Average Daily Winter Traffic Volume, Presidents' Weekend
This indicator measures traffic volumes during the winter months as a proxy for carbon monoxide concentration levels. Carbon monoxide is a public health concern because elevated concentrations affect human and animal health by reducing the supply of oxygen to body tissues. Several factors can influence traffic volumes measured on Presidents’ Day weekend, including weather, economy, and availability of alternative modes of transportation. Current programs and policies such as transit-oriented development and increasing transit service look to reduce traffic volumes. Winter traffic volume is monitored by CalTrans on Highway 50 near Heavenly Village.
Status
Average daily winter traffic volume (vehicles/day) on Presidents’ Day Weekend at U.S. Highway 50 and Park Avenue, South Lake Tahoe, California.
Data provided by CalTrans and TRPA. Access this data on Tahoe Open Data, including Winter Traffic Volume Counter Location and Winter Traffic Volume Counts.
Evaluation Map
The location of the winter traffic volume monitor on Highway 50 near Heavenly Village.
2023 Evaluation
- Status
- Considerably Better Than Target
- Trend
- Little or No Change
- Confidence
- High
Applicable Standard
AQ2: Reduce traffic volumes on the U.S. 50 Corridor by 7 percent during the winter from the 1981 base year between 4:00 p.m. and 12:00 midnight, provided that those traffic volumes shall be amended as necessary to meet the respective state standards.
Key Points
- Presidents' weekend winter traffic volumes at Highway 50 and Park Avenue have decreased significantly since 1981, and the standard has been in attainment since 1996.
- Traffic volumes in 2020 were 43 percent lower than in 1981 and less than half of peak volumes observed in 1987.
- Since the Heavenly Gondola opened in 2000, Presidents' weekend winter traffic volumes have averaged just over 16,000 (relative to the threshold standard of 24,000).
- While the standard is evaluated over a single 8-hour period, annual averages are also available for the site and capture a similar decline in volumes. The Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) at Park Avenue and 50 is available through 2022. AADT at Park Avenue has decreased by nearly 50 percent since 2001, from over 42,000 in 2001 to just over 23,000 in 2022 (Source: Caltrans).
About the Threshold
- This indicator measures traffic volumes between 4:00 p.m. and 12:00 midnight, during a peak winter period (Saturday of Presidents’ Day weekend). Volumes are a proxy measure of carbon monoxide concentration levels.
- Several factors influence traffic volumes measured on Presidents’ Day weekend, including weather, economy, and availability of alternative modes of transportation. In the winter of 2001/2002, Heavenly Resort improved its free skier shuttle services and installed a Gondola near the site where traffic volumes are measured. It is presumed that the continuing availability of these alternative modes of transportation and the Gondola project has helped reduce traffic volumes to a level below the TRPA threshold standard. Legalization of Indian Gaming in California also significantly reduced gaming tourism in Tahoe (Eadington 2011) https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/grrj/vol15/iss1/3/.
Delivering and Measuring Success
Local and Regional Plans
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Main Street Management Plan
This plan was adopted as mitigation for US 50 South Shore Community Revitalization Project. The partnership is seeking funding to implement the plan and its trip reduction measures.
Monitoring Programs
Rationale Details
- Considerably Better Than Target. Peak annual hourly volume at the Park Avenue station was estimated to be 2600 (average of 2850 BACK_PEAK_HOUR & 2350 AHEAD_PEAK_HOUR). If that volume was sustained for 8 straight hours, the total volume would be 20,800, still 3,200 below the threshold standard of 24,000. The total volume measured between 4pm and midnight on the busiest day of Presidents Day weekend (Saturday) in 2020 (last year measured) was 7,324, and the daily volume was 17,836.
- Little to no change. Assessed over the entire period of record the trend would be rapid improvement. The majority of the decline occurred between 1980 and 2005, Since 2005, volumes at Park Avenue during the holiday weekend have been relatively stable at about 15,000.
Confidence Details
- High. Caltrans traffic counts are available for the period of record and the decline is large enough that even with measurement error associated with traffic counts there is no question that the standard is attainment.
- High.Caltrans traffic counts are available for the period of record and the decline is large enough that even with measurement error associated with traffic counts there is no question that the standard is attainment.
- High.
Additional Figures and Resources
No photos available.
No documents available.