I'm sure you have all heard the saying, “There are only two seasons – winter and road construction”.

I want to thank Caltrans' staff and County staff for their diligent efforts to repair our roads and highways quickly after the worst winter road damage in my 40 years in this community.  They answered our calls and addressed areas as quickly as they possibly could. The good news is the Caltrans emergency pavement and pothole repair work is nearly complete. Caltrans has been actively addressing SR 28, 89, and 267 with a goal to complete all these repairs by June 30, but due to trucking issues, the contractor will need to finish the SR 267 repairs from July 17 to 25.

Southwest Gas is working hard to complete the final phase of their gas main replacement project in SR 28, which will benefit the entire community. However, we understand from Caltrans that the traffic control plan will cause significant delays throughout the rest of the summer construction season. The County is coordinating closely with Caltrans on their adaptive traffic control scenario to do everything we can to minimize the impacts to residents and visitors, and we will be holding a virtual town hall meeting with Caltrans on Thursday, July 6 at 6pm. For more information on the upcoming meeting and the project, please see the article below.

While this summer (and next summer) will continue to be a challenge for drivers on SR 28, please keep the long-term gain in mind - replaced gas lines for the benefit and safety of our community plus smooth and durable pavement that will ONLY need routine maintenance for many years come.

Lastly, with another beautiful summer upon us, I want to continue to encourage everyone to recreate patiently, respectfully, responsibly, and do your part to keep Placer County clean and safe.

In service,
Supervisor Cindy Gustafson

The SR 28 traffic control for Southwest Gas' project will be nearly the same as last summer, except there will be a 24-hour (full day and night work) one lane closure (about one half mile in length) instead of a 20-hour one lane closure as was the case last summer. This one lane closure work zone will occur Sunday nights to Friday mornings each week (excluding July 4th holiday week) through the end of the summer construction season (typically ending on October 15).

There will also be two 500 to 1,000 foot long lane closures for Southwest Gas’ gas main installation.

No work will occur on weekends, holidays, during special events, or for the entire week of the 4th of July holiday. However, three directional borings will take place after Labor Day weekend and each boring location will take 3 to 4 weeks to complete. This work requires lane closures on weekends as well as weekdays because they cannot open the roadway once this work commences (one way reversing traffic control will be in place for a full 3 to 4 weeks including weekends for each directional bore).

Drive time delays between Kings Beach and Tahoe City are projected to be between 30 to 60 minutes due to the lane closures and expected traffic flows. The peak commute times will see the most traffic impacts.

Traffic control messaging to inform drivers includes changeable message board at key locations, press releases, social media, and website updates. Added provisions are being coordinated for emergency responders and transit to allow these vehicles to move as quickly as possible through the lane closures.

At the beginning of the 2024 construction season, Caltrans plans full dig-outs of SR 28 pavement in Tahoe City and an asphalt pavement overlay from Tahoe City to the State line (11 miles).

[READ MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT HERE]

Placer County is continuing efforts to address traffic concerns and enhance transit along state routes 89 and 267 in North Lake Tahoe with short-term and long-term improvements. The Placer County Board of Supervisors last week approved a $511,838 contract with Wood Rodgers Inc. to create a strategic implementation and phasing plan to advance implementation along the two corridors, both of which connect Interstate 80 to North Lake Tahoe. The plan will include collaboration with stakeholder groups such as Caltrans, the Town of Truckee, emergency responders, local businesses and residents in the region. LEARN MORE

Placer County’s commitment to alternative modes of transportation got a boost last week following two board approvals that authorized the use of Transient Occupancy Tax. The Placer County Board of Supervisors approved a contract with Tahoe Downtowner LLC to continue TART Connect service through June 30, 2024. A total of $2,685,526 was approved to service the Placer County zones in the North Tahoe region, with $685,000 coming from TOT funds previously allocated to fund tourism marketing, as recommended by the North Tahoe Community Alliance Board of Directors to support extended service hours. TART Connect will continue peak season hours as it has for the past two years. However, starting this contract year during non-peak seasons (September 5 through December 13, 2023 and again from April 8 through June 27, 2024), TART Connect will add ten hours of service for riders in the region. Thanks to the reallocated TOT funding, riders will now be able to schedule rides from 8am to 10pm. LEARN MORE

The internet is a critical part of everyday life. Yet one in five Californians, including many in Placer County do not have access to affordable, reliable broadband service, devices, and the skills to use them. Over the next few months, the California Department of Technology will be leveraging a federal planning grant to develop a state Digital Equity Plan. When completed, the plan will deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to California and ensure our residents have affordable, high-speed internet access, as well as the skills and tools needed to participate in the digital economy. Commit to working towards an equitable digital future by taking the California Digital Equity Survey and encouraging those in your community to do the same by June 30, 2023. Take the California Digital Equity Online Survey!