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Introduction

Mono County is a rural county located on the eastern side of California's Sierra Nevada range.
The county encompasses an area of 3,103 square miles and hosts a total population of 12,774
(2008 estimate by U.S. Census Bureau). The county has one incorporated area, the Town of
Mammoth Lakes, which contains approximately half of the county population. During periods of
heavy visitation, however, the town's population is estimated to peak at more than 35,000.

Approximately 94% of the county is public or quasi-public land administered by the U.S.
Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the State of California, or the Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power. As a result, tourism/recreation is the major industry in the
county, accounting for approximately 80% of all employment. Annually, more than 6 million visitor-days of use occur on public lands in Mono County. The majority of these visitors travel to and through the county on the highway system.

Communities in the unincorporated area of the county are scattered throughout the region,
primarily along or near U.S. Hwy. 395 and U.S. Hwy. 6. Communities along U.S. 395 include
Topaz, Coleville, Walker, Bridgeport, Mono City, Lee Vining, June Lake, and Crowley communities
(Long Valley, McGee Creek, Hilton Creek, Aspen Springs and Sunny Slopes). Each of these
communities is small, rural in character and oriented primarily to serving recreational and tourist
traffic. Communities are oriented toward residential and agricultural uses.

Several Mono County communities are experiencing growth pressures. Development is increasing in the Mono Basin, June Lake and Long Valley communities in part due to growth of the town of Mammoth Lakes.

Benton, Hammil and Chalfant, located along U.S. 6 in the Tri-Valley area, are experiencing similar
development pressures from Bishop in Inyo County and, to a lesser degree, from the town of
Mammoth Lakes. The Tri-Valley also experiences far less recreational and tourist traffic than the
rest of the county.

Transportations Issues

The goal of the Mono County Regional Transportation Plan is to provide and maintain a
transportation system that provides for the safe, efficient, and environmentally sound movement
of people, goods and services, and that is consistent with the socioeconomic and land use
needs of Mono County. The primary transportation mode is the existing highway and road system.
The Bikeway/Trail component has become an increasingly important mode of circulation, particularly in Mammoth Lakes. Air travel is a mode of travel capable of assuming a larger role in
the future as the Town and County continue to make necessary improvements to existing airports.

As recreational use increases in the county, particularly in Mammoth Lakes, congestion and air
pollution problems will become more acute. Mammoth Lakes has been classified as a nonattainment
area for state ozone standards, and for state and federal PM-10 standards. In the recent update
of the Regional Transportation Plan and its approval of several large resort developments, Mammoth Lakes has placed a greater emphasis on transit and pedestrian improvements, rather than road improvements, to address congestion and air-quality problems.

The need to provide transit for transit-dependent persons and others continues to grow. The rural,
sparsely populated nature of Mono County makes it difficult to provide equitable transit services to
the various communities. A joint-powers authority with Town of Mammoth Lakes, City of Bishop, Inyo and Mono counties has been established to provide transit service in the Eastern Sierra. The LTC has a goal of increasing interest and involvement in providing efficient transit service to county residents. A short-range transit plan has been adopted through ESTA, and a longer-range plan is under way. In addition, the LTC continues its participation on the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS), which provides transit service to Yosemite Valley from eastside communities.

Due to Senate Bill 45, the role of the LTC has expanded significantly. This legislation provides the
LTC additional responsibilities for project monitoring with significant, additional and discretionary
funding for transportation projects and increased transportation planning.

Organization of the Mono County Local Transportation Commission

The Mono County Local Transportation Commission (MCLTC) is the designated Regional
Transportation Planning Agency for Mono County. Its membership includes three members of and
appointed by the Mammoth Lakes Town Council and three members of and appointed by
the Mono County Board of Supervisors. The director of Caltrans District 9 serves as an ex-officio
member. The MCLTC acts as an autonomous agency in filling the mandates of the Transportation
Development Act.

The primary duties of the MCLTC consist of the following:

Every four years, prepare, adopt and submit a Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), and
every two years prepare a Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) for the
Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the California Transportation Commission (CTC);

Annually review and comment on the Transportation Improvement Plan contained in the
State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP);

Provide ongoing administration of Transportation Development Act (TDA) Funds.

Annually prepare and submit the Overall Work Program; and

Periodically allocate funds for Transportation Enhancement Activities (TEA).