A day at Lake Tahoe should include fresh air, time spent at the beach, and a meal shared with friends, old or new. You don’t want to worry about long lines of traffic or the wait for a parking spot at Emerald Bay.
Keep Tahoe Blue has a solution. Go Car-Free, Care-Free while in Tahoe, which means getting around Tahoe stress-free while helping protect Tahoe from pollution.
What is Car-Free, Care-Free Tahoe
Keep Tahoe Blue is advancing Car-Free, Care-Free Tahoe, a vision for a future where people can park once and use connected lake-friendly transportation options to reach beaches, trails, town centers, and iconic destinations without relying on your car.
The full vision of Connecting the Tahoe Basin is in the works, but people can experience it today on the South Shore through public buses, Lake Link, the Emerald Bay Shuttle, bikes, e-scooters, and paths.
Why Lake Tahoe’s Future Needs Car-Free, Care-Free Tahoe
While the traffic in Tahoe impacts those who are trying to navigate the Lake, it also impacts the environment.
Car trips have a lasting impact on the environment, from the release of tailpipe emissions to polluted runoff and roadway erosion. These are among the leading causes of Lake Tahoe’s past loss of water clarity.
Each trip taken on a shuttle, bus, bike, or scooter instead of driving alone in traffic allows for a reduced contribution to those impacts. This connection between how people travel around Tahoe and how the Lake looks is the key reason why Keep Tahoe Blue has invested for many years in transportation projects such as the Emerald Bay Shuttle and Lake Link.
Additionally, the organization works to share this vision and help it spread across the Lake Tahoe Basin. Through this collaboration, Keep Tahoe Blue works with local governments, businesses, resorts, and community organizations, as well as riders who are willing to try a different way to get around.
How You Can Go Car-Free Today
Tahoe offers many alternatives to driving that allow you to explore the Lake you love. With these resources, you can enjoy Tahoe without worrying about parking.
The Tahoe Transportation District runs fixed routes across the South Shore, allowing riders to travel between their favorite beaches and shopping centers without the worry of parking.
Insider tip: Taking the Route 50 bus from Stateline to explore the shops at the “Y” or catch the Emerald Bay Shuttle? Since the closest westbound Route 50 stop to Stateline is at the Golden Nugget, be on the lookout for the station located on US 50 and Lake Parkway instead of the eastbound stop at the Stateline Transit Center.
Lake Link is an on-demand microtransit shuttle that allows passengers to travel throughout its service zones on the South Shore free of charge.
Lime scooters are another option that offers travelers a glimpse of Tahoe from outside a vehicle. Users can conveniently cover short distances between restaurants and shopping centers. Additionally, those who are comfortable on two wheels can ride their bikes along the bike paths and lanes located around the South Shore.
Traveling to Emerald Bay? The Emerald Bay Shuttle is an option that carries riders to and from one of Tahoe’s most parking-strained destinations, with stops at the “Y” Transit Center, Camp Richardson, Eagle Falls Trailhead, and Sugar Pine Point State Park.
Used together, these options allow for a day in Tahoe where you can spend more time on a hike, at the beach, or at a restaurant, instead of hunting for parking.
Try a Car-Free Trip Today
The best part about going car-free is how simple it is. This week, choose one Tahoe trip where you park once.
Take Lake Link to dinner, ride the bus to the beach, bike a nearby path, or reserve the Emerald Bay Shuttle instead of circling for parking. One trip is enough to start.
Here’s what you can do:
- Relax on the Emerald Bay Shuttle or Lake Link.
- Ride one of the many public buses that Tahoe Transportation District has to offer.
- Enjoy the multi-use routes and paths around the Lake.
- Visit keeptahoeblue.org/summer for more information.