Several groups have pitched in to create the first area-wide free ski shuttle.
"What we've tried to do is create a program that really allows the customers to leave their cars at their hotel property."
Andy Chapman is with the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association -
one of the groups that created the pilot program - along with
several ski resorts, the town of Truckee and Placer County.
The buses run from local hotels and motels to nine different
ski resorts. Chapman says the shuttle is paid for with
transient occupancy revenue.
"…which come from overnight stays. It's a tax that's paid
to Placer County and then some of those monies come back to us at
the Resort Association here to provide transportation and
infrastructure improvements."
The shuttle operates on weekends and holidays through March
31st.
Jaime Wright is with the Truckee
- North Lake Tahoe Transportation Management Association, one
of the groups that created the program. She says the shuttle is
helping to reduce traffic congestion.
"We always see an extensive amount of traffic on ski weekends
and busy holiday weeks. This is the first year of the pilot
program. We definitely are hoping to continue next year possibly
with more buses and services."
Organizers say the shuttle served about 400 customers through
the first five days of the Christmas holidays.