NDOT and partners open Lake Tahoe East Shore Trail

The Nevada Department of Transportation, Tahoe Transportation District and partners opened the new Tahoe East Shore Trail in Incline Village on Friday, June 28 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The approximately three-mile path between southern Incline Village and Sand Harbor State Park is now officially open to non-motorized bicycle and foot traffic. The path is a major step in a future multi-use trail circling Lake Tahoe to connect communities, parks, beaches, businesses and other destinations.

“This pathway is much more than three miles,” Governor Steve Sisolak explained. “It is a true success story of all those who came together with a shared vision to create a safer, more accessible and brighter future for ourselves, our communities and our environment. I know that this path will provide an opportunity for our hard-working Nevada families to enjoy beautiful Lake Tahoe for decades to come.”

Travel Details
Travelers should anticipate the following:

— Motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists are reminded to travel attentively through the area as the path creates new vehicle and pedestrian traffic patterns.

— Non-motorized bicycle and foot traffic is allowed on the path, along with electric assist bicycles.

— The path is not striped, but users are reminded to travel to the right as per traditional traffic patterns.

— Dogs are allowed on the path with leash. Please pick up after your pet.

— Roadside parking is prohibited on State Route 28 between Sweetwater Road and south of Sand Harbor State Park as marked by signage. Approximately 90 new parking spots with direct access to the path are available at three new parking lots located alongside State Route 28 in Incline Village near Ponderosa Ranch Road.

The parking spots will initially be offered free of charge before transitioning in coming months to paid parking through the Tahoe Transportation District. Revenues will be used to operate and maintain the trail and parking.

— Tahoe Transportation District’s East Shore Express and Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit (TART) offer bus service directly to the new pathway trailhead through Labor Day.

— The path is open from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.

— The path will be maintained by Washoe County and Nevada State Parks.

Protect Tahoe’s waters by staying on the pathway and designated trails. If you pack it in, pack it out.

Improving Safety and the Environment
The trail is aimed at enhancing safety and mobility by separating vehicle and foot traffic. More than two and a half million vehicles a year travel on State Route 28, mixing with as many as 2,000 pedestrian and bicyclists who park and recreate near the roadside on peak days and creating safety and accessibility concerns on the mountainous highway.

Nearly 107 crashes occurred in the area between 2006 and 2013; accounting for approximately 25 percent of crashes on State Route 28. More than 10 miles of centerline rumble strips and emergency roadside turnouts were also added, further enhancing motorist and pedestrian safety.

With more than 70 percent of the pollutants impacting Lake Tahoe’s clarity coming from the built environment and transportation system, water quality improvements such as enhanced roadside drainage inlets, sediment filtration systems and erosion control were also installed along six miles of State Route 28 to help improve the quality of stormwater entering Lake Tahoe.

Partnering
The Tahoe Transportation District served as the lead agency through environmental review of the project, and the Nevada Department of Transportation oversaw construction. Thirteen organizations came together to partner in support of the project, including the Federal Highway Administration, Nevada Division of State Lands, Nevada Division of State Parks, U.S. Forest Service-Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Incline Village General Improvement District, Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Nevada Department of Public Safety-Highway Patrol, Washoe County, Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, as well as Carson City and Douglas County. The unique partnership effort recently received an American Trails Award for partnership.

“We are focused on working with our local partners to provide a transportation system that is safe, connected, and meets the needs of all users,” NDOT Director Kristina Swallow explained. “This project achieves all of those goals, in part, by ensuring visitors have a safe place to park and access our beautiful lake, limiting dangerous roadside parking and crossings.”

“This project illustrates what can be achieved with partnerships that cross boundaries and jurisdictions,” said Carl Hasty, district manager, Tahoe Transportation District. “No single entity can provide all the solutions. It takes collaboration to meet the demand for sustainable recreational access to Lake Tahoe and an integrated approach to transportation choices like transit, walking, and biking to reduce traffic and enhance the visitor experience.”

The project was constructed by Granite Construction and funded through federal, state, local and private funding sources.

Through the Tahoe Fund, more than 550 private donors donated well over $1 million toward the construction and maintenance of the path.

“We are so thankful to the more than 550 donors who contributed to the path, helping to secure the public funding needed to make this impossible trail possible,” Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry stated. “As people enjoy the path, we know they will be touched by its beauty and want to continue to help us take care of Tahoe’s environment.”