Connections 2050

Lake Tahoe’s communities are supported by a robust seasonal recreation tourist economy that supports just  over 55,000 residents  and attracts millions of visitors each year. Tahoe needs a comprehensive transportation system that will reduce congestion and preserve Tahoe’s environment.

Town centers and popular recreation destinations are dispersed around the lake, connected by state and federal highways, local roads, bike lanes, and shared use paths.

Every four years, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency evaluates and updates the plan for Tahoe’s transportation system. The Connections 2050 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) will identify a broad range of projects, programs, and strategies needed to comprehensively improve Tahoe’s transportation system over the next 25 years. This plan creates a vision for a comprehensive transportation system that will reduce congestion and preserve Tahoe’s environment.

We heard throughout our  Transportation Equity Study  that it’s much more difficult for individuals with a disability, minority populations, or low-income residents to use Tahoe’s transportation system. Moving forward, TRPA is committed to ensuring that transportation benefits and burdens are equitably distributed.

Right now, it’s impossible for someone to get from Tahoe City to South Lake Tahoe without a private vehicle. If Billie were visiting her friend in 2025 she would have to drive her own vehicle, contributing to congestion and worse air quality.

While people may use a variety of methods to travel from one point to another (e.g. car, bike, walk),  data  is showing that most people primarily use a private vehicle.

Seasonality also plays a big role in where people travel. In the winter, people congregate at the many ski resorts within the basin, but in the summer, we see Emerald Bay and Tahoe’s beaches attract the majority of people.

Click and drag the line in the map to switch from Summer (orange) to Winter (blue) visitation.

While many trips are recreation focused, like Billie's trip to South Lake Tahoe, most trips are "everyday trips" to work, school, and the grocery store.

TART Connect just recorded  their millionth rider , and while microtransit options are popular for going short distances, they are designed to supplement (not replace) fixed route transit. Regional transit is free-to-the-user, but is not reliable or regular.

The RTP will build upon the  Linking Tahoe: Lake Tahoe Basin Transit Master Plan,  which provides the long term vision for transit throughout the Tahoe Region, and Short Range Transit Plans, that identify existing and proposed transit infrastructure, operations, and maintenance.

We heard in the  Unmet Transit Needs  survey that the community wants more frequent and reliable transit with a connection between the North Shore and South Shore.

Mountain towns around the country, including Lake Tahoe, are in a housing crisis. Displaced workers commuting into the basin increase vehicle miles travelled (VMT), which leads to more congestion and runoff into the lake. Without housing that is affordable to local workers and families, communities within the Tahoe Basin may continue to lose the workforce and services that help them thrive as people move to Carson City, Reno, and other areas.

The map on the right shows commute patterns, based on home locations (in green) and work locations (in red) reported by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Mobility hubs serve the region as transit centers, park and ride locations, active transportation connections, and zero emission vehicle facilities. Tahoe has several mobility hubs in South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City, but needs more in other communities around the lake so people don’t have to drive their private vehicle everywhere.

Since 2020, TRPA has updated policies to incentivize deed-restricted housing projects, and brought millions of dollars in funding to the basin to build long-term capacity for affordable housing and transportation solutions in the region. TRPA’s policies incentivize development to be transferred away from the edge of town and sensitive areas like meadows, and instead built in town centers. These policies create the density needed to support businesses and more frequent transit in town centers, and results in a more sustainable land use pattern for Tahoe’s forests and meadows.

 Learn more  about TRPA's housing program. Under California state law, the RTP must integrate housing and show how the region can meet state housing goals.

Thanks to the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, partners have added or improved nearly 200 miles of bike and pedestrian paths since 1997.

As we learned through the 2024  Vision Zero Strategy , and 2024  Active Transportation Plan , there is still a lot of progress to be made in order to build a cohesive and safe trail network for people to walk, bicycle, and roll.

We learned from the Transportation Safety Survey that people felt the safest travelling by vehicle, transit, and paratransit, and the least safe by walking/rolling, bicycling, and shared mobility/e-scooters. This sentiment is in line with crash data that shows vulnerable road users are disproportionately involved in serious crashes.

Regionally significant projects and proposed policies in the Vision Zero and Active Transportation plans seek to further safety and mobility and will be considered for adoption in the RTP.

Improving transportation options for bicyclists and pedestrians is one of the most effective ways to conserve and restore Lake Tahoe’s environment, revitalize the economy, enhance recreation opportunities, and improve public health.

The  2023 Tahoe Regional Trails Strategy  provided a blueprint for a connected and accessible network of Tahoe’s more than 580 miles of dirt trails. These trails provide recreation, transportation, fitness, and fun for Tahoe residents and visitors.

The  Intelligent Transportation Systems Strategic Plan  identifies opportunities for technology to increase transportation efficiency, safety, and balance. Changeable message signs and online apps are just two examples of how technology can improve our transportation system by giving people the real-time information they need. TRPA will be updating this plan this year to identify additional technology needs for the region which will inform the RTP.

The Tahoe Truckee Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan is the blueprint to accelerate transportation electrification in the region. TRPA partnered with the Truckee-Donner Public Utility District and a cross-regional Coordinating Council with the release of an action-oriented readiness plan, providing a road map to strategically deploy electric vehicle infrastructure and user-friendly toolkits.  Learn more about the Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan here .

For decades, Tahoe’s transportation system improvements have been funded largely by competitive discretionary grants and limited fixed funds. Building on 25 years of success with the funding model of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP), a bi-state working group agreed to pursue a multi-sector funding framework called the  7-7-7 Strategy .

The strategy been successfully implemented, with partners raising $23 million in funding for transportation. However, there is still more work to be done to secure ongoing funding and maintain a resilient transportation system.