A dangerous stretch of road on the east shore of Lake Tahoe is about to get a new bike path to make it safer. It will cost 30 times more than an average bike path, but people say it's worth it.
Highway 28 between Incline Village and Sand Harbor curves between rock ledges on one side and steep falls to the lake on the other. Its congested with parking, drivers, walkers and bikers like Andre Lucier who rides it every day.
“No it is not safe at all, there are cars driving down and everyone is trying to stare at the lake and you have about a two-foot width to get your bike in and guard rails on the side and cars on the other,” said Lucier.
The injury accident rate along the stretch of Highway 28 is 180 percent higher than on other Nevada roads.
A proposed 3-mile bike path on this stretch would cost $12 million. Anywhere else it would be about $1.5 million.
But the cost and is higher because of terrain, drainage planning and environmental restrictions.
The Tahoe Transportation District organized more than a dozen federal, state and local agencies to pay for it, but needed private funds to leverage the money.
The Tahoe Fund finished that effort recently by raising $750,000 of private money through the sale of name plaques at scenic overlooks on the path. The project starts in May.
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