals of providing alternative transportation choices at Lake Tahoe," said Carl Hasty, district manager, Tahoe Transportation District. "Our vision has been to build these projects a step at a time, while achieving environmental thresholds for air quality, water quality and recreation. These benefits provide for a better quality of life and offer safer choices to our community and visitors."

The American Disabilities Act accessible multi-use trail serves an average of 350 pedestrians, bikers and non-motorized users daily during summer months. It runs through mostly National Forest System lands providing scenic vistas of meadows and mountains as well as panoramic views of Lake Tahoe. The path has interpretive signs and benches and provides an additional connection to Round Hill Pines Beach from Stateline along the South Shore of Lake Tahoe.

Partners in the bicycle trail project include: Tahoe Transportation District, Nevada Division of State Lands, Nevada State Parks, Federal Highway Administration, Nevada Department of Transportation, , Q&D Construction, Lumos and Associates, Matzoll Development Consultants, AECOM, Ascent Environmental, LSC Transportation Consultants, Alta Planning, United States Forest Service, Douglas County, Washoe County, Carson City, Washoe Tribe, South Shore Transportation Management Association, and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

The TTD and its partners developed the Nevada Stateline to Stateline Bikeway, South Shore Demonstration Project to address the demand for more pedestrian and recreation bicycle trails to provide connections to neighborhoods, employment centers, schools, and recreation facilities, while reducing environmental impacts associated with auto use. The trails will combine exclusive off-highway bicycle and pedestrian paths, striped bicycle lanes and shared-use roadway signs.