Opinion: Say no to the loop road

To the community,

Tahoe Transportation District (part of TRPA) is again pushing to construct the Loop Road. The Loop Road dates back to 1970 and attempted revisions in 1982 and 1987. Original goal was to ease congestion in the casino core.

Included in this era was a “people moving system” from Stateline core to Reagan Beach and “Light Rail” from Kingsbury Grade to South Lake Tahoe airport. Long gone is the “Casino Mecca”.

The present day plan is backed by South Tahoe Alliance of Resorts “STAR” renamed from the former “Gaming Alliance”. STAR has funded $50,000 on “South Shore Vision Plan”.

There is a clear difference from “South Shore” to South Lake Tahoe.

Key to the plan is the construction of the Loop Road.

If you are a South Lake Tahoe resident, property owner and/or business owner – please investigate the Vision Plan/Casino Core and potential Loop Road direction. Highlights: at Pioneer Trail and Highway 50 – the Bottle Shop, Naked Fish and Powderhouse turn into an eight-lane intersection. The road goes around the back of the Village Center/Raley’s to a roundabout at Highway 50 and Park Way. The Loop Road/”California Bypass” deposits visitors to the rebuilt Horizon, new Edgewood Lodge, and remodeled Lakeside Inn Casino property.

The front part of the new Horizon is built with extensive retail and restaurant opportunities – the new “Village Center”.

This plan does not benefit the businesses or the tax revenue of South Lake Tahoe. The South Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce opposes the Loop Road plan.

Highway 50 runs six miles from the Y to Stateline and only 1.1 miles through the project area. The majority of South Shore’s existing population lives in South Lake Tahoe – 21,000; Stateline, Nevada, has a population of 2,300. Highway 50 is the “bloodline” economic main street for the South Lake Tahoe community.

The $65 million projected Loop Road cost needs to be redirected to enhance Highway 50 from Stateline to the Y, not just the Casino Core.

Important meeting are coming up:

May 11 – 9:30am Tahoe Transportation District monthly meeting at Embassy Suites.

May 29 – South Lake Tahoe City Council workshop 6-8pm at Lake Tahoe Airport.

Mike McKeen, South Lake Tahoe businessman