YOUR AD HERE »

Legacy Trail link ups ante for Truckee recreation, tourism

Margaret Moran
mmoran@sierrasun.com
Bikers on Friday ride the latest Truckee River Legacy Trail section, a 2.2-mile multi-use paved portion running west of Tahoe-Truckee Sanitation Agency plant to the Glenshire subdivision.
Margaret Moran / Sierra Sun |

TRUCKEE, Calif. — Safer access to town, enhanced recreation and a draw for tourists — those are just some benefits that officials and community members envision with the newest addition to the Truckee River Legacy Trail.

“I’ve been on the trail, and it’s beautiful,” said Marty Frantz, a Glenshire resident. “I see it increasing our property values, increasing our quality of life. I can’t think of one thing wrong with this, and all I have are superlatives.”

The 2.2-mile multi-use paved section running west of Tahoe-Truckee Sanitation Agency plant to the Glenshire subdivision, officially opened to the public Friday.



“It’s just huge for people living in Glenshire,” said Claire Miller, a part-time Truckee resident. “… Glenshire (Drive) was totally dangerous, so it just makes it possible for people to bike to work, for young people to get to the (Truckee River Regional) Park, and for tourists, I think it just adds to what the town can offer them.”

With its completion, this section (dubbed Phase 3B) makes the legacy trail five miles long.



“It’s been a very long time coming,” said Truckee Mayor Patrick Flora at a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday. “… The first discussions of a trail network, and specially a trail along the Truckee River, began in the 1980s. When the town incorporated in 1993, there were approximately zero miles of paved bicycle/pedestrian trails in town.

“… We have a little over 18 miles of trail now, with more under way.”

Phase 3B not only adds to Truckee’s trail network, but to other regional paths, such as the 116-mile Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway that’s under construction, with the goal of connecting Tahoe to Pyramid Lake following the Truckee River.

“It does two things — physically it helps connect Tahoe to Pyramid on the ground, and equally important, it keeps the momentum for trail building in the public mind,” said Janet Phillips, president of the nonprofit Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway, who, along with more than 100 people, turned out for Friday’s ceremony in Glenshire.

The budget for Phase 3B was $3.7 million, with $2.9 million coming from a California River Parkways Grant, said Becky Bucar, associate engineer for the town of Truckee.

“… This is exactly what a river parkways is,” said Penny Harding, grants administrator with the California Natural Resources Agency. “It is honoring the river, and it is allowing people to access natural resources, which is one of the goals of the resources agency — to protect those resources and to provide access for the public to enjoy those resources now and in the future.”

Two more sections in the Truckee River Legacy Trail are needed to complete the connection between Donner Memorial State Park and Glenshire.

“It’s going to be a trail that will transform our community in phenomenal ways,” said Allison Pedley, executive director of Truckee Trails Foundation. “I just can’t wait to see all that happens.”

Visit legacytrail.org to learn more about the trail and the Truckee River Legacy Foundation.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond make the Tahoe Tribune's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.