Article Written By: Hannah Jones; Sierra Sun
To maintain quality trails around Truckee, the town is considering offering maintenance, including snow removal, on privately owned trails for a fee from the property owner. Participation from property owners would be voluntary.
“I think the trails are getting tremendous use when they’re plowed,” said Council member David Tirman. “We should focus on making that happen across town.”
In the last fiscal year, the town spent $164,320 on basic maintenance of 12 miles of trails, which included snow removal. This is funded by Measure R, a sales tax measure approved in 2014 that supports the construction of trails in Truckee, and the town’s General Fund.
The town currently has 21 miles of Class I trails. If the town were to provide snow removal on all 21 miles of trails and provide additional pavement rehabilitation, the total estimated cost of maintenance is $546,000 a year, or half of the potential Measure R funds.
“I think that’s a big annual number to jump into,” said Mayor David Polivy. “I think a long-term strategy would be great.”
New Trails
According to Becky Bucar, engineering manager for the town of Truckee, about a mile of new trail was built over the summer as part of the Soaring Ranch development and is expected to be opened next summer.
“It’s going to provide a good connection at Town Hall over to the sport park and Legacy Trail,” Bucar said.
Currently, Truckee is working on Phase 4 of the Truckee River Legacy Trail which will stretch along West River Street between Brockway Road and Highway 89. In July, the town completed CEQA documents and the U.S. Forest Service signed off on the federal environmental documents needed to move the project forward.
Truckee Donner Land Trust is currently under contract to purchase a 26-acre riverfront property which will offer more design options for Phase 4. Working with the Land Trust, the Town of Truckee has looked at potential project components including a trailhead parking lot at the end of South River Street and a pedestrian bridge across the river at that point.
“That’s something our design consultants are working on and laying out,” said Bucar.
Placer County is also working on expanding an existing bike trail from Squaw Valley to Truckee.
In May, the Placer County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement with the Town of Truckee to share the cost of the section of trail at the intersection of West River Street and Highway 89, which sits on the border of Nevada and Placer County. The project will include shared trailhead parking as well as a bridge across the Truckee River.
Hannah Jones is a reporter for the Sierra Sun. She can be reached at 530-550-2652 or hjones@sierrasun.com.
Nicole Folks
17400 Northwoods Blvd
530.386.7538
NK@TahoeBre.com
CalDRE#: 01757659
Leave a Reply