Planners plotting Tahoe’s cycling future
By Kathryn Reed
Cycling in the Lake Tahoe Basin can be compared to driving in rush hour traffic. It’s a lot of stop and go, along with frustration.
With the lack of connectivity, routes abruptly stopping and harrowing experiences when having to interact with vehicles, two-wheelers in Tahoe are often relegated to second-class citizens – at least on the roads. Planners, with the help of the public, want to change that reality.
“We are transitioning into an active transportation plan,” Nick Haven, transit planner with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, told Lake Tahoe News. “Historically, we’ve been focused on circulation and transportation.” Now health and other modes of transit like skateboarding are part of the bigger picture.
The bi-state agency is updating its bike and pedestrian plan – something that is done every four years.
On April 14 more than 20 people gathered at the South Lake Tahoe Library to offer input about what planners should focus on when designing trails, what overall goals should be, where missing links in the trail system exist, and where bike racks should be installed.
Greg Kendall of Marla Bay voted for buffered or protected bike lanes, as did many others. While he prefers a separated bike path, he told Lake Tahoe News he knows that isn’t realistic for his part of the South Shore where the roads are narrow. Kendall also believes it’s necessary to accommodate the different types of cyclists – those out for a leisurely ride, and those who are more serious, going faster and would be encumbered by a multi-use path.
Morgan Beryl, who is TRPA’s project manager for what is now called an active transportation plan, told Lake Tahoe News the document would prioritize projects for funding, be a guide for what should be implemented and be a source for designers.
TRPA has found that people are sticking to their vehicles because they don’t feel safe on the roads or in intersections – whether on a bike or foot. Working to make intersections safer is a goal. Caltrans recently added a class 4 designation to bike trails. This allows for two-way travel on the same side of the street along the road. Bike boxes are being tested in Sacramento and Davis. These put cyclists in front of vehicles at an intersection. Removable signs in the roadway and flashing lights to alert motorists of the presence of cyclist are other innovations.
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Notes:
• Feedback on the bike-pedestrian plan is also being sought via an online survey that will be up through June.
• A draft plan – which will seek more public comment – should be ready by October, with the final document completed by the end of the year.
• There is a meeting at Kings Beach Elementary on April 16 from 5:30 to 7:30pm about the plan.
last nights meeting was interesting
the majority of the folks who attended do not ride bicycles.
I agree with Chief Mark only partially, as one lady I talked to there lived about 3 1/2 miles away (on the Nevada side) from a grocery store, & had no idea that anything had been proposed to plan for bicycling & transit in the time she’s been here (30 + years). . . it was a revelation to her. . .
But at a time when the Chinese (who used to be known as a biking country) are intent upon buying the same gas-guzzlers we’re now moving away from (a negative reversal due to their 4X-larger population), Tahoe should be in a perfect position to show others what walkable/bikable communities should look like (& aspire to) for the very visitors that we economically rely on- – – explore the neighborhood, whether walking or cycling, so as to not use the car just to buy a gallon of milk or a six-pack of beer. . .
Get in better shape in the outdoors without having to be either a ‘hard-rock’ hiker, or mountain biker, get in better health as we are by nature’s design ‘biped’, so the body movement aids blood circulation, digestion, and strengthens the heart. . .all without emitting CO2 (carbon dioxide) that continues to choke the planet. . .(saving gas money at the same time) & feeling that better for it, to boot. . .
“Going by” at 30 m.p.h. means you miss seeing a lot that’s really there, & as a classic Volkswagen ad put it, “it makes the town look bigger”. . .
Using a car in a car-centric place will not contribute much to a better quality of life in a place where that should reign supreme.
A personal mantra continues to be “policies equal to the scenery” – not too hard to fathom. . .
Hey chief.. How do you know who rides bikes.. Their apperance?… Besides it shouldn’t really matter.. It’s a “transportation ” meeting not a bike club get together.
I bike around the lake multiple times during the summer. North Shore by far has the best bikes trails to offer. It gets a little scary on the east side of the lake.
The biggest threat is the local talent driving their pick up trucks and U-Haul rentals…clueless people.
I would really like to see the bicyclists off the road. Tahoe roads are not set up for biking, and it is dangerous for the bicyclists and the cars. Bike paths would be better.
Roadies won’t use bike paths even where they exist. Those who are slower annoy them. I think they LIKE annoying car drivers; we came up on two of them, riding up Kingsbury, side by side. Really??? Are you trying to get killed, out in the middle of the road doing 6 mph abreast on a blind curve when I’m doing 45? Talk about clueless people. . .
Dog, we roadies (I ride a few thousand a year) will ride bike paths. It all depends on their length, how their designed etc. There are some very fast paced rides (in excess of 20mph/average speed) on the Sacramento Bike Path (35 miles each way); There are a number of lunch time riders from Specialized which will hammer portions of the bike path from Morgan Hill to SJ on their lunch time ride, and so on. I will ride the short section from Sawmill Lake to the HS, because I find that section sketchy due to the drivers, particularly coming from the Y to Meyers, but I will not ride the path along the west shore as it is dangerous – it crosses the road a few times crosses roads and driveways, etc. Far safer to ride the road through there.
I agree with you on the lack of logic of any cyclist riding side by side on any climb with traffic.
Cyclist are no different then drivers (I are both as I drive about 26,000 miles a year) some are pretty good at obeying the law, some are not. Sit at a stop sign at North Upper Truckee and Lake Tahoe Blvd – you will be hard pressed to find a driver that comes to a stop and most roll through about 10 to 20mph.
Many cyclist respect cars and many drivers are thoughtful around bikes. Mutual civility is key. I was on a ride in San Marcos (San Diego area) for a ride 3 weeks ago. Riding north on the coast past Carlsbad several of us were stopped at a traffic light when one brain dead cyclist shot through as there was no traffic. One racer gal took charge and when the light changed we hammered in a paceline (25mph plus) caught him and blew him up as he couldn’t hold our wheel. How many drivers teach bad drivers a lesson?
Rick
All valid points, Rick.
I used to ride a lot also, commuted to work on bike often. There are good and bad in both bike riders and drivers. At south shore, we so often see bicycle riders blow stop signs AND stop lights, ride the wrong side of the road, etc. . .
I almost hit a bike who blew a stop sign and I called out to him that he was supposed to stop and he actually flipped me off and yelled that the stop signs were for cars, not bikes. It’s frustrating dealing with that attitude so often.
You’re probably right about people sliding through that one stop sign at N. Upper Truckee; it’d be an easy one to do that, because visibility is easy. But I’m a fanatic about stopping because 1) you never know where there might be a cop or a camera, and 2) I used to ride bikes! ;-)
Great points Rick. If everyone could just put their ego aside a little and respect the other people on the road, there wouldn’t be any problems. Unfortunately, though, I have seen a lot of motorists intentionally “buzzing” cyclists, and cyclists being obviously inconsiderate of faster moving cars. Motorists need to remember that the bicycles have rights too, and cyclists need to remember that they are subject to most of the same laws as the cars are.
greengrass