Hwy. 50 bike trail in S. Tahoe moves forward

By Kathryn Reed

It took a bit of arm-twisting, but South Lake Tahoe Councilman Tom Davis finally acquiesced to colleagues’ desires to go forward with the bike trail from El Dorado Beach to Ski Run Boulevard.

“I’m frustrated with the process and amount of money,” Davis said at last week’s council meeting.

Tom Davis

The issue has been on the books since at least 2004 when the California Tahoe Conservancy gave the city money to design the project.

Design work has mostly been delayed to coordinate with Caltrans’ Highway 50 improvement. That three-year project is slated to start in May.

About 90 percent of the project has been designed, with the environmental documents expected to be released later this year.

The council, with members Claire Fortier and Bruce Grego absent, agreed to use $157,700 from the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality fund to move the project forward.

Voter approved Measure S money would pay for maintenance of the trail.

In other action:

• Jerry Bindel questioned the city’s desire in its five-year financial plan that was approved March 15 to raise the hotel tax in 2014. Bindel runs Lakeland Village, is a board member of the South Lake Tahoe Lodging Association, Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority and Tourism Improvement District.

Council and staff told him interested parties would be consulted before voters are asked to increase the tax.

• Jere Copeland, representative for some employee bargaining units, reiterated the need to make sure necessary items are negotiated and don’t become a matter of policy in terms of the fiscal plan and reorganization plan. The latter was also adopted March 15.