SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The City of South Lake Tahoe was able to fight against Caltrans’ plan to raise speed limits on segments of US50 within the city limits. That isn’t the case on SR89 outside the city limits, and this week Caltrans posted the new speed limit signs. Their speed survey showed that if a “reasonable person” drives over the speed limit 85 percent of the time during the study, then the speed limit may be raised, even if it is not safe to do so.
Many people drive five miles above the speed limit on a fairly regular basis. If 85 percent of us do this, then Caltrans feels they are justified to raise the speed limit to the speed we are driving.
With this methodology, the speed limit will be raised on the highway every time a study is done.
Caltrans just raised the speed limit from 35 mph to 45 mph from the South Lake Tahoe city limits for the 1.2-mile stretch to Camp Richardson. There it changes to 40 mph for one mile before moving up to 55 mph. This whole stretch is two lanes, one in each direction and is popular with cars, bicycles, and pedestrians (especially in front of the Camp Richardson Ice Cream Parlor, General Store, and campground).
I’d like to note that the first speed limit put up last week at Camp Richardson said 45 mph until I called the California Highway Patrol in Meyers to alert them of the error. They called Caltrans to get the correct sign installed.
In 2016, Caltrans installed a flashing beacon in front of the Ice Cream Parlor at Camp Richardson as part of a roadway improvement and safety project on Highway 89. A similar type of system had been developed by the City of Tucson, Arizona, in the late 1990s and was highly effective in reducing pedestrian crash rates and in compliance by motorists. It was turned off in 2017 due to driver confusion.
SR89 from the Y to Cathedral Road sees a higher than average number of collisions,. The Caltrans study from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2022, showed eight collisions (and that was with supposed reduced traffic due to COVID restrictions). The collision rate from Camp Richardson to Cathedral Road is 1.80 ACC/MVM (accidents per million vehicle miles), higher than the state average of 1.57; 1.15 times the average accident rate, and above the statewide average.
Several bears and cubs have also been hit and killed along SR89.
As noted in a 2023 opinion piece on South Tahoe Now, there was a public forum with Caltrans and City officials when the speed study was released, with the agency’s speed increases recommended. That led the City to challenge the results for its portions of the roads.
On a trip from the Y to Cathedral Road along SR89, there are four new 45 mph speed limit signs on the first 1.2-mile stretch, and three new 40 mph speed limit signs on the next one-mile stretch. From the city limits to the Y, there are three 35 mph speed limit signs in a 1.1-mile stretch, an area where many vehicles are seen driving over the speed limit..
Many locals are shocked and questioning the reasoning of the speed limit increases, especially since they know the dangers to wildlife with the faster cars on the narrow road.
