Emerald Bay is one of the most photographed natural features in the United States.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
A $1 billion gap between expected funding and projects remains in the final draft of the Lake Tahoe Regional Transportation Plan released for public review on Friday.
The plan includes something called the Sustainable Funding Initiative, which proposes new regional sources of income to improve transportation starting in 2026.
The 2020 Regional Transportation Plan identifies a broad range of projects, programs, and strategies needed to comprehensively improve Tahoe’s transportation system over the next 25 years, according to TRPA. The plan is updated every four years and is the shared vision for a transportation system at Lake Tahoe that moves visitors and residents around the basin without relying solely on personal vehicles.
“This plan gets serious about reducing greenhouse gases and reliance on the automobile,” TRPA Executive Director Joanne S. Marchetta said. “Basin partners are more committed than ever to funding priority projects that expand transit and trails to improve quality of life for residents and quality of experience for visitors.”
The plan addresses regional and community priorities including modernization of the current transit system, completing the Tahoe Trail to encircle the lake, and supporting new technology for travel. The update has been developed with broad support from the states, local governments, and transportation partners, according to TRPA. More than 2,500 members of the public have provided comment.
The plan can be viewed at www.trpa.gov/rtp. The agency will hold several public meetings for anyone to learn more about the plan and how the ambitious goals can be accomplished. The TRPA Governing Board is expected to vote on the package on April 28. The Governing Board also functions as the Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization, with an additional member from the USDA Forest Service. This federal designation allows TRPA to direct millions of dollars of federal funding annually into Tahoe Basin transportation projects.
