NDOT updates roadside parking restrictions around Sand Harbor

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - Roadside parking restrictions will continue to be strictly enforced on State Route 28 south of Incline Village when the Tahoe East Shore Trail opens on June 28. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has also added some new no parking areas in southern Incline Village.

Construction has taken over much of the area during the last three years as the new trail was being created. The areas that were off-limits to parking will continue to be enforced along with roadside shoulders between Sweetwater Road and southern Lakeshore Boulevard where motorists currently park and cross the busy highway to access the Flume Trail and other attractions.

It won't be cheap if found to be parked in the "No Parking" zones. Illegally-parked vehicles can be towed and drivers ticketed with a maximum $305 fine.

To accommodate parking, three new parking areas with approximately 90 parking spots have been constructed on State Route 28 near Ponderosa Ranch Road as part of the construction of the Tahoe East Shore Trail.

Opening to the public on June 29, the parking spots will be managed by the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) and initially be offered free of charge.

"The focus for the summer is introducing the public to what has changed in the SR 28 Corridor namely the opening of the trail and the new trailhead parking built to accommodate the relocation of shoulder parking to an off-highway lot. So the introduction of the paid parking will be sometime after the summer season," said Carl Hasty, TTD District Manager.

Hasty said the cost per hour will vary by both the time of day and the season, ranging from one dollar to six dollars per hour. He said it is structured to encourage use in non-peak times.

Parking revenues will be used to operate and maintain both the trailhead parking and the trail. That includes daily maintenance like trash pick up and long term maintenance. Tahoe Transportation District’s East Shore Express (Schedule here) and Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit (Schedule Here) also offer summer bus service directly to the new pathway.

Scheduled to open June 28, the path is aimed at enhancing safety and mobility by separating vehicle and foot traffic. More than two and a half million vehicles a year travel on State Route 28, mixing with as many as 2,000 pedestrians and bicyclists who previously parked near the roadside on peak days; creating safety, congestion and accessibility concerns on the mountainous highway. More than 10 miles of centerline rumble strips and ten emergency roadside turnouts have also been added, further enhancing motorist and pedestrian safety.

The path is NOT open to the public until the afternoon of June 28. The public is reminded to not use or trespass on any section of the path prior to June 28. Violators can be fined and receive a hefty ticket according to NDOT.