STATELINE, Nev. — Tahoe Transportation District on Thursday announced the launch of #TakeTahoeTransit, a campaign to encourage visitors and locals at Lake Tahoe to leave their cars behind to support the region’s broader environmental and safety goals.

“We’ve realized education about services is our biggest hurdle,” said District Manager Carl Hasty in a press release. “There’s a patchwork of service providers at Tahoe and that’s confusing to someone who’s just looking to get from point to point. We all share a common goal: to clean up the lake and reduce our impact on the region. We know that getting people out of their cars is critical to that mission.”

TTD has invited any businesses and organizations who feel passionate about Lake Tahoe’s environment to visit the website and download the free social media toolkit to join in the movement and use the artwork and content on their own social channels. It’s also asking its followers to use the #TakeTahoeTransit hashtag to entice riders to share their own user-generated-content.

The campaign showcases a distinct and uplifting look and feel that encourages wider utilization of Tahoe’s public transit services, said the release. Riders are encouraged to post pictures of their trip of any Tahoe’s public transportation services to their Facebook or Instagram account with #TakeTahoeTransit.

The campaign website provides simple information for riders anywhere in or around the Lake Tahoe basin to more easily find the information they need to understand where services are — and where they are not. Visitors and locals are encouraged to find ways to walk, bike, or ride to their destinations in lieu of using personal vehicles.

More than 50 million vehicle trips are annually made into, out of, and within the basin. Particulate matter from roadways and parking lots accounts for 70% of the particulates entering Tahoe which is a significant factor in declining lake clarity.

“The time to #TakeTahoeTransit, is now,” said Hasty. “By parking our cars and hopping on the bus, together we can reduce the number of cars on the road and preserve the beauty of Lake Tahoe.”

TTD is partnering with several groups and businesses around the region touting the importance of taking transit. Most public transportation offerings at Lake Tahoe are currently free to riders, including TTD’s own transit operations at South Lake Tahoe, Carson City and the Carson Valley.

For more information, visit http://www.taketahoetransit.org.

Source: TTD