Sustainable transportation in eastern Placer County
KINGS BEACH, Calif. – Placer County took a step forward on sustainable transportation in eastern Placer with the Board of Supervisors unanimously voting in support of the Resort Triangle Transportation Plan.
The plan is intended to provide a unified local vision for North Lake Tahoe's three main transportation corridors – state Routes 28, 89 and 267 and adjacent communities, which make up the area's "Resort Triangle" between Placer's lakeside communities, mountain resorts and the Town of Truckee.
It prioritizes programs that reduce traffic, get people out of their cars, encourage alternative commuting options and address congestion. Proposed programs and projects in the plan include a transit-only lane for the state Route 89 and 267 corridors, a paid parking program, a micro-transit program and more.
Implementation
Placer staff will now develop an implementation plan for accomplishing the RTTP goals and present it for the board's consideration in the coming months.
"I think it's a great plan," said District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. "We need to be flexible as we implement it to address any unintended consequences, but we need to move as quickly as we can to relieve the congestion issues we're already experiencing."
Stakeholder group
The county worked with a stakeholder group to seek input and coordinate current and future transportation planning efforts, including partner agencies such as Placer County Transportation Planning Agency, Tahoe Transportation Division, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Town of Truckee, Nevada County Transportation Commission, Truckee North Tahoe Transportation Management Association, Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit, Caltrans, California Highway Patrol, North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, special districts and others.
Once the stakeholder meetings defined the plan priorities, the county hosted virtual community workshops to receive resident feedback on the plan.
"While we have already made significant headway on transportation improvements in the 'Resort Triangle' area, this plan will truly move the needle on implementing new and evolving smart sustainable transportation initiatives," said Stephanie Holloway, senior civil engineer. "This process brought together key stakeholders and community members to give a unified local voice to the larger mobility conversation for the region."
Regional transportation plan
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is also working to update its regional transportation plan for the Tahoe Basin, which sets strategic goals for the Lake Tahoe region. The RTTP, in conjunction with the Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit Systems plan, defines the county's priority programs to reach those regional goals defined by the TRPA.
The RTTP was funded from the state's Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account – Sustainable Communities Grant Program, established with revenue from California's 2017 gas tax measure, Senate Bill 1.