A bill in the California Legislature that would give Lake Tahoe more transportation money received unanimous bipartisan support in the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing.

Senate Bill 231 is sponsored by state Sen. Ted Gaines, R-El Dorado Hills.

“Although the permanent population in Lake Tahoe has been in decline, the region still remains a top vacation destination, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors a day during peak season,” Gaines said in a statement. “It is critical to Tahoe’s regional economy that we meet the transportation needs of both visitors and residents in this most picturesque part of our state.”

Tahoe currently is allocated funds based on the number of full time residents. This bill would allow agencies to tap the Low Carbon and Transit Operations and the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities programs, as well as receive a larger allocation of State Transit Assistance funding based on a new, designated population basis for the California portion of the Tahoe basin.

The bill now moves to the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report