Notice of Preparation (NOP) of a CEQA Draft EIR and TRPA Draft EIS and Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare a Draft EIS for the US 50/South Shore Community Revitalization Project.
SR 89/Fanny Bridge Community Revitalization Project
Four alternatives are being explored to enhance the Tahoe City community while saving a piece of its history and easing extreme traffic congestion. Click here to download a pdf including conceptual drawings.
Location - Tahoe City, CA, State Routes 89 and 28 at the Truckee River crossing and associated intersections. The need for improvements/realignment here was identified as early as 1994, in Chapter III, "Transportation Element," of the Tahoe City Community Plan. Frequently Asked Questions - The TTD has made presentations in the Tahoe City community since January 2011 about the proposed SR 89/ Fanny Bridge Community Revitalization Project and its alternatives. Several questions are frequently asked. In an effort to more widely disseminate the answers to these questions, the TTD has presented these answers in the Sierra Sun and the Moonshine Ink.
History - Pedestrians, cyclists and drivers are put at risk by the deteriorating condition of Fanny Bridge, as well as the extreme congestion heading into Tahoe City along the West Shore (SR 89) and at the southwest end of town. Substantial, growing seasonal traffic volumes cause periodic gridlock in both directions. Related delays discourage transit ridership and inconvenience residents, visitors and businesses.
Emissions from idling vehicles and topsoil disturbance by vehicles, bicycles and foot traffic affect air and water quality. (A 2010 report attributes loss of lake clarity to increased fine sediment run-off with the transportation system as a primary source.)
A recently released (May 2011) Statement of Need and Purpose summarizes these conditions. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) has already initiated Project Development Support (PDS), documented with the 2002 Project Study Report (PSR) for purposes of beginning the Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA & ED) component for the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
The TTD was created with a transportation-specific function at the same time as the TRPA by Article IX of the Tahoe Regional Compact. We are partnering with the TRPA and Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization (TMPO) on the next steps in the development process.
Design - A number of options have been developed but not chosen (summary of criteria), including several for only rebuilding/replacing the bridge itself. The four Project Alternatives currently being considered retain elements of these previous designs while incorporating other possibilities, like integrating Tahoe City's new Transit Center into the traffic flow plan.
Two additional project Alternatives (Alternative 6 and 6a) are now posted for public viewing. The posting of these alternatives is a result of requests from the Tahoe City Business Community and Residents during the TTD's extensive 2011 outreach and scoping period to see drawings of just a Fanny Bridge Rebuild and the Placement of a Roundabout at the "Y" in front of Save Mart. Click here to see conceptual drawings of Alternative 6 and 6a (6MB PDF).
Goals/Benefits - The SR 89/Fanny Bridge improvements are focusing on:
• Resolving safety and community cultural concerns related to the historic bridge • Improving pedestrian, cyclist and driver safety • Making public transportation more effective with better connectivity, reliability and travel times • Providing two viable emergency evacuation routes from the West Shore • Lessening environmental impacts by reducing vehicle emissions and improving stormwater treatment • Improving vehicle mobility for commerce needs and a better resident and visitor travel experience
Timing - The Project's preliminary timeline begins with gathering community input and preferences in 2011, targeting 2014-15 for construction.
Comments - The Project Alternatives will continue to evolve as the TTD and the TMPO solicit community input as part of the Project Development Process. We welcome your input. Please address written comments to:
Tahoe Transportation District PO Box 499 Zephyr Cove, NV 89448
email:
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