Judge allows Loop Road initiative to appear on November's ballot

El Dorado County Superior Court Judge James Wagoner ruled today against the lawsuit filed by Jason Collin on July 14 to stop the Loop Road measure from being submitted to the voters November 8.

"I'm obviously disappointed in the ruling today," Collin told South Tahoe Now. "I still have a lot of concern about an initiative being pushed forward that has fundamental flaws and misleads voters."

A group of citizens calling themselves "Let Tahoe Decide" gathered 879 signatures in June to force the subject of the Loop Road/US 50 Revitalization project onto the ballot. Their initiative prohibits the City Council of South Lake Tahoe from approving or supporting the project without the voters getting a chance to tell them which way to vote.

The project proposes a change in direction of Highway 50 as it approaches the casino corridor and moves traffic behind Raley's and through a neighborhood near Pioneer Trail. This plan has been talked about since the 1970s and 1980s, but it wasn't until the Tahoe Transportation District took it over in 2009 that it gathered steam. To date they have held 140 meetings on the subject and have adjusted the scope of their plans according to public input.

Bruce Grego, a South Lake Tahoe attorney and part of the "Let Tahoe Decide" group said Judge Wagoner ruled that Collin failed to present adequate evidence to support his application for a Writ of Mandate and further declared there was a strong public policy that favors the public's right to initiative and referendum.

Collin, now a candidate for City Council, said he feels there is a lot of misinformation out there on the Hwy 50/Loop Road Project.

'My hope is that people do their homework, participate in the forums, ask lots of questions and come to their own conclusions about what they think is best for our community," said Collin.