AUBURN, Calif. – A springtime winter storm forced the relocation of the Placer County Board of Supervisors from the planned Tahoe location to the chambers in Auburn, Calif., but that didn’t keep the board from discussing vital topics for the Tahoe basin, including housing and transit.

Potential modifications to State Route 89 and 267

Future changes to State Route 89 and 267 are shaping up, aimed at combating vehicle congestion within the Resort Triangle (area shaped by SR 89, 267 and 28) during high traffic times such as winter weekends and holidays.

The board received a presentation on a draft Corridor Strategic Implementation and Phasing Plan which studied the feasibility of incorporating transit-only lanes on SR 89 (West River Street to SR 28) and SR 267 (Schaffer Mill Road to Northstar Drive). The transit-only lane idea was initially posed by the Resort Triangle Transportation Plan adopted in 2020 as a way to encourage the use of transit systems over personal vehicles.

Both staff and the board recommended the alternative that offered two outside transit-only lanes after a reversible transit-only center lane option was initially explored. The outside two lane option mitigates the safety, law enforcement and snow operations issues working groups identified with the center only lane and also offers expanded evacuation capacity. A more balanced transit network, and consistent travel times as well as reliability, are also benefits the two outside transit-only lane option provides over the center lane option.

This more favorable alternative could also be used by more than one transportation provider. Although six feet wider than the center lane option and more costly, staff determined that the key benefits were worth the increased costs.

Both Supervisors Cindy Gustafson and Anthony DeMattei recommended looking at how other projects could be incorporated alongside this project, such as pedestrian and bike trails, in order to be mindful of taxpayer dollars.

The plan divides the project into three segments and is still in its early stages. The plan predicts construction to start around 2034 with segments complete between 2039 and 2041. Plan organizers are currently holding community stakeholder presentations with plan adoption expected this month. Next steps include completing data collection by April 2026 followed by project initiation processes.

Millions for transit in Truckee-Tahoe

Transit around Truckee-Tahoe is receiving a financial boost after the board approved millions that will benefit the Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit (TART).

The board approved close to $1.5 million dollars by way of a funding agreement with the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency and over $2 million by way of an agreement with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. The funds are going towards the purchase of an electric bus as well as technology enhancements for TART such as automatic passenger counters, scheduling software and other improvements.

The funds come as part of a California State Budget item for 2023-2024 in conjunction with Senate Bill 125, which set aside over $5 billion over the course of four years to provide one-time multi-year funding in order to bridge capital and operational shortfalls transit agencies are contending with post COVID-19.

Housing items: The Launchpad Program and Dollar Creek Crossing development

The board approved a new housing financial incentive program called the Launchpad Program and approved $1 million dollars to jumpstart the project. The program seeks to address the housing shortage in the area and incentivize workforce housing through increasing housing diversity and expanding opportunities for locals. It does so by incentivizing the development of construction of new units, the renovation of previously non-residential units, or bringing to compliance non-code compliant spaces for housing units. It offers a financial incentive through deed restriction processes with parameters for housing full-time employees working within the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District boundaries.

The board also approved and provided direction to staff to move forward with a fully affordable option for the Dollar Creek Crossing housing development, as opposed to an option with mixed housing. The supervisors also directed staff explore local preference and reserve rights for a for-sale product for the project.

The Sun’s housing reporter, Eli Ramos, delves into these programs further in a separate article.

District mitigation fee increases

After conducting a public hearing, the board approved annual updates, expenditure plans and inflationary adjustments to fees for multiple districts in the county’s Truckee-Tahoe region.

Those districts include the Alpine Springs County Water District, North Tahoe Fire Protection District and Truckee Fire Protection District. The inflationary increase applies to a one-time fire mitigation fee on new development to help offset development impacts on the local district services. These fees can only be used by the districts to expand facilities and fleet. They cannot be used to fund operations, maintenance, or personnel.

Alpine Springs County Water District and North Tahoe Fire Protection District’s fees are increasing 1.09% and Truckee Tahoe Fire Protection District’s are increasing 1.1%, adding anywhere from 1-4 cents per square foot fee.

To review the agenda and watch the meeting, visit Placer County’s website, placer.ca.gov/10065/_2025.