Lake Tahoe agency hosts bicycle community planners from Utah and Oregon

UPDATED: As Lake Tahoe continues to earn the respectable distinction of having bicycle-friendly communities, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency will host experts from two well-established cities to discuss ways the basin can improve its trails and paths.
The TRPA has invited bicycle community planners from Portland, Oregon and Park City, Utah for a community speaker panel today, Thursday, July 26, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Lake Tahoe Community College in the Board Room. A similar speaker panel was held on Wednesday at Kings Beach.

Here is a TRPA news release outlining the meeting and speakers:

EXPERTS GATHER FOR WALKABLE, BIKEABLE SPEAKERS’ PANELS

Stateline, NV — An evening speakers’ panel in response to the public’s vision for more livable, walkable and bikeable communities in the Tahoe Basin have been scheduled for July 26.

Guest experts from Park City, Utah and Portland, Oregon will join local experts in transportation and community planning for a series of educational discussions on the challenges and solutions to creating safer, more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly town centers. The meeting is from 5 to 8 p.m. in the board room of Lake Tahoe Community College, 1 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe.

Guest speakers are Myles Rademan, a planning expert from Park City, Utah, and Michael Ronkin, Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation who helped transform Portland into one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the nation. The evening speakers' panel will feature local community experts in planning and transportation in addition to Rademan and Ronkin.

The evening speakers’ panel is part of the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan and Mobility 2035 Transportation Plan updates. Many amendments focus on delivering the public’s vision for safer, more livable and vibrant town centers. An unprecedented level of public input was received through the Pathway and Place-Based Community Planning efforts, according to the agencies.

“Having nice places to walk and bike is a top priority for Lake Tahoe, but those improvements don’t always come easy,” TRPA Communications Specialist Jeff Cowen said. “We have experts right here in Tahoe and from other successful communities that can answer the question: How do we create and support more sustainable town centers?”

Bicycle and pedestrian improvements are linked to enhanced quality of life and safety. At Lake Tahoe, they also bring substantial environmental and economic benefits. Approximately 55 percent of the nitrogen entering Lake Tahoe comes from airborne sources such as car emissions and wood stoves. Reducing nitrogen loads in the Lake is necessary to curb the growth of harmful algae and improve Lake clarity. Additionally, bicycle recreation is estimated to bring $3 million per year in local direct expenditures, according to TRPA.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency cooperatively leads the effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region now and in the future. For additional information, call Jeff Cowen at (775) 589-5278 or send an email to jcowen@trpa.org.