Tahoe Public Projects Garner Attention

Tahoe Transportation District has been recognized nationally and by the state of Nevada for its positive impacts, collaborative initiatives, environmental enhancement, and service to the community’s overall mobility and sustainability efforts for multiple projects.

The Project for the American Public Works Association- Nevada Chapter awarded top honors for Nevada Stateline to Stateline Bikeway – South Demonstration Project, while the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals commended the SR 28 Corridor Management Plan.

⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦

⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦

⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦

⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦

“The Tahoe Transportation District has successfully implemented several different projects throughout the Tahoe Basin, and it’s great to see a community leader be nationally recognized for their work,” said “B” Gorman, president of the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce. “TTD is embracing the importance, and trend within our community of public/private partnerships to execute projects, which helps to create jobs and contributes to the growth of our business community.”

Lumos & Associates, an engineering firm with local offices in Tahoe, nominated TTD’s Stateline to Stateline Bikeway project for the American Public Works Association Nevada Chapter award for best Nevada transportation project under $5 million completed in 2013. The projects were presented to a panel of judges and were scored on several criteria, including service to the public, community need, intricacy of design, aesthetic value, difficulty of construction, cost and time growth, complexity of financial background, and sustainability. Receiving the APWA award from the Nevada Chapter now makes the bikeway eligible for consideration as National Project of the Year.

The newest 1.2 mile segment of shared-use (Americans with Disabilities Act compliant) Stateline to Stateline Bikeway from Elks Point to Round Hill was dedicated in June. The first one-mile was commemorated in June 2013 and more than 10,000 people accessed the trail during the first month. Visitors and residents can now leave their cars parked and bike or walk into both Nevada Beach and Round Hill Pines Beach via the trail. Eventually the Stateline to Stateline Bikeway will span 30 miles and connect South Shore to Incline Village.

In addition, the Lake Tahoe Bike Coalition, an area non-profit membership organization that focuses on creating a sustainable bike-friendly community, awarded TTD with the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Achievement Award for 2013. TTD was honored for its significant contribution to the advancement of bicycling in the Lake Tahoe region.

Design Workshops, a design landscaping firm with local offices in Tahoe, nominated TTD’s SR 28 Corridor Management Plan to the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals. There were over 30 projects submitted nationwide and the award is presented annually for exemplary projects. SORP noted the management plan for its excellence in collaboration and positive impacts.

The SR 28 Corridor Management Plan is proactive community-based implementation and management strategy to preserve and promote the unique natural characteristics of the National Scenic Byway of state Route 28, which runs from Spooner Summit on U.S. Highway 50 to Crystal Bay. The plan includes 13 local, state and federal agencies in a cooperative effort to effectively manage the corridor. It is designed to improve safety, access for emergency vehicles, alleviate congested roadways and reduce vehicle emissions. More than 2 million cars travel the corridor each year and over 70 percent of the pollutants affecting Lake Tahoe’s clarity are attributed to erosion/developed-area run-off, much of it related to existing transportation systems.

The management plan includes transit recommendations for service along the corridor. Riding the bus can reduce emissions thereby improving air and water quality.

As the operator of South Shore’s public transportation system, the TTD also recently completed phase 2 of the California Transit Shelter Project, which has been recognized by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency for a 2014 “Best in the Basin” award. The project installed 10 new bus shelters along U.S. Highway 50 and Pioneer Trail in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., providing bike racks, bear-safe trash cans, seating, safety, comfort and weather protection for riders. Six of the new shelters are constructed of pre-fabricated aluminum frames and glass that match existing shelters on the South Shore while the remaining four are a new design utilizing redwood timber and glass.

“We sought to develop a shelter design that is more reflective of Tahoe’s alpine setting, and this timber structure is one that accounts for safety, visibility, aesthetics, and cost associated with construction and maintenance,” said Alfred Knotts, project manager for the Tahoe Transportation District.

“To be recognized for a consistent level of superior work with three separate projects within the Lake Tahoe Basin makes our entire team proud,” said Carl Hasty, district manager for the Tahoe Transportation District. “We’ve had success with our projects because of our ongoing efforts to leverage and maximize public and private partnerships.”