PLACER COUNTY, Calif. – Placer County is preparing to expand its parking program in North Tahoe this year after the Board of Supervisors’ action on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

These expansions come after the parking program’s first full season launch last year. The county designed the program to reduce congestion, and support parking turnover in front of businesses, in addition to encouraging public transportation use.

Expansion plans will increase paid parking lots in Kings Beach to include the Rainbow Avenue and West End parking lots in addition to the existing Brook Avenue and Christmas Tree paid parking lots.

The expansion stems from parking often exceeding the targeted 85% threshold on Saturday afternoons in the summer. County staff explained exceeding this level can impact traffic congestion and flow. The goal is that adding more paid lots will spark increased use of public transportation.

With public and stakeholder engagement planned this year, the county has a goal to expand the parking program to Tahoe City with implementation tentatively slated for 2027.

The county expressed that its goal over the last year was to enforce the program with a soft hand, focusing on education first.

A financial analysis calculated costs more than twice the revenue. With costs at $240,000 and revenue at $85,000 (citations and paid parking lots), a goal moving forward is to balance the ledger.

The lots expansion, as well as other action,s could help move the needle, including designating the lakeside Brook Avenue and Christmas Tree lots as priority lots with prices increasing to $20 per day and $40 on holidays. The increase is dual purposed to also reduce the utilization of these lots to the targeted 85% and reduce congestion.

The lakeside lots’ previous prices of $10 per day and $20 on holidays will be applied to the Rainbow Avenue and West End lots.

The county also plans on hiring another full-time parking enforcement officer for a total of two.