Lake Tahoe summer shuttle service to Sand Harbor begins June 15

The East Shore Express, a park and ride bus that runs from Incline Village to Sand Harbor, opens for a second season for Lake Tahoe visitors and locals.

Buses will operate Saturdays and Sundays beginning the weekends of June 15-16 and June 22-23 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Daily operations begin Saturday, June 29 through Sept. 2 with service from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and run every 20 minutes on weekends. Hours of operation on the Fourth of July are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Roundtrip fare is $3 per person and $1.50 for children 12 and under, seniors and disabled passengers. Fares include admission to Sand Harbor. Passengers transferring from Tahoe Area Regional Transit pay $1 with submission of their transfer slip. The service uses a dedicated entrance to minimize traffic-related delays and drops passengers at the Visitor’s Center near the main beach. Parking inside Sand Harbor is $10 per vehicle for Nevada residents and $12 for out-of-state motorists.

The East Shore Express loops from the old Incline Village Elementary School on the corner of Highway 28 and Southwood Boulevard to Sand Harbor. TART passengers are able to connect to the East Shore Express at the TART stop located on Tahoe east of Village boulevards.

The goal of this Tahoe Transportation District service is to address traffic congestion and promote safety along the Nevada State Route 28 Corridor, while reducing environmental impacts. More than 70 percent of the pollutants contributing to Lake Tahoe’s clarity loss come from the existing transportation systems.

In its inaugural season, the East Shore Express shuttled 12,155 passengers between June and Labor Day 2012. The service was initiated by the TTD in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, Nevada Division of State Parks, Nevada Department of Transportation, Nevada Highway Patrol and Washoe County School District.

Funding of the two-year pilot program includes 60 percent from a Federal Transit Administration grant through NDOT, with the balance from the U.S. Forest Service under the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. The East Shore Express utilizes existing TTD buses, with parking provided at existing Washoe County School District parking lots within Incline.

More than 1 million visitors recreate annually in the State Route 28 corridor, but with limited parking in many areas, the situation has resulted in pedestrians crossing into busy travel lanes in both directions. In 2012, the Nevada Division of State Parks ended walk-in visitation. Drop-offs and parking are illegal along the highway at Sand Harbor. The no parking zone encompasses approximately 3/4 of a mile in both directions from the park’s main entrance and will result in a fine of up to $305.

The East Shore Express is a component of the SR 28 Corridor Management Plan, a community-based action strategy to preserve and promote the unique characteristics of this National Scenic Byway. It is designed to improve safety, access for emergency vehicles, alleviate congested roadways and reduce vehicle emissions.

The TTD is currently guiding multiple projects providing region wide connectivity throughout the Tahoe Basin:
The Incline Gateway, the Tahoe Basin’s first roundabout at Mount Rose Highway where State Route 28 meets State Route 431, was officially dedicated Oct. 17, 2012.

The public/private partnership included cooperative efforts with the Nevada Department of Transportation, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Washoe County, Incline Village General Improvement District, Q&D Construction, and the Incline Gateway Committee, the public art organization that commissioned local artist June Towill Brown to create bronze replicas of native wildlife.

The first mile of the Nevada Stateline to Stateline Bikeway Project was completed in October 2012 extending from Kahle Drive to Elks Point Road providing access to Nevada Beach. The Nevada Stateline to Stateline Bikeway is a proposed 30+ mile segment along the east shore of the proposed America’s Most Beautiful Bikeway envisioned to circle the 72 miles of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline.

For details on Tahoe Transportation District and its current projects go here or call (775) 589-5500.