November/December 2020 Newsletter

Dear Friends:

This summer, we experienced a potentially unprecedented amount of visitation to the Tahoe Basin. At the same time, the threat of catastrophic wildfire continues to grow, creating concerns about what would happen if a fire broke out when our roadways are already clogged with traffic and evacuation is impossible. Recent California wildfires have exploded in virtually minutes, growing at rates far beyond what can be outrun.

However, rather than take action to address the increased vehicle use and congestion in the basin, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) instead proposes to allow more traffic. Yes, you read that right - the planning agency created specifically to protect the environment and public health in the Tahoe region proposes to allow even MORE traffic in the Basin. This is being done in two ways, with both actions planned to go to their Governing Board in December for approval:

  • The TRPA is proposing to eliminate the existing “vehicle miles traveled” (VMT) standard that places a total cap on daily VMT in the basin and replace it with one that will allow for continued increases in VMT; and

  • The TRPA is seeking approval of the 2020 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), which will result in a net increase in daily VMT and continued violation of the existing VMT standard. In order for the RTP to be approved, it has to meet TRPA’s standards; therefore TRPA aims to first weaken the VMT standard by removing the total cap on VMT prior to approving the RTP.

More details about these proposals are included below under the Regional Updates section. Please also continue reading for more information on West Shore projects and activities. As always, we look forward to your continued feedback and support, and encourage you to contact us with any additional ideas or questions you may have.

Judith Tornese, President

Latest Updates

Meeks Bay Resort Restoration Project

The lead agencies are currently working to develop the project alternatives that will be analyzed in the upcoming environmental analysis. Details of the ‘themes’ under consideration were reported in our last newsletter. To date, three Stakeholder Forums and one Public Workshop/Webinar have been held to work on the development of alternative project options.

The November 12 public workshop has been cancelled and the next date is undetermined at this time. A Stakeholder Forum meeting is scheduled for 12/9. View the website for more information.

State Route 89 Corridor Plan
 

The final State Route (SR) 89 Corridor Plan, which lays out options to improve traffic and pedestrian conditions in the future (especially at Emerald Bay), was approved by the TRPA Governing Board on September 30. The Plan involves a variety of measures to improve public safety, reduce congestion, increase transit, and improve recreation, and would be implemented in phases. Ongoing coordination will be necessary to ensure future projects within the plan are implemented.To learn more about the SR 89 Recreation Corridor Management Plan visit www.trpa.org/SR-89.

Other Project Updates

Regional Planning Updates

TRPA Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Threshold Update

TRPA is proposing to change its Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) standard to eliminate the existing “cap” on total VMT (termed “absolute VMT” by TRPA). Under the current standard, new projects and plans technically cannot be approved if they will cause the VMT standard to be violated (or increase VMT when the standard is already being violated, as is currently the case). Absolute VMT (think in terms of total ‘wheels on the ground’) creates water pollution and impedes emergency access and evacuations.

Instead, TRPA wants to replace the total absolute VMT standard with a different type of standard that regulates the VMT driven by an individual person (“per capita” VMT) and has no maximum cap on absolute VMT; the per capita metric is solely associated with tailpipe emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs). In other words, reducing per capita VMT will not limit total absolute VMT because even if each person drives fewer miles, more people driving will mean a net increase in absolute VMT. We believe the existing capacity-based absolute standard should remain in place and the per capita VMT standard adopted as an additional standard. TRPA aims to approve the changes this December (which are also ‘linked’ to the Regional Transportation Plan update; read more below).

2020 Regional Transportation Plan Update

TRPA has prepared an update to its Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), which lays out future transportation projects and plans for the next 20+ years. Note that the RTP cannot be approved if it will violate TRPA’s existing environmental threshold standards, which is exactly what it will do because it increases total absolute VMT. That is why TRPA first intends to weaken the VMT standard before voting on the RTP. FOWS recently submitted comments on the draft RTP released this summer. The final RTP is expected to go to their Governing Board in December for approval.

Unfortunately, in addition to failing to meet the existing TRPA VMT standard, the RTP has not taken a hard look at how to address VMT from visitors, including day-only visitors. Instead of comprehensively studying additional measures that could be taken to reduce visitor-generated absolute VMT within the basin and achieve the existing standard, TRPA wants to simply delete the standard! If there’s no absolute VMT standard to be violated, the 2020 RTP can be adopted as is, with VMT increases and all. This would make traffic congestion worse and further impede emergency evacuation and response (which is already a significant concern under existing development and visitation levels).

What can you do?

We believe better planning, not a weakening of the standards, is the proper way to protect our environment and safety. We encourage you to:

  1. Write to the TRPA staff, Governing Board (GB), Advisory Planning Commission (APC), and other elected officials [link to emails below] to ask that they oppose adoption of the “Linking Tahoe 2020 Regional Transportation Plan” unless and until it has been revised to achieve the existing capacity-based absolute VMT standard. We recommend you discuss your concern that the RTP increases “absolute VMT” and the associated impacts such as:

    1. More traffic, congestion, and over-visitation

    2. Impediments to emergency access/evacuation

    3. Impacts to lake clarity

    4. Lack of adequate funding for transportation projects

    5. Inadequate environmental analysis of impacts and mitigation

    If you already submitted comments to TRPA staff on the draft RTP, send a copy to all on the list and ask them to oppose the RTP.

  2. Write additional comments to the TRPA GB and APC to specifically oppose elimination of the existing absolute VMT standard. Recommended topics to discuss include concerns about more traffic/etc., impacts to emergency access/evacuation, lake clarity, and TRPA’s responsibility to address the carrying capacity of the basin.

  3. Attend and comment at the (online) public hearings currently scheduled for November 18 (tentative; Regional Plan Implementation Committee), December 9 (APC), and December 16 (GB).

*** Click here for contact emails you can copy and paste ***

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Get in Touch

We invite you to contact us to learn more, ask questions, or simply get to know the FOWS Board. 

Jennifer Quashnick, Conservation Consultant

Judith Tornese, President