bicycle

The Draft Tahoe Valley Area Plan and accompanying documents were released Wednesday, paving the way for finalization after agency and public review and upcoming comment periods. After community meetings and months of review and planning, the "Town Center" concept has been adopted along with "Greenbelt" portions.

The plan reflects the City of South Lake Tahoe's effort to rekindle the economic vitality and spirit of the Tahoe Valley Community. The plan outlines the community's strategy for resurrection.

For the week of April 11 through April 17, 2014, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to 151 calls.

Calls Resulting in Arrests:

4/11
Resisting in the 800 block of Emerald Bay Road
Warrant in the 3700 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd
Warrant in the 1000 block of Al Tahoe Blvd
"Other" misdemeanor in the 1100 block of Rufus Allen Blvd
Drunk in Public at Emerald Bay Rd & C Street

4/12
Drug Offense in the 1100 block of Melba Drive
Trespassing in the 900 block of Modesto Avenue
DUI at Ski Run Blvd & Larch Avenue

4/13

The Nevada Highway Patrol recently stepped up enforcement of Nevada's Share the Road laws, pulling over 200 motorists who violated the law and issued them warnings.

Now its turn for the NHP to turn the tables and watch for bicyclists not in compliance.

In an effort to keep bicyclists safer on Nevada roads, the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) has joined forces with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) in a SHARE THE ROAD campaign. They will be stepping up enforcement to ensure that motor vehicles are sharing the roads with the bicyclists and reducing the accidents between the two.

Spring is here which means Nevadans will be taking to the road to get some exercise and soak up some sun, so you will begin to see more people biking along the roads in Nevada.

With hundreds of new laws every year for the past 45 years, one might wonder if anyone knows them all or can keep track of the changes. There are new laws on the books for both California (800 new laws) and Nevada (45 new laws) that Lake Tahoe residents might want to brush up on.

Here is an overview of some of them:

California

During the two weeks from November 27 to December 12, 2013, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to 325 calls.

Calls resulting in arrests:

11/26
DUI at Fairway Drive and Fairway Avenue

11/27
Drunk in Public at James Avenue and Tahoe Keys Bl
Drunk in Public in the 1100 block of Bonanza
Domestic Violence Battery in the 1200 block of Emerald Bay Road

11/28
Spousal Abuse in the 2200 block of Colorado
Spousal Abuse in the 900 block of Friday
Felony "other" in the 3600 block of Spruce

11/29
DUI in the 3700 block of Lake Tahoe Blvd

Vehicular manslaughter charges were filed today by the Douglas County DA Mark Jackson against Judge Michael Gibbons. On August 20, 2013, cyclist Joseph Longo was killed in an accident near Pinenut and East Valley Roads in the Carson Valley. Charges state that Gibbons failed to exercise due care when overtaking or passing Longo who was traveling in the same direction. Gibbons is accused of failing to pass at a safe distance and not using due care to avoid a collision.

The City of South Lake Tahoe has bike racks available for local businesses to use within the city limits. The Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition designed the racks and is encouraging businesses to apply to have the racks available to their customers and clients.

If interested, request an application from the coalition by emailing them at biketahoe@aol.com. Once approved, the city will deliver the free racks but it is up to the business to install them.

Lake Tahoe — Big Blue, as it is referred to by many — is North America’s Largest Alpine Lake and the Jewel of the High Sierra … and the Reno Tahoe Territory of the Nevada Commission on Tourism and Bike the West invites you to experience the adventure of riding your bicycle around her 72-mile shoreline by participating in the Annual Tour de Tahoe – Bike Big Blue.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department is requesting assistance from the public to help identify a suspect, who attempted to rob the El Dorado Savings Bank located at 3443 Lake Tahoe Blvd, in the Bijou Shopping Center, at about 3:30 this afternoon.

On Wednesday, July 17 at around 8:30 p.m. South Lake Tahoe Police officers responded to the intersection of US Highway 50 with Heavenly Village Way to investigate an injury traffic collision.

Steven Magelssen, 20, of South Lake Tahoe, was riding his bicycle southbound on US Highway 50 in the center left turn lane. He was approaching a red traffic signal at Heavenly Village Way. Pablo Bobadilla, 23, of South Lake Tahoe, was riding his skateboard, and in the company of other pedestrians, while attempting to cross Highway 50 in a marked crosswalk.

A 21-year-old South Lake Tahoe man was arrested Wednesday and faces felony battery and resisting charges after allegedly strangling his mother until she was unconscious and then eluding police on a bicycle, authorities said.

Skylor Klisch was arrested after South Lake Tahoe police officers caught up with him during a chase in which the man was peddling a bicycle near Lake Tahoe Boulevard. He was found to be in possession of a 22-caliber hand gun with ammunition. The battery happened on Tahoe Island Drive at around 6:30 a.m.

Below is a news release from South Lake Tahoe Police Sgt. Brian Williams.

The 'Fedora Bandit' who robbed banks in South Lake Tahoe, Kings Beach and Carson City, among several others, pled guilty Friday to three counts of armed bank robbery, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

You might know them as performing bicycle stuntman, but the Klementi twins count more than popping wheelies among their talents. Both Egon and Helmut Klementi, two brothers from Austria who firs...

An outdoor free music concert is being held this Sunday, September 30 as a means to raise funds for Adam Rose. On August 21 of this year, Adam was riding his bicycle and was struck by an alleged drunk driver at 12th Street and Emerald Bay Road. He was care-flighted to Reno, was in critical condition for approximately two weeks and is now recuperating at home. Both Adam's arms and legs were broken and he is currently confined to a wheelchair. He faces over six months of rehabillitation. He will be present at the event.

The City of South Lake Tahoe has been awarded $475,452 in grant funding from Caltrans through the Bicycle Transportation Account (BTA) among 111 applicants. This grant was written by the City’s grants coordinator, Lori Marino.

The city has identified through annual inspection, several Class 1 bike paths that have exceeded usable life span and are in desperate need of complete reconstruction. The pathways identified, provide key connectivity to various neighborhoods and business districts within the city limits.

UPDATE 1:39PM: South Lake Tahoe Police have issued a press release regarding Tuesday's hit and run accident. The victim, a 38-year-old man, remains in an intensive care unit at Renown Medical Center in Reno. South Lake Tahoe Police have commended citizens for their part in locating the suspect.

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.

UPDATE 6:11PM: One person was stabbed and a suspect is at large and being sought by South Lake Tahoe police Friday evening.
The stabbing happened at about 3:46 Friday afternoon in the area of 11th and Eloise. The suspect is described as late teens, a white male, without a shirt, wearing plaid white and blue shorts, a Boston Celtics ball cap being worn backwards, with a backpack and carrying a knife. The stabbing may have stemmed from an incident where the victim, a 22-year-old man, was riding a bicycle and the suspect was on a skateboard. The victim was taken to Barton Memorial Hospital with a stab wound to his arm, said South Lake Tahoe Police Lt. David Stevenson.

Lake Tahoe South steps into high endurance overdrive this summer with two new outdoor adventure events that celebrate speed, agility and skill — one with feet to the ground and the other rubber to the road.

Sierra Recon, a high-energy, multi-distance obstacle race screaming the amped premise, “Everyone loves carnage” is set for July 14 at Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort, while the Lake Tahoe Adventure Motorcycle Ride and Rendezvous celebrates the freedom of the wide open road, Aug. 23-26.

UPDATE: 5:06PM: Here's the latest information from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department regarding the bicycle accident on Monday. The condition of the 19-year-old accident victim is unknown at this time. A 17-year-old juvenile driver faces citation for driving without a license. South Lake Tahoe Police report the following:

There is an epidemic in America of increasing childhood obesity and the ill effects attributed to a chronic sedentary lifestyle and a diet high in fat. The Center for Disease Control estimates that 2/3 of the American public are obese and that childhood diabetics, asthma and cardiovascular risk factors lead to adult morbidity, diabetes and significant psychological impact on the obese children. The organization goes on to state that this may be the first generation in the history of man, that children may not outlive the lifespan of their parents.

Calstar was called to transport a 31-year-old female cyclist who was reported to have suffered head injuries in a bicycle accident at Highway 89 south of Spring Creek. Dispatch reports that a nurse said the woman was hurt and required immediate medical care. It is not known if the cyclist is part of America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride, which is an organized Sunday ride around Lake Tahoe.

Imagine the scenic beauty of Lake Tahoe with its crystal clear blue waters surrounded by towering majestic snow capped peaks. Imagine being able to ride a bicycle around its 72-mile shoreline or a 100-mile century ride. On Sunday more than, 3,300-plus bicycling enthusiasts from all over the country will participate in the 21st annual America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride around Lake Tahoe.