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Council approves $100,000 contract to develop citywide traffic-calming toolbox
Summary
The council authorized up to $100,000 to hire a consultant to produce a procedural manual and implementation program for traffic calming across South Lake Tahoe, prompting debate about spending priorities versus street maintenance and about bicycle-prioritization treatments.
The South Lake Tahoe City Council authorized a contract not to exceed $100,000 with TJKM Transportation Consultants on May 20 to prepare a citywide traffic-calming toolbox: a procedural manual, design guidelines suited to mountain and snow environments, public outreach and a prioritized program for future implementation.
Staff described how the toolbox would standardize responses to recurring resident requests about speeding, cut-through traffic, and conflicts between scooters, bicycles and pedestrians. The manual is intended to reduce ad hoc requests that currently require separate traffic studies for each location, and to provide defensible procedures that satisfy state warrants, snow‑plow constraints and liability concerns.
Several council members and members of the public questioned using $100,000 of general-fund dollars when street maintenance needs are pressing. Council member Jenkins and multiple public commenters advocated prioritizing pavement and repair funding over planning consultants; staff said the toolbox is designed to identify corridor-specific solutions and produce an implementable project list that could unlock grant funding or consolidated projects.
Council voted unanimously to approve the agreement and directed the consultant to include bike-priority options (for example reversing stop‑sign orientations where appropriate) and to coordinate community meetings as part of the process.
