Lake Tahoe Waterborne Shuttle Service Conceptual Development/Feasibility Study Prepared for the Tahoe Transportation District Prepared by LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc. TRANSPORTATION CONSULTANTS, INC. Lake Tahoe Waterborne Shuttle Service Concept Development/Feasibility Study Prepared for the: Tahoe Transportation District 128 Market Street, Suite 3F Stateline, Nevada 89449 775 589-5500 Prepared by: LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc. PO Box 5875 2690 Lake Forest Road, Suite C Tahoe City, California 96145 530 583-4053 October 20, 2010 LSC Ref. 107250 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page I Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Study Background....................................................................................................... 1 Previous Waterborne Transit Studies.......................................................................... 5 Conclusions.................................................................................................................8 II Vessel Options.................................................................................................................. 9 Availability of Vessels Suitable for the Project .......................................................... 14 Boats Not Considered Suitable ................................................................................. 21 Detailed Discussion of Emissions............................................................................. 21 III Landing Sites .................................................................................................................. 25 Potential Landing Sites.............................................................................................. 25 Other Locations Initially Considered but Eliminated.................................................. 28 IV Regulatory Requirements ............................................................................................... 29 TRPA Regulations..................................................................................................... 29 United States Coast Guard Requirements ................................................................ 31 The Americans with Disabilities Act .......................................................................... 32 California Codes........................................................................................................ 34 Summary and Conclusions....................................................................................... 37 V Ridership Potential.......................................................................................................... 39 Review of Peer Water Shuttle Systems .................................................................... 39 Review of Previous Tahoe Visitor-Oriented Transit Service Ridership ..................... 46 VI Conceptual Plan.............................................................................................................. 55 Operating Service Plan Scenarios............................................................................ 55 Financial Plan............................................................................................................ 68 Institutional Plan........................................................................................................ 73 VII Plan Impacts................................................................................................................... 77 Traffic ........................................................................................................................ 77 Parking ...................................................................................................................... 79 Air Emissions............................................................................................................. 81 Economic Impacts..................................................................................................... 82 VIII Conclusions and Recommendations............................................................................... 83 Recommended Plan.................................................................................................. 83 Findings..................................................................................................................... 84 Implementation Plan.................................................................................................. 85 Appendix A – Boat Manufacturers Responses to Requests for Information Lake Tahoe Waterborne Shuttle Service LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc. Concept Design and Feasibility Study Page i LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Maximum Air Pollutant Emission Rates for a Tahoe Water Shuttle Engine.................... 14 2 Summary of Potential Boats Compliant with Specifications............................................ 23 3 Waterborne Ferry Fare Peer Review .............................................................................. 41 4 TRPA TransCAD Existing Trip Table Resident Daily Person-Trip Interchange .............. 48 5 TRPA TransCAD Existing Trip Table Visitor Daily Person-Trip Interchange .................. 49 6 TRPA TransCAD Existing Trip Table Total Daily Person-Trip Interchange .................... 49 7 Potential Summer Daily Water Shuttle Passenger Demand ........................................... 51 8 Example 1-Boat Schedule............................................................................................... 56 9 Example 2-Boat Schedule............................................................................................... 58 10 Water Shuttle – Bus Transit and Bicycle Trail Connections............................................ 61 11 Analysis of Water Shuttle Scenario Demand .................................................................. 64 12 Evaluation of Northbound/Eastbound Daily Passenger Load and Capacity ................... 65 13 Estimate of Actual Ridership ........................................................................................... 65 14 Annual Water Shuttle Operating Costs – 1 Boat Scenario.............................................. 69 15 Annual Water Shuttle Operating Costs – 2 Boat Scenario.............................................. 70 16 Annual Water Shuttle Budget.......................................................................................... 72 17 Water Shuttle Capital Costs ............................................................................................ 73 18 Analysis of Traffic Impact................................................................................................ 78 19 Analysis of Parking Impacts............................................................................................ 79 20 Evaluation of Air Quality Impacts .................................................................................... 81 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Centurion Perspective Drawing....................................................................................... 15 2 MJM 29z Model...............................................................................................................17 3 New England Boatworks Boat Plans............................................................................... 19 4 Trumpy Yachts Plan and Profile...................................................................................... 20 5 Maximum Engine Emission Rates.................................................................................. 24 6 Chicago Water Taxi Route Map ...................................................................................... 40 7 Chicago Water Taxi Monthly Ridership, March to September 2010 ............................... 43 8 Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi Route Map.......................................................................... 43 9 AquaLink and AquaBus Route Maps .............................................................................. 45 10 Alexandria – National Harbor Water Taxi Route Map ..................................................... 46 11 Potential Daily Water Shuttle Demand One-Way Passenger Trips – All Potential Stops .............................................................................................................. 53 12 Example 1-Boat Route Plan............................................................................................ 57 13 Example 2-Boat Route Plan............................................................................................ 59 14 Emerald Bay Trolley Ridership by Day ........................................................................... 60 LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc. Lake Tahoe Waterborne Shuttle Service Page ii Concept Design and Feasibility Study Section I Introduction STUDY BACKGROUND Transportation in the Lake Tahoe Region historically included waterborne passenger services. Until the outbreak of World War II, boats such as the SS Tahoe were instrumental in transporting passengers between the region’s lakeside communities. After the completion of the roadway encircling the Lake in 1938, however, water services declined. The original SS Tahoe was sunk in 1940, while a subsequent diesel-propelled passenger service (also named the Tahoe) ceased operation in 1965. Since the 1980s, there has been growing interest in reviving waterborne passenger transportation services as a means of avoiding increasingly