Traffic and Parking Improvements

Background

Pinecrest Lake is the most heavily used recreation area in the Stanislaus National Forest with campgrounds and organization camps, 383 recreation residences, resorts, picnic/day use areas, commercial center and marina. During the FERC licensing process, studies demonstrated that recreational uses at Pinecrest Lake increased substantially over the last 50 years while the current infrastructure is not adequate to meet existing or anticipated future demand for recreational resources. The TCP is a required element of the FERC license.

In August 2011, FERC approved the portion of the TCP that involves redesigning existing parking lots. FERC is requiring that PG&E submit a license amendment for the design of the proposed additional parking areas identified below. The process of filing a license amendment will require PG&E and FERC to study the environmental impacts of the proposed parking areas. Additionally PG&E and the Stanislaus National Forest formed a Technical Working Group (TWG) with local stakeholders such as Tuolumne County, Dodge Ridge, Pinecrest Permittees Association, Friends of Pinecrest and Pinecrest Lake Resort between 2013 and 2015 to further study improvements that could be made to the TCP Plan that was completed in 2011. While the majority of the TCP remains, there were a few modifications that the TWG identified and are included in the updated TCP. A few examples of the modifications are that vehicle and boat trailer parking is not relegated to Lot 8 (the lot that will be developed across from the entrance to Pinecrest Campground). The new road providing access from Pinecrest Avenue through the meadow to Lot 8 has been eliminated. Under the revised TCP, vehicles with attached empty boat trailers will park where they currently do in Lot 1 (J or L shaped lot that us adjacent to Pinecrest lake Road. In Lot 2 (Marina parking lot) the parking stalls along the lake side have been eliminated and will now be a drop off pick up location. For further detail please review the updated TCP plan.

The goal of the TCP is to reduce congestion and issues related to access, parking, circulation and safety. To learn more about the components of the TCP, browse the links to the right. You can also download the Traffic/Circulation/Parking Plan (TCP).