Economics keep new bike path on hold on North Shore

KINGS BEACH - South Lake Tahoe's work to become a bicycle friendly community is pushing the entire region to work on improving bike paths, roadways and connecting trails.

Yet, it takes money to build these, and on the North Shore, the funds are not there. After a series of financial setbacks, utility officials are pushing the pause button on a regional bike project to link Tahoe City's trail system with Tahoe Vista.

Last week, North Tahoe Public Utility District board members authorized staff to terminate further planning on the North Tahoe Regional Bike trail that would have connected the Tahoe City Public Utility District trail system at Dollar Hill with the North Tahoe Regional Park in Tahoe Vista.

According to the district's staff recommendation, in April of 2007, CTC awarded a grant for $976,000 to the district for environmental studies for the project, with $858,000 slated to go to EDAW and the remaining money to be used for U.S. Forest Service and Tahoe Regional Planning Association collection agreements.

After district officials met with CTC to discuss the future of the project, it was determined that considering the state's budget crisis, additional funding for construction would be unlikely in the near future. It's unclear home much the entire project would cost.