South Tahoe Greenway one step closer to reality

A 3.86 mile shared used bike trail from Van Sickle Bi-State Park to Sierra Boulevard is getting closer to becoming reality after a Memo of Understanding (MOU) has been developed between its three partners.

The first phase of the South Tahoe Greenway Shared Use Trail was completed through the Bijou neighborhood in Summer, 2015, but the next phase needed a partnership between the City of South Lake Tahoe (City), Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) and California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) to be completed.

Phase 2's one mile of trail starts at Bijou Meadow by Glenwood Road, goes to Bijou Community Park, crosses over Al Tahoe Boulevard to LTCC. After a trip through the college the path will eventually cross over Trout Creek and to Barbara Avenue and Sierra Blvd. The complete trail will eventually take users from Meyers to Stateline without their having to use a major road.

As Bijou Community Park's dynamics changed with the addition of the Bike Park and Skate Park, the final stages of the Greenway needed to be adjusted and a 79-acre land swap needed to transpire between LTCC, CTC and the City.

The MOU signed by the CTC on Thursday assigns operations, maintenance, and land management responsibilities, and defines the roles of each of the partners where the trail goes through newly acquired property.

To meet the deadlines for Public Works Board and California Transportation
Commission review of the Greenway Project, each of the three project partners must approve and execute the MOU and other agreements by May 1, 2017.

The $4.327 million budget for this Project includes contributions from the following sources:

Federal Active Transportation Program Funding $ 1,928,000
California Tahoe Conservancy $ 1,300,000
Lake Tahoe Community College District $ 700,000
Tahoe Transportation District (CMAQ funds) $ 399,000

LTCC's financial participation was reason for the land swap as they couldn't put Measure F funds into the Project on land they didn't own.

The South Lake Tahoe Recreation Facilities Joint Powers Authority (JPA) took actions in January related to maintenance funding. The JPA authorized $5,000 annually per mile of trail from Measure S funds for the Greenway’s maintenance.
This Measure S funding will be provided to the City once they agree to operate and
maintain the Greenway on behalf of the Conservancy. The CTC Board authorized up to
$30,000 over five years to reimburse the City if operation and maintenance costs for Phases 1a, 1b, and 2 exceed the Measure S funding.

The MOU:
Conservancy: The Conservancy will own the Project and have easement interest in the right-of-way regardless of underlying land ownership, notwithstanding other agreements, and assumes responsibility for major repair or replacement for the Project’s useful life. The Conservancy may, in its sole discretion for good cause or in the event of natural disaster which renders the Project obsolete or impracticable to rebuild, subject to required approvals, may elect not to replace or repair the improvements.

Conservancy will reimburse City for preventative maintenance costs of the trail in excess of costs covered by Measure S funds, subject to available funding. Should funding not be available, the City will not be obligated to maintain the Project beyond Measure S funds.

At the expiration of Measure S and if no replacement funding source for trail maintenance is authorized, the Conservancy shall be responsible for Project maintenance costs, subject to available funding.

Conservancy shall continue to seek funding for implementation of the Project.
Conservancy agrees to assume responsibility for natural resource management including wildlife management, flood clean up, and forest management including hazard tree removal outside of trail corridor on Sites 1 and 4 as shown in the photo.

City: The City will perform preventive maintenance for all existing and future phases of the Project on behalf of the Conservancy. City maintenance responsibilities for Phase 1a are defined in the photo (“South Tahoe Greenway Shared Use Trail, Phase 1a Operations and Maintenance Agreement”).

Exhibit 3 as shown in the phot will serve as a template for City trail maintenance responsibilities for future Project phases. Subsequent Operations and Maintenance Agreements for future Project phases will be executed when those phases are nearing completion.

City agrees to incorporate Project into City bike trail network for purposes of operations, including application of public use policies and special event permits.

The City will use funding available from Measure S to perform preventative maintenance activities and will only seek reimbursement for additional costs from Conservancy once those funds have been expended.

City agrees to support Conservancy’s efforts to secure funding for implementation of the Project.

City agrees to work collaboratively with Parties to seek funding for major repair and replacement of the trail.

City retains responsibilities for all aspects of land management on property owned by the City located adjacent to but outside of the trail corridor.

LTCC District: District agrees to support Conservancy’s efforts to secure funding for implementation of the Project.

District agrees to work collaboratively with Parties to seek funding for major repair and replacement of the trail.

District is not responsible for performing or funding trail maintenance activities or costs.

District agrees to assume responsibility for people management issues such as homelessness, litter removal, and volunteer trails outside of trail corridor on Sites 1 and 4 as shown in Exhibit 2.

District agrees to grant right of entry to trail corridor to City for maintenance purposes.

Any of the three parties may terminate its participation in the MOU by providing one year written notice to all other parties.

Final plans will be completed in 2018 and the trail is expected to be constructed in 2019 and finished in 2020.