Safety concerns along Highway 50 from Stateline to Spooner to be addressed

The stretch of Highway 50 from Stateline to Spooner Summit (known as the corridor) will be looked at in the near future to address numerous safety concerns from cars parked on the side to unsafe intersections.

At the last meeting of the Tahoe Transportation District Board of Directors, several residents spoke up about safety, and offered several ideas to correct the issues.

Warrior Way, a street of concern to both residents and transportation planners, joins Highway 50 by the Zephyr Cove Park, Whittell High School and Zephyr Cove Elementary. During the school year, the intersection is heavily utilized by students drivers, parents and park/library users.

During the summer, the area is overrun by thousands of beach goers each day who frequently park on Warrior Way, then run across the street. The US Forest Service put in a trail that people can walk along and cross at the traffic light at the Zephyr Cove Resort, but it wasn't used much this summer. Not all of those coming off the beach are sober, and they dart across the four-lane highway.

"There have been car verses pedestrian and car verses car collisions in that area," said resident Greg Felton during the meeting and in a letter to South Tahoe Now. "We must address the risks in this heavily trafficked, limited visibility area before there’s another fatality."

A crosswalk was already approved for the intersection in the Active Transportation Plan, but Felton and others that spoke suggested a roundabout (traffic circle) would be safer for the community.

"During the 4th of July weekend, while collecting $$ for the Boosters for parking on Warrior Way, I witnessed an 11 year-old girl struck by a car crossing the highway," said Felton.

Those speaking also suggested turning Highway 50 into a three-lane highway the whole length of the corridor, with a center turn lane that could be used at not only Warrior Way, but at the Round Hill Pines Resort turnoff, Zephyr Heights subdivision entries and exits, Marla Bay exit, entry to homes along the roadway and at the Presbyterian Conference Center. All of those spots pose danger to those both entering and leaving the highway.

Tahoe Transportation District will be releasing their corridor management plans, which is currently scheduled in October. Once that is done, Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) will then hold workshops, most likely in the next few months according to Sondra Rosenberg, Assistant Director of Planning for NDOT.

"The first meeting will be primarily to get input from the public before we have detailed alternatives, so that we make sure to incorporate those into our proposed design alternatives," said Sondra Rosenberg.

At this time, it is planned to have a plan for the public to review in early 2017.