Sierra Colina Village
P. O. Box 129
Lake Tahoe, NV 89448

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Yes. Traffic engineers evaluate the performance of traffic intersections using a grading system referred to as “Level of Service,” or the abbreviated term “LOS.”  The EIS traffic engineers have determined that, today, without the Sierra Colina Village project, all traffic movements at the U.S. Hwy 50 and Lake Village Drive intersection operate at acceptable levels of service, EXCEPT for the left turn from Lake Village Drive to U.S. Hwy 50 during the summer PM peak hour, when it operates at LOS “F” LOS F “represents forced or breakdown flow” (Sierra Colina DEIS at page 4.14-3).

The EIS traffic engineers have determined that the addition of Sierra Colina Village traffic to this intersection would marginally increase the summer afternoon peak hour traffic for the westbound left turn from Lake Village Drive to U.S. 50 by adding approximately one additional car every 5 minutes to those making a left-hand turn.  TRPA would normally deem this impact to be insignificant.  However, because the intersection currently operates at LOS “F” for left turn movements at the summer afternoon peak hour, the EIS requires that the Sierra Colina impact on this peak hour left turn delay be mitigated.

To mitigate this increase in Lake Village Drive to U.S. Hwy 50 left turn traffic from Sierra Colina, the EIS requires Sierra Colina to stripe the Lake Village Drive approach to U.S. Hwy 50 to include a dedicated left-turn lane and a dedicated right-turn lane.  The EIS traffic engineers have determined that the inclusion of separate left- and right-turn lanes on Lake Village Drive at the westbound approach to the U.S. 50/Lake Village intersection would reduce additional delay arising when left-turn queues of vehicles block right-turning vehicles.

In addition, the EIS requires Sierra Colina to construct a left-turn acceleration lane on U.S. 50 using existing pavement width, for vehicles exiting Lake Village Drive and turning left onto U.S. Hwy 50 toward Stateline.  These intersection improvements will be funded by the Sierra Colina project and will reduce existing left turn summer afternoon peak hour delays.  The Sierra Colina project intersection improvements would allow vehicles turning left from Lake Village Drive onto U.S. Hwy 50 to make the left turn movement into the proposed acceleration lane and begin accelerating to free-flow speeds, without needing to wait for gaps in the traffic in both directions.

The Sierra Colina Final EIS also notes that (i) that “no LOS degradation would occur for

any turning movement as a result of the project” (Response to Comment 7-55, Sierra Colina Final EIS at page 2-116); (ii) that adequate pavement width appears to be available to accommodate an acceleration lane south of the U.S. 50/Lake Village Drive intersection, which would accommodate the projected traffic volumes (Response to Comment 7-60, Sierra Colina Final EIS at page 2-117); and (iii) that “this design [for the acceleration lane] was approved by NDOT and includes a 140 ft acceleration lane and a 110 ft acceleration merge lane (Response to Comment 7-60, Sierra Colina Final EIS at page 2-117).

The EIS traffic engineers have determined in the Sierra Colina DEIS that the implementation of these proposed mitigation measures on U.S. 50 at Lake Village Drive would, both with and without the proposed Sierra Colina project, (i) reduce existing afternoon peak hour left hand turn delays for west-bound left-turning vehicles exiting Lake Village Drive and turning left on U.S. 50 toward Stateline; and (ii) improve the operation of the afternoon Peak Hour Intersection LOS for the left turn onto U.S. Hwy 50 from LOS “F” (today) to LOS “D” (which is two levels better than and an improvement over existing conditions, LOS “F”) and the intersection would continue to operate at LOS “D,” even after including the anticipated future traffic generated from Sierra Colina.  LOS D “represents high-density, but stable flow” (Sierra Colina DEIS at page 4.14-3). LOS “D” meets TRPA LOS standards for signalized intersections (Note: TRPA has no LOS standards for un-signalized intersections like Lake Village Drive/U.S. Hwy 50).

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