Sec. Buttigieg delivers remarks at Tahoe Summit, touts $24 million trail project

Wednesday's 28th Annual Lake Tahoe Summit was themed "Connecting Tahoe: Investing in Transit, Trails, and Technology for the Future."

Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Nevada Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, northern Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei, California's federal delegate, state officials, and the Washoe Tribe chairman.

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"In the three-and-a-half years I've been doing this job. I've been to every state of the union but rarely to places as beautiful as this, and part of what we've seen is that transportation impacts people everywhere."

The Department of Transportation awarded the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency $24 million in DOT funds to complete an ADA accessible Tahoe East Shore Trail, a three-mile stretch connecting Incline Village and Sand Harbor.

However, the Tahoe East Shore project is raising concerns over overtourism in the basin, which could potentially create issues for parking and vehicle congestion on the two-lane highway that also serves as a wildfire evacuation route.

"It's certainly a challenge, and that's part of why we're trying to ensure that we're not just doing one thing in isolation. We're also supporting transit and active transportation, which will make it possible for people to have more alternatives to single-use vehicles. Tahoe is ahead of its time," said Buttigieg.

Secretary Buttigieg emphasized that the Department of Transportation becomes involved in regional planning only after Nevada's senators present the project to the federal department. Therefore, Buttigieg and the DOT did not get involved with the project until Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen presented it to him, following months of TRPA planning efforts to advocate for the project.

"We're going to respect that local process. I know that local process is hard," said Secretary Buttigieg. "There's always a tug of war over exactly what to do, but when the community aligns and brings it to us, when it gets to the level of I am getting phone calls from your Senator."

The two-lane Nevada State Route 28 is the sole road on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe, crucial for all emergency vehicles and traffic. The community has consistently expressed concerns about the effectiveness of Lake Tahoe's limited evacuation routes in the event of wildfires.

"Tahoe communities don't want to jeopardize the Lake's health and evacuation routes or visitor safety and that is exactly what the East Shore Trail extension will do," said Washoe County Lake Tahoe resident and vocal TRPA critic Pamela Tsigdinos.

TRPA spokesman Jeff Cowen has confirmed that the agency is implementing parking reservation systems to prevent illegal roadside parking, which could lead to fewer visitors.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency also aims to reduce the number of vehicles by expanding their network of ADA certified smooth trails to promote walking and biking as sustainable modes of transportation. Furthermore, the TRPA has introduced a fleet of electric buses to promote greater use of public transit.

"Trails are not ornamental but fundamental to a good transportation system. On behalf of the Biden Administration, I officially congratulate you on your 24 million dollar reward stretch of that Tahoe East Shore trail," said Buttigieg.

Secretary Buttigieg emphasized the need for federal, state, and local communities, as well as both political parties, to unite in addressing the massive challenge of climate change.

This involves taking decisive actions to reduce CO2 emissions, adapting to the effects of climate change, and developing a robust, job-producing, sustainable economy for the 21st century.

"We have broken the old false choice between dealing with climate change and creating jobs, everywhere here from certainly in Nevada to the industrialist Mid West where I grew up, we are seeing enormous amounts of job creation in electric vehicle manufacturing, in renewable energy," said Buttigieg.