Today, there is region-wide consensus that housing and transportation are among the greatest issues of our time. The severe decline of affordable housing options in the Lake Tahoe Region is affecting environmental quality and the vibrancy of its communities. Safe, thriving communities help provide the infrastructure, workforce, and investment needed to ensure Lake Tahoe’s built environment supports a sustainable natural environment. A common topic in public discourse around housing is that transportation solutions are integral to good housing solutions.
It is estimated that more than 40 percent of Tahoe’s workers commute from outside the basin. A Placer County study estimated the average worker living outside the Tahoe/Eastern Placer area travels nearly 40 miles each way for work, or roughly 80 miles daily. The result is more harmful vehicle emissions in the basin, and on peak days Tahoe’s two-lane roads are often congested with commuters, residents, and visitors alike which can impede transit and create unsafe conditions for cyclists and walkers. Meanwhile, workers and families who would rather live in the basin aren’t able to support local businesses and enjoy the quality of life that many take for granted.
TRPA is leveraging regional land use policies and the growth management system to connect Lake Tahoe through affordable housing. Bringing residents and workers closer to town centers is fundamental to successful transit and safe, walkable communities. New affordable housing policies adopted by TRPA since 2021 have focused on creating a more compact development footprint in Lake Tahoe’s town centers with a mix of uses close to transit and services, including more deed-restricted workforce housing. Slight increases in density in these areas promote housing for local workers while maintaining regional caps on new development and advancing environmental improvements that protect lake clarity.
Not only can these changes increase the availability of affordable housing, they are fundamental to getting people out of their cars and improving access and mobility, especially for underrepresented communities. The Regional Transportation Plan aligns town center improvements with continued investments in transit, trails, and technology.
TRPA also shares the community’s concerns around emergency response and evacuation preparedness; the agency is assisting fire and law enforcement agencies with coordinated evacuation planning. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Tahoe with a $1.7 million grant to help emergency responders and transportation agencies address vulnerabilities in Lake Tahoe’s transportation system and communications infrastructure in face of more wildfires and extreme weather events. It is critical that public agencies and community-based groups work together to ensure we are prepared for integrated and safe evacuation during emergencies.