To the community,

A big thank you to the city of South Lake Tahoe, the county of El Dorado, and the businesses and residents of Tahoe’s South Shore for clearing the snow from your sidewalks and paths.

Even during these big storms, you have made sure the multi-use paths and many sidewalks on the South Shore are passable. And after 2 feet of snow overnight, you made the roads and paths safe enough for 500-plus locals to take to the streets by 11am on Jan. 21 for the Women’s March. This is a big and welcome change from the previous years of sidewalk and bike path “freshies”. Let’s save those for the slopes.

Now before any drivers start clamoring about roads and berms and potholes and the rest – we sympathize, we also want the roads clear. The funding for sidewalk and path snow removal comes from Measure S, which the city and county can only use for bike paths and the like, not city streets or potholes. Thanks to this dedicated funding and your gallant snow clearing efforts, Tahoe is becoming more accessible to people with handicaps, no car, or no license as well as those who choose to walk or bike throughout the year.

Even with the dedicated snow removal, getting around without a car in the winter is not all snowflakes and hot cocoa. There are a number of areas with no sidewalks to clear, non-compliant businesses, and otherwise impassable off-road areas. You know many of these places – just think of where you see us walking or biking in the street, usually against traffic and with a look in our eyes ranging from concern to terror. The sidewalk along Pioneer between Highway 50 and Larch is a good example. Let’s work together to make these improvements, along with keeping up the good work. And if you are a business and have not yet cleared the snow from your sidewalks, please get out there and help make South Lake Tahoe more accessible for people walking and biking.

Let it snow!

Gavin Feiger, Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition and Community Mobility Group