Road striping project under way in South Lake Tahoe from Y to Viking Way

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A planned road reconfiguration and bike lane project on Lake Tahoe Boulevard from the Y to Viking Way (South Tahoe High School) had its first steps this week, much to the surprise of many.

A lack of appropriate signage directing drivers through the new painted routes led to confusion this week with drivers ending up on the wrong part of the road which now striped future bike lanes, two lanes of traffic, and a turn lane. Doing striping on a roadway a building season prior to the actual project is a common traffic calming method so drivers can get used to the new pattern prior to the beginning of construction. This was done on Al Tahoe Safety and Mobility Project prior to this year's building season.

The Y to Viking project is a City of South Lake Tahoe project and they are correcting the signage error and putting new ones in place today.

There is chevron striping over what will be the new bike lane.

In 2015, the Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Community Outreach Report listed Lake Tahoe’s most common routes and needs. Within the City of South Lake Tahoe limits, the South Wye (the Y) was listed as the most highly used bike and pedestrian area that did not have adequate facilities. This project was proposed in order to close a major gap in the area bike trails as well as serve the high school with an alternate mode of transportation.

The project to improve vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle safety, connectivity, and access along Lake Tahoe Boulevard will include a ten-foot-wide Class 1 bike trail on the south/east side of Lake Tahoe Boulevard, Class II bike lanes along each side of the road, and added pathway lighting. To develop these the roadway will be reduced from four lanes to three lanes. The design will include one lane in each direction with a dedicated center turn lane. Also included in the project is landscaping, drainage, pathway lighting, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant infrastructure improvements.