The 2024 ambulance medical trips to Barton Hospital in CA from:

Douglas County Area= 658 (Numbers provided by email from Tahoe Douglas Fire)

El Dorado County Area=  2849  (Numbers are online)

 

+/-25000 people in El Dorado County and +/-3000 people on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe

Using 2024 data, there were 658 ambulance trips from the Nevada side traveling through the casino corridor to reach Barton’s current location in California. In the same year, there were 2,840 ambulance trips originating in El Dorado County and remaining within California to transport patients to Barton Hospital.

If the hospital is relocated to Stateline, Nevada, these 2,840 trips would now need to travel a longer distance and pass through the heavily congested casino corridor—before even accounting for return trips.

This longer route and increased traffic will delay patient access to upgraded care and increase costs for California residents. Additionally, sending more emergency vehicles through an already congested area raises the risk of accidents and threatens public safety.

We must also consider the number of trips made by personal vehicles, which would further strain the corridor.

The primary population center in the region is South Lake Tahoe/El Dorado County—not Douglas County. Based on the 2024 ambulance data and common sense, it is clear that the hospital should remain in California.

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EIS Scoping Comment Submitted 6/6/25   

Conflict with TRPA VMT Reduction Goals and Emergency Response Risks from Proposed Barton Hospital Relocation

TRPA prioritizes reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to meet regional transportation and air quality goals. The proposed relocation of Barton Hospital to Stateline, Nevada, appears to conflict with these objectives.

According to 2024 ambulance transport data:

• 2,840 ambulance trips originated in El Dorado County, CA, and remained in California to reach Barton Hospital.

• Only 658 trips originated from Douglas County, NV.

If the hospital is relocated to Stateline, those 2,840 California-based trips—and their return trips—will be rerouted through the already congested casino corridor. This significantly increases overall VMT. In addition, travel by patients, visitors, and staff from California—where the population is more concentrated—will also increase, further contributing to congestion and vehicle emissions.

Of particular concern is the emergency travel route north of the casino corridor approaching the SR 207 intersection. This stretch of road includes four lanes without a center turn lane, and has limited or no shoulder area for vehicles to pull over. This creates serious challenges for emergency vehicle passage, potentially delaying ambulance response and patient transport. These conditions should be thoroughly analyzed in relation to emergency response efficiency and public safety.

The project should not proceed without a clear and data-supported evaluation of its impacts on regional VMT, emergency vehicle mobility, and consistency with TRPA’s stated transportation and environmental goals.

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