The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board has approved the Spooner Summit Mobility Hub project, a major environmental improvement effort aimed at transforming the Nevada State Route 28 corridor. The initiative is designed to improve safety and recreational access in one of Lake Tahoe’s busiest roadway areas.
The new mobility hub will be located near the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 and SR 28 at Spooner Summit. Plans call for a 250-space parking area and transit center that will replace existing roadside parking spaces. The facility will connect visitors to Nevada State Parks, USDA Forest Service trailheads, and other public transit stops.
The Nevada Department of Transportation is leading the project with support from agencies involved in the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP). The EIP partners developed the State Route 28 Corridor Management Plan to address concerns about lake clarity, public safety, recreation access, and traffic congestion along this stretch of road.
“This is a visionary project that will improve water quality, enhance public safety, reduce roadway congestion, and make access to the basin’s abundant public lands safer and more sustainable,” said TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan.
One key feature of the project is removing parking from road shoulders, which is expected to increase safety by reducing pedestrian-vehicle conflicts. This change also aims to protect vegetation, decrease soil erosion, and preserve scenic views along what is recognized as a National Scenic Byway.
“This project is more than just creating infrastructure, it’s about shaping the future of mobility in the Tahoe Basin,” said Jim Marino, Executive Director of the Tahoe Transportation District. “By creating a mobility hub at Spooner Summit, we’re setting the stage for a safer, more sustainable corridor that enhances recreation access while safeguarding the lake and surrounding environment for generations to come.”
Additional elements of the project include managed paid parking with kiosks; a permanent watercraft inspection station; improved transit services; measures to reduce erosion and stormwater runoff; technology for real-time parking availability; stricter enforcement against illegal roadside parking; reinvestment of parking revenues into corridor improvements; electric vehicle charging stations; and infrastructure for electric buses.
Surveys conducted in 2024 found approximately 1,000 vehicles parked on highway shoulders during peak days along SR 28. This illegal off-highway parking has contributed to traffic issues and increased erosion in sensitive areas.
Construction on the Spooner Summit Mobility Hub is scheduled to begin in 2026. The permanent watercraft inspection station—along with new parking facilities and a transit stop—is expected to open by fall 2027.
The planned lot will be the largest along this corridor. Placing an aquatic invasive species inspection station at this location leverages federal, state, and private funding already supporting watercraft inspections in Lake Tahoe. Since TRPA and Tahoe Resource Conservation District began inspecting boats in 2008, over 115,000 vessels have been checked for aquatic invasive species. The new permanent facility at Spooner Summit aims to streamline these inspections while serving as an example for similar projects elsewhere.