Frequently Asked Questions

Speed humps and speed bumps are vertical obstacles in the road extending across a travel way to slow vehicle speeds. They are made of asphalt, concrete, plastic, rubber, or metal. The Town does not recommend installing speed humps or bumps on publicly maintained roads due to their lack of effectiveness, the impediment to snow removal operations, and installation and maintenance costs.

Information provided by neighboring jurisdictions has shown that speed humps have not been effective at significantly reducing vehicle speeds, reducing speeds by only 1 or 2 miles per hour and in some cases resulting in higher speeds.

Additional issues with speed humps include:

• Interference with emergency vehicle response times.
• Increased traffic noise levels from engines revving over the speed humps.
• Increased acceleration between the speed humps.
• Increase in vehicle exhaust emissions from acceleration after going over speed humps.

Operating speeds are based on the visual scene and characteristics of the roadway more than by the posted speed limit. As a result, changes in the posted speed limit have little to no effect on vehicle speeds. A nationwide study collected speed data from 100 sites across 22 states where posted speed limits were either raised or lowered by increments of 5 mph. Review of the before and after speed data revealed that changes in speed were generally 2 miles per hour. Changing the posted speed limit did not have a significant effect on modifying driver behavior.

All roads in Truckee are categorized as local roads per the California Vehicle Code definition. The speed limit is set at 25 miles per hour (Town Municipal Code 10.05.020 Town Prima Facie Speed) for most roads in Truckee unless a higher speed limit is determined to be appropriate. Under this circumstance, the Town typically establishes speed limits based on the 85th percentile speeds which is the speed that 85% of vehicles are traveling at or below. The 85th percentile speed is used because it reflects a collective judgment of the vast majority of drivers as to a reasonable speed for given roadway conditions. Considerations are also made with regard to infrastructure and traffic conditions, such as: roadway pavement widths, shoulder widths, curves, driveway density, potential for and volume of bicycle and pedestrian traffic, and collision rates. Lowering a speed limit below the 85th percentile speed does not necessarily improve safety or result in voluntary motorist compliance.

Ways you can help include:

• Set the pace! Drive at or below the speed limit and observe all rules of the road.
• Report speeding incidents to the Truckee Police Department. If you notice vehicles speed at a particular time of day, or day of the week, provide that information. You may make a request for additional enforcement.
• Lead by example! Drive the speed limit and follow all driving rules.

Speed feedback signs remind drivers of the speed at which they are traveling in relation to the posted speed limit. However, local observations show that drivers pay more attention to them when they are newly placed and tend to disregard them over time.

The Town Council adopted the Radar Speed Sign Policy in 2013 and later updated it in 2023. You can view the Radar Speed Sign Policy (PDF). The policy identifies a limited number of locations for permanent radar speed feedback signs to be considered for installation if certain requirements are met.

The Truckee Police Department has a temporary radar speed feedback sign that is kept in continuous rotation in various areas throughout Town as weather permits.

In general, the Town has a policy to limit the amount of signage throughout town to minimize sign pollution and maintain small-town character. When deciding whether or not to place a new sign we consider several factors including legal and technical appropriateness, likely effectiveness of the requested signage to change driver behavior, maintenance of a consistent approach throughout the community, and effective use of public resources. Studies have suggested speed limit signs do not significantly modify driver behavior, and drivers tend to disregard signs in the long term. Per California regulations, stop signs should be used for traffic control at intersections and not for regulating speeds.

Crosswalks may be located at signalized and unsignalized intersections or at mid-block locations. Crossings at intersections with higher levels of pedestrian traffic are more likely to be marked with a crosswalk, whereas intersections with lower levels of pedestrian traffic are less likely to be marked. In addition, mid-block crosswalks are not recommended unless accompanied with physical features (such as a center island). When determining where a crosswalk should be located and how it should be marked, several roadway and pedestrian characteristics are examined such as:

• The speed limit of the roadway
• Traffic volumes
• Number of travel lanes
• Road width
• Presence of center islands
• Pedestrian traffic volumes
• Pedestrian behaviors
• Visual clearance
• Collision data

Efforts are made to mark crossings at convenient and safe locations. However, pedestrians should always remain “heads up” when using crosswalks as markings and signs do not protect against inattentive drivers.

The term “right of way” describes portions of land where a government agency has legal access to the land to perform one or more of its duties.

One of the most common examples of the right of way in the Town of Truckee is the area of land between privately owned land and the edge of pavement of streets owned and/or maintained by the Town. View a diagram depicting the location of a right of way (PDF). This area allows for storage of snow that is plowed from Town streets.

Mailboxes are allowed in the Town right-of-way if they are placed in moveable containers, such as a 5-gallon bucket filled with concrete or sand. The Town assumes no liability whatsoever for mailboxes temporarily located in the right-of-way and damaged by snow removal operations. Bear-proof garbage containers must be placed out of the Town right-of-way and on private property. While the Town requires the box outside the right-of-way, the Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal Company (TTSD) also has maximum distances off of the street.

If you have any additional questions please call TTSD at 530-583-0148.

View the Residential Driveway Requirements (PDF).

The Town of Truckee right-of-way is home to roadways and utilities alike. The Town repaves and slurry seals its streets with asphalt-concrete. The utility providers routinely trench for underground utilities in the Town right-of-way. In order to tie in to residential driveways after periodic road and utility maintenance, we require that driveways be constructed from asphalt concrete.

In general, these slope specifications allow for safe access to and from houses by emergency response vehicles such as ambulances and firetrucks.

Residential lots in Truckee are limited to one encroachment due to the need for snow storage in the Town right of way.

Individual property owners are responsible for maintaining driveway culverts. This includes clearing of sediment and debris and repairing and replacing the culvert.

Subgrade inspections are conducted prior to foundation inspection, approval, and concrete pouring to ensure that the rough grade of the driveway is sufficient to meet what is provided on the approved plans. Ideally, the subgrade inspection should occur prior to the foundation formwork. Often, once the foundation is poured it is too late to adjust the grade of the driveway between the home and the edge of pavement. The Engineering Department avoids this difficult issue by performing a subgrade inspection early on in the construction project.

You will need a driveway permit when you tear out and put in new asphalt (check with Engineering at 530-582-2931

Building a new garage but keeping the same driveway will also likely require a permit; please check with Engineering at 530-582-2931.

Resurfacing or re-sealing your driveway will not require a permit

You do not need a driveway permit when you are performing maintenance (slurry seal or repaving) of your driveway in its original permitted location, dimensions, and grades.

Slurry Seal

Slurry seal is a thin seal placed on roadways to help preserve the roadway surface. Slurry uses a fine aggregate similar to sand, while pavement contains a coarse aggregate. For maintenance of a roadway in good condition, a slurry seal placed on the existing pavement adds time to the life of the roadway. A slurry seal is a cold-mix combination of asphalt emulsion, fine well-graded aggregate, and water. Slurry seals have been used by the Town for many years and have proven to be a cost-effective preventative treatment that is well-accepted by the community.

Pavement

Pavement consists of a thicker structural section of asphalt concrete. Re-paving consists of placing 2 inches or more thick asphalt overlay on top of a paved road. In some instances (when the road is severely deteriorated or if tying into existing crossroads would be too difficult if the pavement elevation is increased) a specified depth of the existing pavement is removed and then replaced with new asphalt. Reconstruction consists of milling and removing the existing pavement and base course. The new base is then added, shaped, and compacted. Two or more lifts of asphalt concrete are then placed on the base course.

The Town of Truckee applies slurry seals to most Town roads once every five years. A higher level of service is also provided to the Glenshire and Tahoe Donner Subdivision roads, where property owners pay a special service fee that funds more frequent maintenance (slurry seals once every three years).

The roads that are proposed to be slurry sealed this year may be found on the Town’s Capital Improvement Projects page.

The Town of Truckee paves most roads every 12 to 20 years. The Town conducts roadway inspections occur approximately every five years, during which the roads are rated. Those roads that receive a low rating (due to cracks, wear, rutting, potholes, or poor ride conditions) are flagged and scheduled for upgrade. The Town's Pavement Maintenance Program (PMP) provides a five-year schedule for the maintenance of Town roads. Note that the PMP is a planning document and roads may be added or eliminated to the maintenance schedule based upon additional field surveys or consideration for other construction projects in town.

View the paving and slurry schedules from the 2018 PMP (PDF).

Please call the Planning Department at 530-582-7820 and check with the homeowner association for the neighborhood in which you live (if applicable).

Please call the Department of Public Works at 530-582-7707.

Call Todd Landry at 530-582-2904 or Becky Bucar at 530-582-2932.

Fill out a service request form through Request Truckee.

You can sign up to receive email notifications for various Town of Truckee news. Go to the email notifications page on the Town website, fill out your contact information, and indicate what types of notifications you wish to receive.

You can report water quality issues to the Stormwater Hotline at 530-582-7794. For clogged drains within the Town right-of-way, contact the Department of Public Works at 530-582-7707 or submit a service request through Request Truckee.

Please see the Town of Truckee's Winter Snow Removal Services page.

The may also contact the Department of Public Works at 530-582-7707.

View a map of the Town of Truckee City Limits (PDF).

Unless a property is part of a Community Facilities District or Assessment District that includes sidewalk maintenance, adjacent property owners are responsible for the maintenance of the sidewalk along the property frontage, whether or not it is on private property or in the public right of way. The Community Facilities District or Assessment Districts are currently established in Brickelltown, the Railyard, and along the western Envision DPR segment (Donner Pass Road from Cold Stream Road to SR 89 South).

Amenities will include at a minimum:

• Pet waste stations
• Trash cans
• Benches
• Restroom (located in the West River Street trailhead parking lot)

Please see our Trail Etiquette Flyer (PDF).

Although the Town may decide to further define whether electric bikes or small motors are allowed on the trail, class 1 and class 2 e-bikes are allowed on the trails, and class 3 e-bikes, mopeds, and motorcycles are prohibited.

Improvements include:

• 1.7 miles of paved 10-foot wide Class 1 trail with 2-foot wide shoulders.
• Extension of South River Street (350 feet).
• South River Street 20-space trailhead parking lot.
• A 90+ space trailhead parking lot located on West River Street near the Highway 89 South intersection with a restroom.
• Two Pedestrian bridges across the Truckee River located near each trailhead.
• A vehicle bridge at the end of South River Street.
• Paved spur trail to Cottonwood Restaurant.
• Pedestrian bridge across the spring on the Cottonwood Restaurant spur.
• Soft surface trail connection to Thelin Drive in Sierra Meadows/Ponderosa Palisades neighborhood.
• Soft surface trail loops near the South River Street trailhead.
• Soft surface trail connections to the Truckee River.
• Parking spaces and restoration of the riverfront access on West River Street adjacent to Donner Creek.
• Restoration of wetlands and decommissioning of some existing dirt roads.

The project will be constructed in two parts:

1. The first section will begin at the end of South River Street to the western Town limits (Phase 4A) and is planned to be constructed in Summer 2022 and 2023.
2. The portion in Placer County is unknown at this time.

The Truckee River Legacy Trail travels through significant historic and prehistoric sites, the Tahoe National Forest has expressed concern over the visual impact of the trail and recommended that it be designed to blend in with the surrounding soils. As such, the Town agreed to seal coat the trail in a natural earth tone. The color was only applied to the section of the trail that runs through or is visible from cultural sites.