Column: Tahoe Summit spotlights transportation

Earlier this week, members of Lake Tahoe’s federal delegation, led by U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev), gathered with community members, Washoe tribal members, and state and local leaders to mark the 28th annual Lake Tahoe Summit. Their presence, along with a keynote address by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, provided an uplifting moment that recognized the success of the conservation of Lake Tahoe. The annual event additionally underscored ongoing challenges in the region and the need for sustainable funding to support multiple initiatives.

The Summit celebrates the unparalleled partnership that underpins the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP), which came together at the first Lake Tahoe Presidential Summit in 1997. Today, the EIP involves more than 80 organizations committed to Lake Tahoe’s restoration with the goal of preserving this special place for all to enjoy now and into the future.

While the event shines a national spotlight on all conservation efforts, the theme this year focused on investing in transit, trails, and technology to improve transportation, equity, and sustainable recreation while supporting our communities. It was empowering to hear so many leaders echo support for priority projects in the Regional Transportation Plan. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is leading an update of the plan this year with many opportunities for dialogue in our communities, particularly those that are traditionally underrepresented.

Through the EIP, regional transportation partners have built or improved nearly 200 miles of bike trails and finished 17 complete street projects. Free, on-demand microtransit services have provided well over one million rides to date. These are just some of the investments that have resulted in a 29 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2005 and a 24 percent reduction in car trips since 2008.

The challenges around updating the car-centric design of town centers and reducing traffic and parking on Tahoe’s two-lane mountain roads are clear. Demand on our roadways and recreation areas is undergoing a fundamental shift. America’s love of the outdoors has been rising and metropolitan areas outside the Tahoe Basin are growing. Today, Lake Tahoe’s most popular recreation corridors are congested on peak days.

To keep pace, TRPA Corridor Management Plans are prioritizing transportation and sustainable recreation improvements for areas like Emerald Bay, Zephyr Cove, Sand Harbor, and the roadways that connect Tahoe City, Truckee, and Kings Beach. The new approach is holistically reducing reliance on cars, improving access and mobility with bike trails and transit, and moving roadside parking spaces into managed parking areas.

At the Chimney Beach trailhead on Nevada State Route 28, the USDA Forest Service is improving an existing parking lot with more than 100 additional parking spaces while an equal number of roadside spaces are being removed. Similar improvements at Zephyr Cove this summer have greatly increased safety with a new pedestrian crosswalk, a parking reservation system, and additional parking enforcement.

This year alone, more than $33 million in new federal grants have been awarded for the East Shore trail extension from Sand Harbor toward Spooner Summit along Nevada State Route 28, to replace Tahoe’s aging transit fleet with new hybrid bus technology, and to improve regional communications systems during emergencies and assist evacuation planning. Even with this progress, significant transit and infrastructure investments are needed to achieve our shared vision for a safe, sustainable Tahoe.

State and local governments and the private sector are stepping up as well with sustainable sources of revenue to bridge the funding gap in the Regional Transportation Plan. Under a shared, multi-sector funding framework called the “7-7-7” strategy, federal, state, and local/private partners are providing $7 million per year to complete the projects called for in the plan.

Officials from both sides of the aisle during the Summit also stressed the importance of extending the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act. The bill has appropriated $100 million for Tahoe restoration projects since 2016. The Act is set to expire next month and awaits a final vote for reauthorization in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Taking care of Tahoe is something that brings people together. This beloved lake is not only a place where people and communities can thrive, it is also the jewel of the Sierra, shared by two states and six local governments. Further, it is the center of the world for the Washoe Tribe and a national treasure that is nearly 80 percent national forest. Every one of us has a role to play in protecting Lake Tahoe and we hope you can join us. Visit restoretahoe.org to learn more.

--Cindy Gustafson is Chair of the TRPA Governing Board and District 5 Supervisor for Placer County. Hayley Williamson is Vice Chair and Nevada At-Large member of the TRPA Governing Board.