Tahoe-Truckee residents describe transit needs

Tahoe-Truckee area residents asked for new bus schedules and more regular service Thursday at an annual public forum hosted by the region’s transit agencies.

Meeting in Kings Beach, transit officials addressed some of the concerns expressed over unmet transportation needs, and promised to look into others.

A small number of residents attended the annual forum, and asked for a more consistent schedule and increased services.

“There needs to be an early morning bus from Truckee to Tahoe City year around,” said Suzi Gibbons of Tahoe Donner. “This [current schedule] caters to foreign workers and does not meet the needs of the public.”

Transit officials accepted Gibbons’ complaint as a legitimate concern, but said more passengers want to commute from Tahoe City to Truckee in the morning than the opposite route.

“It has to do with where ridership is,” said Public Works Manager Will Garner of the Tahoe Area Regional Transit. “That’s how the decisions are made.”

Garner’s agency sponsored the annual forum, along with the Truckee North Tahoe Transportation Management Association and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

Other speakers complained about the irregularity of bus and trolley schedules due to seasonal changes. Officials said such requests may not be easy to satisfy.

“There are several things we believe we have enough ridership to do year around, but it is contingent upon funding,” said Executive Director Jan Colyer of the Truckee North Tahoe Transportation Management Association.

According to transit officials, they will review the recommendations the public offered at the forum in January, and take their suggestions to the board in March.

“Every season we’re doing more; it’s just one step at a time,” said Colyer.