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Guest Column: Join me in voting ‘yes’ on Measure R

I’ve seen a phenomenal transformation over the 40 years I have lived in Truckee and 35 years I’ve owned a business in our wonderful mountain community.

Truckee has evolved from a mountain outpost with a colorful history to a thriving destination for people who love the outdoors and live active lifestyles.

This has become central to Truckee’s identity and essential to the success of our local economy. It’s no secret that our beautiful open space, and the opportunity to experience the best that the outdoors has to offer, are tremendous assets that draw residents and visitors alike to our town.



This pumps money into our local economy and creates demand for our homes, which keeps property values strong.

“We have an opportunity to enhance one of the key elements that makes Truckee such a special place to live, do business and visit.”

When we cast our ballots in this June’s primary election, we have an opportunity to enhance one of the key elements that makes Truckee such a special place to live, do business and visit.



Voting Yes on R creates an expanded network of trails in Truckee, providing access to open space, connecting our neighborhoods and providing safe and green transportation alternatives away from the dangers of the roadway.

Over the past decade the town of Truckee has created a network of paved and dirt trails. However, the funds used to develop the trails are now nearly depleted and there are still many more trails to be completed.

While many of us enjoy the trails we already have, over the years Truckee residents have realized that something is missing: a comprehensive and connected network of both dirt and paved trails.

A group of dedicated citizens worked with the Town to create a Trails and Bikeways Master Plan to establish a carefully thought through vision for a trail system in Truckee.

If voters approve Measure R in June, this vision can become a reality by providing exclusively dedicated funds for Truckee trails that cannot be taken by the State or be used for other purposes.

Here are some of the highlights:

Yes on R will help to complete the Truckee River Legacy Trail, providing a paved trail for walking, running and biking from Glenshire to Donner Lake.

Yes on R will provide safe routes to schools for local children who walk or bike to school.

• Yes on R will provide uniform maintenance for existing and new trails.

• Yes on R will help Truckee preserve open space along trail corridors, and connect Truckee to regional trail networks beyond the border of our town.

To ensure the funds from Measure R are spent to accomplish these goals, a strict system of accountability is required, including a Citizen’s Oversight Committee and annual reports to the community.

Measure R will also ensure existing and new trails are maintained to a high standard on an ongoing basis.

Measure R will be a sales tax that generates funding for trails from a modest .25 percent increase in the sales tax.

Measure R spreads the cost of trails across visitors, second homeowners and local residents. Measure R adds just 25 cents to a $100 purchase. Essential purchases like food and medicine are exempted from sales tax.

Numerous surveys conducted by many local agencies have all consistently shown that trails and access to open space are top priorities for Truckee residents.

Recognizing the strong economic benefit that a trail system will provide for our community, Measure R is endorsed by the Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce, CATTPAC, dozens of locally owned businesses.

Due to the health benefits to local residents offered by a quality trail system, Measure R is endorsed by the Tahoe Forest Hospital District and Truckee Donner Recreation & Park District.

Because of the connection between strong local property values and access to trails and open space, Measure R is endorsed by local homeowners’ associations, realtors and hundreds of residents.

By providing green transportation alternatives that keep more cars off the road and by protecting open space along trail corridors, it is endorsed by leading local environmental organizations.

To see the full list of supporters or to add your name to the list, visit http://www.VoteforTrails.com.

Paco Lindsay is a Tuckee resident, local business owner and chair of the Committee for Trails (Yes on R).


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