Ribbon-cutting kicks off new micro-transit to reduce impact of visitors, residents at North Lake Tahoe
NORTH LAKE TAHOE — Free on-demand transportation arrived today in Incline Village, Crystal Bay and elsewhere in North Lake Tahoe. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the service known as TART Connect at the North Tahoe Event Center officially launched the free shuttle service.
Users will summon a TART Connect van through an app, much like they summon a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft. A local telephone number also will be available.
As many as 11 vans will be available across the region with a goal that users will wait no more than 15 minutes for the free service.
Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau provided $200,000 to create the service in the Incline Village and Crystal Bay zones.
Service to two zones on the California side of North Lake Tahoe — the area from Dollar Hill to Tahoma and from Tahoe Vista to the state line at Kings Beach — is funded by Placer County through transient occupancy tax collections. Users can use TART Connect for travel within any of the three zones. For longer journeys between zones, they can use the TART public transit that links Truckee, the North Shore and Incline Village.
The free TART Connect service is available from 8 a.m. to midnight through Sept. 6.
Andy Chapman, president and CEO of the Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau, encouraged local residents as well as visitors to use the service. “TART Connect is a hassle-free way to get around town or enjoy a night out,” Chapman said. “And when we use TART Connect, we know we’re mitigating our impact on the Lake Tahoe environment that we love.”
Chapman noted, too, that TART Connect provides first-mile, last-mile transit for visitors who arrive at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, take the North Lake Tahoe Express Bus then rely on TART Connect to enjoy the region’s amenities.
“By working together, we can build a vibrant visitor-based economy at North Lake Tahoe while mitigating the impact of visitors,” Chapman said.
Along with Visitors Bureau and Placer County, organizations playing key roles in the new service include Truckee North Tahoe Transportation Management Association and Tahoe Transportation District,
Squaw Downtowner, the company that operates the Mountaineer transportation service at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadow, will provide the vehicles, drivers and software for the service.
“This will be remembered for a long time as the bright summer following some dark days,” Chapman said. “We hope it also is remembered as the year we all learned to connect with TART Connect.”
Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau
The Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau (IVCBVB) is the public organization responsible for destination marketing for the North Shore, Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. Operating primarily from a percentage of lodging room tax collected by lodging properties located on the Nevada side of North Lake Tahoe, the IVCBVB conducts advertising, promotions, public relations and special events programs to promote tourism for the Lake Tahoe portion of Washoe County, Nev. For more information, click here.