Proposed NDOT US-50 Corridor Management plan draws both concern and kudos

Everyone who reads the local news knows a large number of collisions occur on US50 between Round Hill and Cave Rock, many of those caused by vehicles crossing over the double yellow center line. Other crashes are caused by the lack of safe turns both off and onto the highway, leading to the stretch of highway being more dangerous than other Nevada highways.

The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has been working on the U.S. 50 Tahoe East Shore Management Corridor Plan for several years, trying to find safety solutions for the stretch of highway from Stateline to Spooner Summit. The solutions and strategies of the plan will be considered and prioritized as part of any future projects on the corridor.

During the process, NDOT and partners have held nearly 50 stakeholder meetings and almost 700 public/stakeholder interactions to gather input, according to NDOT Public Information Officer Meg Ragonese. NDOT has gathered public feedback through three rounds of public listening tours, held in June 2021, March/April 2022, and October/November 2022. The initial listening sessions gathered public feedback on the highway, including community concerns about speeding, on-highway parking, access to and from the highway, and more.

During the listening sessions, some residents expressed concern over the reconfiguration of the highway from four lanes to two lanes, with new turn lanes in three high-crash and constrained locations. They are also questioning why their input hasn't changed the course of solutions.

NDOT says the reduction to two lanes would help provide safer access to and from the highway, and create a speed-calming stretch so drivers would drive closer to the posted 45-mph speed limit.

"Those segments proposed for lane reconfiguration make up approximately one-quarter of the corridor length," said Ragonese. "Our modeling shows the reconfiguration will take an additional two minutes to travel through as part of the full 13-mile corridor."

Residents say they are not concerned about an additional two minutes during free-flowing times. The issue is when the road gets crowded, and that happens most weekends, holidays, and snowy days when all it takes is one car driving slowly or getting stuck to lock up the roadway, and certainly during evacuations, according to Nevada resident Greg Felton. He also points out that there is a passing option at this time, something that won't be available with stretches of reduced lanes.

Some residents say the reduction to two lanes would cause heavy traffic for those driving on the 13-mile stretch of road on a daily or occasional basis, cause concern in the case of a fire or other disaster where evacuations were necessary, and move more traffic onto Kingsbury Grade, SR88 and US395.

When the lane reductions were first presented at a Zephyr Cove meeting in 2017, many in the overflowing crowd of over two hundred people made it clear that they were opposed to any lane reductions. "Don't take our lanes away," was heard throughout that meeting.

"The first re-engagement with the public was in March of 2022, five years later, and there was no indication prior input was incorporated," said Felton in a letter to NDOT. "Another public viewing took place this month. Again the plan was indistinguishable from its prior versions. It seems NDOT is intent on checking the 'engaged with the public' box without truly incorporating feedback."

Since the 2017 meeting, NDOT worked with partners to add a middle turn lane and a new entrance into Round Hill Pines and will be banning roadway parking on US50 at Zephyr Cove when they add a traffic signal at Warrior Way in 2023.

There have been changes to address some safety issues, but residents want to know why their concerns haven't been addressed.

At the next meeting of the NDOT Board of Directors on Friday, November 18 at 9:30 a.m., several local community members along with Felton are expected to write letters to be put into the record, or speak during the public comment period at the end of the meeting.

"Project leaders will be present at the transportation board meeting to hear public feedback," said Ragonese. "Any public comments provided during the November 2022 state transportation board meeting will be considered as part of the final U.S. 50 Tahoe East Shore Corridor Management Plan, and will also be recorded as part of the public record of the board meeting."

During a recent four-year period, crash rates were more than 50 percent higher on U.S. 50 between Elks Point Road and Glenbrook Drive when compared to similar highways across the state.

Proposed solutions listed on the map above:

1. Other Alternatives and Strategies Being Considered
2. Implement parking management and integrate with potential transit service
3. Improve the US50/SR28 intersection (potential roundabout)
4. Add a “first look” vista point to provide safe options for tourists
5. Improve advanced signage and turning lanes for the state park entrance
6. Improve pedestrian crossings with flashing beacons
7. Consider pedestrian tunnels under US5O at Zephyr Cove Resort.
8. Improve parking and sidewalk connectivity at Kahle Dr.
9. Add an acceleration lane for the northbound right turn at SR 207.
10. Convert US5O/Lake Parkway intersection into a roundabout