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Opinion: Loop road possibilities need to be studied


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Publisher’s note: This letter was sent to the South Lake Tahoe City Council and is reprinted with the author’s permission.

I sat in at the Lodging Association meeting last Thursday and heard the loop road presentation from Carl Hastings. [sic]

I was not happy with Plan No. 1 or Plan No. 2, so am glad the City Council voted for a third option.

Here’s my two cents for a third option:

1. Being that two-thirds of the traffic on Highway 50 goes right on through the state line without stopping (according to Carl Hastings) [sic] let’s excavate the Highway 50 corridor and put through traffic underground.

2. Leave the existing loop road, businesses and resident homes intact.

3. Close off H50 at Park Avenue where traffic would either turn right for Raley’s, Marriott, Harrah’s, etc. or left toward beach, Harveys, Horizon and Edgewood on the lower loop road.

4. Close traffic off at the loop road by Edgewood and traffic either goes right or left locally onto the existing loop road as above.

5. Casino parking is off the loop road.

6. The western facing traffic tunnel would start between Kingsbury Grade and the loop road intersection on the NV side.

7. The eastern traffic tunnel would start somewhere near the entrance to Tahoe Meadows on the CA side.

8. The existing Harveys to Harrah’s pedestrian tunnel would be removed and replaced with pedestrian overpass with shops and gambling space or restaurant over the road. (That would be up to Harrah’s.)

9. The traffic tunnel would be one lane either way going underground with a drop off lane in front of each casino for buses, etc.

10. A middle lane for emergencies. Five lanes total underground.

11. Entrance and exit to the tunnel would be one lane down and one lane up.

12. The walking mall would be designed so traffic could go through there in an emergency.

Results:

Fantastic Walking Mall between Park Ave. and Edgewood Loop intersection.

An area that will enhance a future convention center (Hole in the Ground).

As the casinos go out of business (Horizon) can be converted to a Macy’s type shopping center possibly or a large entertainment venue.

Increase in value of the “hole in the ground” and encourage someone to finish it.

Reduce air pollution and the stop and go traffic as their would be no lights for submerged through traffic until they got to Kingsbury Grade.

A mall atmosphere would exist that locals would like to go.

It will cost more than the other plans, but a public works project should be done first class.

Nearly every major city in Europe has a grand square that bans cars and is the place for locals and tourists to visit and shop.

Who is going to pay for it? All of us.

Happy trails,

Les Wright, South Lake Tahoe

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Comments

Comments (19)
  1. Bob says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    It’s a shame everyone in town is wasting their time with this loop road idea. We have a hole in the ground thanks to other brilliant minds from a few years ago. What’s next? Trips to Mars from the top of Mont Blea? Get a life people.

  2. Atomic says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    …anything involving a tunnel is silly, it’s been looked at and is wild expensive

    and once again, this is a Federal Highway project guys, stop tangling this with the hole in the ground please. The hole does not come under federal control, it’s privately owned and currently in various stages of foreclosure proceedings. Vail will pick that up on the cheap and build it out soon enough

    Better loop road alternatives need to be explored because something needs to get done to improve the area.

  3. dumbfounded says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    Is it not obvious that we can’t afford more studies for anything right now? How about fixing what we know is broken without any more “studies”?

  4. Old Long Skiis says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    Mr. Wright,
    I agree the tunnel idea sounds pretty cool but is it actualy doable? I’d prefer that over the loop road. My feeling is just leave the road the way it is . Worked fine all these years..if it aint broke , don’t fix it.
    On a side note Mr. Wright I’d like to belatedly thank you for not paddeling me in 8th grade.
    It went like this. I was a bit of a class clown and one day during P.E we were in the gym doing jumping jacks, sit ups and all that kinda stuff. As usual I was goofing off and you pulled me out of the group and marched me back to a closed room where the the rolled up rubber mats were stored that were used for wrestling for the boys and the girls used for tumbeling(do girls still tumbel?) So you go up to your office and come back with your infamous paddle, the one with the holes drilled in it so as to allow maximum velocity upon every swat.
    I was scared but then you smiled and said,”I’m going to hit the mat several times with the paddle and then you let out a holler like you’ve just been hit on the butt”.So I went along with this and then you told me to act like I was really hurtin’ when we went back out to the gym. Always the ham, I played it up real big for the guys in my gym class.
    Man you never saw those kids do jumping jacks so fast or so many sit ups in your life after they saw me standing in the corner with my faked pain.
    Mr. Wright thank you for not paddeling me but more importantly thanks for being actively involved in this community.
    Take care, Old Long Skiis

  5. earl zitts says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    I am offering my services as a consultant for this project. For a mere 100 G’s I will be glad to do another study so the powers that be can blame someone else for their failures.
    If the results of the study need to be preordained, it will cost only another 50 G’s. Can’t beat that deal.
    Please reply to Earl Zitts, 1 Wonderland Drive, Dysfunction Junction, CA. Time is money so hurry up.

  6. David Jinkens says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    I agree that the City faces far more serious matters than the Loop Road including a faltering economy based in part on over government regulation, high unemeployment, a one-dimensional local economy, flight of our young people for lack of work, and shrinking numbers of public safety personnel. However, as long as TTD pushes to take away appriximately 93 private-sector parcels for a road that is ill conceived, opponents of the plan as presently conceived will continue. I am pleased by the involvement of the community in this matter and thank this publication for allowing discussion on the matter.

  7. Careaboutthecommunity says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    I just read the full page ad taken out in the Mountain News (page 39),by the TTD, and it comes across with so obviously made up statistics/results/facts.

    1. For one thing, they keep saying they are “Realigning HWY 50”, taking a big jog to the mountainside is not “realigning” anything!

    2. They state it will create a more efficient traffic flow, will they add more lanes than we already have? If not, at best it might stay the same, at worst, the flow will move slower, and less efficiently.

    3. It will result in a “reduction of vehicle emissions and over 70% of pollutants that affect lake clarity” Really!, making people drive an extra 100-1000 feet to jog behind the casinos, instead of a straight line between, is going to decrease pollution? I never learned this kind of science in any schooling I encountered. Do you just get to make it up as you go, and your declaring it fact, makes it so? How about some evidence? Cause we aren’t pulling any eminent domain based on those outlandish statements.

    I could go on with the other false statements put in their big PR campaign, but those 3 should suffice ;)

  8. Monica says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    So what I’m gathering here from nay-sayers of this project is that status quo is ok? Change is necessary and the loop road project offers a chance for our community to reinvent itself, offer a walkable community and have a downtown area we can all have pride in. Will it be expensive? Yes. Will some people and companies be hurt? Yes. Is there a good possibility this project could contribute to the better good of the community and community pride? Yes. I, for one, would love to see expanded community engagement and education and spend the necessary funds to find the solution that works for the majority. I plan to live here for a long time and want to see our community move forward vs. stagnate.

  9. John says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    Amen Monica. Walkable downtowns similar to European city centers. Its doable, but not with the current road configuration.

  10. lou pierini says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    Monica, If your home was being taken because of this project you would feel different. As someone who has been there (ski run 1989) this project its not fair and or just. Go buy a business or a home in that area and you will see how eminent domain really works.

  11. Sunriser2 says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    I don’t see why this project is needed.

    The hundreds of families that were going to relocate to SLT to take advantage of our new and improved school system should arrive any day now.

    Add in all the money from the lighted ball fields and we should be rolling money.

    By the way what is wrong with using the town square at the Marriot? All you have to do is pay an arm and a leg for parking.

  12. Mike McKeen says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    One of the positives that has come from the loop road plan has been the outpouring community involvement and support to end the current plan and find an alternative. Thank you city council members – Hal Cole, Tom Davis, and Bruce Greggo! Plus – thank you Kathryn Reed for accurate coverage and open communication, even with TTD pouring advertising dollars into your publication.

  13. Mike Ervin says - Posted: June 22, 2012

    Les what the heck are you thinking,underground roads in Tahoe omg, if the city wasnt already in need of funds and which state also in financial trouble, Ca. or Nevada is paying for this. Heck the work alone would be 10-15 yrs with the weather up here. And anyone who thinks the Feds will pay for this are also in dreamland. Leave things as they are , we have roads on the Ca. side that need repair this loop road idea is B/S. How would any of you like having someone come up to your home or business and say hi here’s what we think its worth now move were building a road here. Try asking anyone who was bought out for the Hole in the ground . NO TO THE LOOP ROAD PUT IT ON THE BALLOT FOR NOV.

  14. Bill Swim says - Posted: June 24, 2012

    Put it on the November ballot.

  15. 4-mer-usmc says - Posted: June 26, 2012

    This past weekend I drove through the proposed Highway 50 relocation areas of Fern Road and Echo Road and with the exception of one newer house I unfortunately found the majority of structures in that area to be extremely old and run-down to the point that the area looks blighted. It does not appear that much if any maintenance/upgrading to the residences and apartments has occurred, there were graffiti covered overflowing dumpsters situated adjacent to the street right of way with trash strewn all around on the ground, and there appeared to be numerous ‘dead’ cars parked throughout the area. While this community needs affordable housing, people deserve to live in something better than a slum and if this project doesn’t occur then the City should go in and force those slumlords who are exploiting the least powerful and lowest income residents in our community to clean up and fix-up that mess. Personally, if I owned anything in that area I’d be relieved to take a buy-out so I could use those funds toward the purchase of something elsewhere.

  16. dryclean says - Posted: June 26, 2012

    4-mer-usmc, hope you can post some pictures.

  17. mojomixumup says - Posted: June 26, 2012

    Hey 4-mer-usmc, This is not a new thing in these neighborhoods. The slumlords that emerged in the 80’s with the corp takeover of the casinos from the Bill Harrah and Harvey Gross people cultivated these places to house cheap immigrant labor willing to live 10 people in a 2 bedroom. This is same/same shame greedhead.

  18. 4-mer-usmc says - Posted: June 26, 2012

    dryclean–

    I’m old and don’t take pictures with a phone, so I don’t have any photos. And I don’t think I want to drive back over there again just to take pictures of a very sad rundown area. I feel bad for the folks who live there.

  19. biggerpicture says - Posted: June 26, 2012

    Here’s some food for thought. Those that think this project will actually create a more positive outlook on our area by visitors need to take into account that probably 30-40% of all our visitors end up staying at many of the run down skid row, bed bug ridden motel properties that would be more appropriate on the outskirts of Waco TX. How many of these aforementioned visitors do you think look forward to returning to our town when they spend upwards of $100 a night (on weekends) in a shanty town motel with a closed pool filled with mosquito breeding brown mucky water? Do you think they even get far enough in the thought process to be dismayed by our town to consider the loop road being a great improvement? Let’s not put the cart before the horse!