By Tim Hauserman

The North and West Shores of Lake Tahoe are about to get free public transit along the Tahoe Area Regional Transit routes. Starting as early as next month, the TART bus routes, including the one which passes right in front of Sunnyside Lodge, will be free to passengers.

According to Placer County “A free transit system could have multiple benefits for the North Lake Tahoe region’s economy and environment, such as improving mobility, air quality, and access to jobs, as well as serving as a key amenity expected by visitors seeking a high-quality vacation experience.”

TART buses run about once an hour and run along the West Shore on Highway 89 to Tahoe City and out to Truckee, as well as on Highway 28 from Tahoe City to Incline Village. There is also a route from Incline Village on Highway 28 to Highway 267 in Kings Beach and then over to Truckee.

Research conducted by TART showed a 50% increase in traffic in resort communities that shifted from fare systems to free fare. In July 2018, the Town of Truckee implemented a free fare system and saw a ridership increase of 32%.

What will the ability to travel to or from Sunnyside for free on a bus mean? Hopefully it mean you can get out of your car and not have to worry about driving. Hopefully once the word gets out if enough folks join you on the bus, it will reduce both peak winter and summer traffic.

Truckee River Bridge Opens!

You know what else might make a trip from Sunnyside to Alpine Meadows or Squaw Valley quicker? The new bridge across the Truckee River in Tahoe City. It opened in October and with it’s two new roundabouts in place it means that now there are two bridges across the Truckee River in Tahoe City. The new bridge heads across the river and towards Truckee avoiding about a half mile of driving and the busy “Y” in Tahoe City. The old Fanny Bridge goes into Tahoe City. Enjoy it while you can, however, because in 2021 Fanny Bridge is set to be shut down during a major earthquake retrofit.