Transportation

Increasing non-automobile transportation options is a primary goal of transportation planning and programs in the Lake Tahoe Region.

How Tahoe Measures Transportation

TRPA uses data-driven decision making and performance-based planning to assess our transportation system and identify projects and programs that will achieve regional goals. 

Travel Mode Share

Increasing non-auto mode share is a primary goal of transportation planning and programs in the Lake Tahoe Region because of the economic, human health and environmental benefits created when residents and tourists use other modes of transportation. Transportation policies and programs in the Lake Tahoe Region aim to provide a successful multi-modal transportation system that appeals to users, supports mobility needs and decreases dependency on the private automobile. Mode share measures the degree to which land-use patterns and policy and funding decisions in the region influence residents and visitors to use non-auto modes for travel.

This indicator measures the percentage of travelers in the Lake Tahoe Region that drive in a car/truck/van, use public transit, ride a bike, walk, or use another form of transportation. TRPA’s 2018 Summer Travel Survey was conducted in late-August of 2018. Since 2006 TRPA has conducted basin-wide travel surveys every two years in order to better understand basic travel characteristics of both residents and visitors. The data collected - which includes data points such as mode share, origin-destinations, and trip purpose - is used for a variety of purposes at TRPA including regional performance metrics, project planning, and travel demand modeling. The report highlights development, methodology, logistics, and data results of the 2018 Summer Travel Survey. For the full report, please visit http://www.trpa.org/wp-content/uploads/travel_survey_report.html 

TRPA’s 2018 Summer Travel Survey was conducted in late-August of 2018. Since 2006 TRPA has conducted basin-wide travel surveys every two years in order to better understand basic travel characteristics of both residents and visitors. The data collected - which includes data points such as mode share, origin-destinations, and trip purpose - is used for a variety of purposes at TRPA including regional performance metrics, project planning, and travel demand modeling. The report highlights development, methodology, logistics, and data results of the 2018 Summer Travel Survey. For the full report, please visit http://www.trpa.org/wp-content/uploads/travel_survey_report.html 

This chart shows the percentages of people using the different transportation modes to reach their destinations. Because travel mode is influenced by weather conditions, TRPA conduct surveys during summer and winter. Travel mode indicators are important because they demonstrate where there is a shift among residents and visitors out of their cars and into other travel modes over time.

Transit Ridership

A well-functioning public transit system is one of the primary tools for changing travel mode share in the Lake Tahoe Region to be less dependent on automobile travel. Transit ridership is regularly monitored in the Lake Tahoe Region because it allows transportation planners the ability to assess how and to what extent public transportation systems are being utilized and enables prioritization for the allocation of transportation resources.

This indicator measures the total annual transit ridership for the two most utilized public transportation systems serving Tahoe communities. The first is the Tahoe Area Regional Transit (TART) system, which primarily serves North Lake Tahoe communities, and connects North Lake Tahoe users with the Truckee Train and Intermodal Depot. The second is BlueGo, which primarily serves Tahoe South Shore communities, and connects South Shore residents with Carson City and the Carson Valley in Douglas County. Transit Ridership is defined as the number of user trips of the transit system, including paid and complimentary trips, whether they are on a fixed route or demand-response.

By: Transit Ridership

This charts shows the number of transit rider miles per year.

What is Tahoe Doing to Improve Transportation

Recent federal transportation legislation (MAP-21 & FAST Act) has introduced new requirements for metropolitan planning organizations to use performance-based planning as part of regional transportation planning. TRPA has carried out performance-based planning at the regional scale for many years through the Region's threshold evaluation and transportation monitoring reports.

Miles of Pedestrian and Bicycle Routes Improved or Constructed

Pedestrian and bicycle routes and paths provide options for increased personal mobility and decreased dependence on automobiles, both for everyday travel needs as well as recreational use. This reduces air and water pollution, increases community health and cultivates additional economic activity.

This indicator measures the miles of bicycle paths, sidewalks and other transit routes improved or constructed in the Lake Tahoe Region each year. This indicator provides a single data point that captures the total miles of pedestrian and bicycle routes that are improved and constructed in the entire Lake Tahoe Region annually.

By:
Cumulative:

Constructed: Bicycle and pedestrian routes are constructed when a new route is built on a previously unoccupied site. 

Improved: Bicycle and pedestrian routes are considered improved when an action is taken to enhance an existing route for the benefit of public transit.

Environmental Improvement Program

Learn More/Get Involved

For more information, visit the Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization at www.tmpo.org.