Capital Improvement Program

The Engineering Division is responsible for implementation of the City’s adopted five year Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which consists of a variety of projects to construct, maintain, repair, and rehabilitate the City's infrastructure, facilities, and specialized equipment.

Capital Improvement Projects are defined as one time projects that are not maintenance related, having assets of significant value generally over $50,000, with an expected useful life of five or more years.

The CIP is a plan. As such, projects are subject to change based on new or shifting service needs, special financing opportunities, emergency needs, or other directives established by the City Council. Because priorities can change, the CIP will be updated annually. Currently, the City’s CIP utilizes a numerical rating system driven by the City’s five strategic priorities of:

  • Improving the Built Environment
  • Public Trust and Accountability
  • Economic Development
  • Partnership Development
  • Fiscal Sustainability

As well as the following seven program priorities:

  • Visual Impact
  • Critical Replacement
  • Health & Safety
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Savings to operating costs
  • Revenue supporting
  • Ability to fund

The CIP is classified by the following categories:

Infrastructure Projects

CIP infrastructure projects include storm drains/systems; street curbs, gutters, sidewalks, lighting, pavement; bike paths; and ADA retrofits.

Facility Projects

CIP facility projects include parks, recreation facilities, office buildings, IT/IS projects, airport facilities, and maintenance and fleet facilities.

Equipment Projects

CIP equipment projects typically include the replacement of equipment greater than $50,000 such as snow removal equipment, fire and police apparatus, generators, and specialized equipment.

The effective use of the CIP provides for project identification, planning, evaluation, scope definition, design, public discussion, cost estimating, and financial planning. CIP projects are designed to prevent deterioration of the City’s infrastructure and respond to changing needs.

  • A list of the CIP projects is included in the CIP budget adopted each fiscal year. The CIP budget is included in the overall City           budget document available from the Finance Department.
  • The City’s top Capital Improvement Priority Projects with descriptions can be found here: City Projects
  • Information regarding CIP projects that are currently out to bid can be obtained from the City’s Purchasing Department.

Pavement Management System

In 2007, the Engineering Department instituted a Pavement Management System to begin developing a structured maintenance and rehabilitation plan for the roadways, sidewalks, and bike paths throughout the City. A Pavement Management System is a database of existing conditions of the roadway structure. A field inspection of the roadway provides an assessment of the pavement distress. Distresses are then quantified by segment and a score is assigned. This score is known as the Pavement Condition Index (PCI). The PCI ranges from 0-100 with 100 being a roadway in perfect condition.

The Pavement Management System allows the Department to analyze roadway maintenance and rehabilitation needs at proper intervals or schedules. By treating the roadways effectively, the City can realize diminishing deferred maintenance costs and the public can realize better driving conditions.

To view documents pertaining to the current condition of the City’s roadway network and proposed annual maintenance and rehabilitation work, please click here.

2019 CIP Projects

Sierra Boulevard Complete Streets Project


Project Manager: Stan Hill
Status: Design
Schedule: TBD

The Sierra Boulevard Complete Streets Project is a multifaceted project. The “Complete Streets” approach to reconstructing the street not only involves a newly paved street, the work will also include multimodal transportation improvements, stormwater collection, and stormwater treatment.

The project improvements include construction of a Class 1 mixed use bike trail along the easterly side of Sierra Boulevard and a 5-foot wide sidewalk along the westerly side of Sierra Boulevard All transportation improvements are being constructed in accordance with the American Disability Act (ADA). Class 1 mixed use bike trails consists of a 10-foot wide pavement section with two-foot wide shoulders on each side. The two-way Sierra Boulevard motor vehicle travel lanes will be 11 feet wide and include 5-foot wide Class II bike lanes in both directions. Stormwater improvements include curbs, gutters, drainage inlets, stormwater infiltration and stormwater treatment.

The intersection of Sierra Boulevard and Lake Tahoe Boulevard (U.S. Highway 50) is already contracted by Caltrans for reconstruction during the summer of 2019. The Caltrans intersection reconstruction work will extend between the highway and Palmira Avenue. The City’s “complete streets” project is proposed to extend 0.6 miles from Palmira Avenue to Barbara Avenue. The Sierra Boulevard Complete Streets project is also scheduled for construction during 2019.

ROAD CLOSURE - Reconstruction of Sierra Blvd. involves pulverization of existing asphalt. During periods of exposed dirt, sections of Sierra Blvd will be CLOSED to through traffic until the placement of new asphalt paving. Road closure and detour signs will direct traffic around the project area affected by the road closure. This temporary full-time road closure of exposed dirt areas will reduce dust from vehicle travel through the project area.

View Public Presentation of Sierra Boulevard Project (PDF)

CEQA MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION:

The Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Sierra Boulevard Complete Streets Project was posted for the 30-day public review and comment period on February 8, 2018. An electronic copy of the CEQA MND is available online (PDF). Hard copies are also available for viewing at City Hall located at 1901 Airport Road and at the Services Center located at 1052 Tata Lane.

Notice of Intent to adopt Mitigated Negative Declaration can be viewed online (PDF)

Project Vicitnity Map 


1740 D Street

Project Manager: Jim Marino
Status: Design 
Schedule: 2016-2017 (PDF)

The City acquired a parcel located at 1740 D Street to create an office and industrial facility for the City’s Public Works Department staff and equipment currently located at the Rufus Allen Corporation Yard and the Tata Lane Offices.

By relocating the staff and equipment at the Rufus Allen location, the City realizes potential for increased recreational opportunities and facilities at that location in conjunction with the proposed recreation center rehabilitation and future 56 acres project.

Regan Beach Rehabilitation

Project Manager: Jim Marino
Status: Design
Schedule: TBD

Regan Beach Design (PDF)

Recently, the City Council pledged to enhance economic development, viability, and sustainability through recreation as a core strategy.

As stated in the South Lake Tahoe Parks, Trails & Recreation Master Plan (Recreation Master Plan), “recreation is critical to local prosperity, community livability, and the health and wellbeing of residents.”

Regan Beach is an important component of the city’s recreation facilities. Completing a recreation master plan for the park is noted as a win for the City in the Recreation Master Plan as well as being one of the high priority projects to show commitment to realizing the benefits of community park and recreation facilities. As is true with many parks built during the 1960’s and 1970’s, the park has aged and is in need of renovation. The challenge is to identify appropriate renovation recommendations that provide recreation access, restore the shoreline, improve user amenities and facilities and enhance revenue generation while retaining the calmness of the adjacent Al Tahoe neighborhood.

Regan beach is currently owned, operated and maintained by the City of South Lake Tahoe (CSLT) with the exception of the parcel to the west called Regan Beach West which is owned by the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC). Total project site is approximately 6.2 acres with about 2,000 feet of shoreline frontage. The public park is located in the Al Tahoe neighborhood of South Lake Tahoe, CA about ¼ of a mile from Lakeview Commons and the El Dorado Beach and Boat Launch. Although the park sits in a neighborhood context, there is close proximity to multiple public facilities within the City.

Regan Beach has the ability to help fill a critical need for the community’s recreation system: public lake access. Recently completed, Lakeview Commons is highly visible to visitors traveling through town on US 50 and is a hub of activity for residents and tourists wanting lake access. Regan Beach is lesser known to tourists and has become a special neighborhood park resource for the surrounding Al Tahoe residents and an important community park for the City.