SR28 Corridor Plans Move Ahead
Local agencies are forging ahead with plans to expand access within the State Route 28 Corridor and reduce reliance on private automobiles. The plans are part of a series of initiatives to expand access to existing trails through new parking lots and transport options, improve safety and reduce reliance on private automobiles.
The most recent developments in these plans are primarily funded through a $24 million federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant. This funding supports the next immediate phase of the State Route 28 Corridor Management plan, which will see the completion of several accessibility points from Sand Harbor State Park to Thunderbird Cove, one of the most popular recreation areas in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
“Our goal in SR28 is to build another 1.8 miles of trail beginning at Sand Harbor State Park,” said Jim Marino, the Deputy District Manager of the Tahoe Transportation District. The trail, he says, won’t be at lake level. “It will be up where the East Shore Trail is now, not on the lake line.”
“The more trail we build going up to the roadway, the more dispersed it will be in use,” said Marino. “That should help with congestion.”
Parking lots create outreach opportunities
In addition to trail expansion, the plan includes special permit parking to prevent people from parking on the side of the road and offer opportunities for outreach. “We don’t have an opportunity to engage people,” said Jeff Cowen, the Public Information Officer of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). “They’re doing their own thing, and see everybody else doing their own thing.”
The planned parking lots offer the chance to hand out trash bags to pack-in-pack-out, and informational content to educate hikers on appropriate trail use, in addition to limiting the number of people on trails at a given time.
However, the work has to be staggered as agencies must match federal funding to fill gaps in construction and maintenance costs. “For every dollar we get out of the federal government, we are required to match it by 20%,” said Marino. “We have to come up with the local funding to match the grant.”
Despite some challenges in securing local funding, Marino remains confident in future plans. “We have a huge chance of being successful,” he said.

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