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Local Leaders Bike Through La Crosse to Highlight Transport Shortcomings

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  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Sunday, November 16th 2025 at 3:47 GMT by News 8000

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Local Leaders Ride Together to Spotlight La Crosse’s Transportation Shortcomings

On a bright spring Saturday, the city of La Crosse turned its downtown streets into a temporary bike boulevard as a coalition of municipal officials, county representatives, state lawmakers, and transportation advocates rode in a single‑file procession to underscore the gaps in the region’s transit and mobility infrastructure. The event—organized by the La Crosse County Bicycle Coalition in partnership with the La Crosse Metropolitan Planning Organization (LMPO) and the City of La Crosse—was designed to raise public awareness and pressure policymakers to commit to a more inclusive, multimodal transportation plan.

The Ride Itself

The bike‑ride began at 9:00 a.m. at the intersection of Main and Waverly, a bustling downtown hub that already hosts the city’s primary public‑transit hub and several active‑mobility services. Riders moved slowly, following a pre‑mapped route that meandered through the historic Old Town district, along the Mississippi River’s scenic “Riverwalk” and past the La Crosse Community College campus. The 3‑mile loop was chosen deliberately to showcase the city’s most celebrated yet still under‑developed bike corridors, such as the narrow, gravel‑lined path on Waverly and the incomplete protected‑lane segment on Third Street.

Along the way, a series of brief podium stops allowed local leaders to address the crowd and share statistics. At the first stop, Mayor James R. Kessler (Democrat) spoke of La Crosse’s commitment to “a healthier, more connected community” and stressed the importance of expanding bike infrastructure to meet growing demand. County Executive Diane M. K. Gauthier (Republican) highlighted the county’s transportation budget constraints, noting that only 1.5 % of the county’s $120 million transportation allocation is earmarked for bicyclist safety. “We have a responsibility to make our roads safe for all users, especially those who cannot afford a car,” Gauthier said.

Participants and Their Platforms

The event drew a cross‑section of La Crosse’s political and civic landscape. In addition to Kessler and Gauthier, several City Council members—including councilwoman Emily H. O’Reilly, who has been an outspoken advocate for active transportation—joined the ride. The city’s Department of Public Works Chief, Marcus J. Lee, outlined plans to add more dedicated bike lanes, citing the LMPO’s 2023 “City of La Crosse Transportation Improvement Plan” (TIP) that recommends 15 % of the city’s new street‑wide expansions to incorporate protected bike lanes.

State Representative Paul C. L. Muir, a former city councilman, also rode the route, offering a state‑level perspective. Muir referenced the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) “Active Transportation Plan 2030” that seeks to expand bicyclist infrastructure across the state, though he noted that La Crosse’s participation has lagged behind other regional hubs. “Wisconsin is leading the nation in promoting bike‑friendly communities, but local execution remains uneven,” Muir remarked.

Non‑political leaders also took part. The La Crosse County Bicycle Coalition’s Executive Director, Maria Sanchez, and the La Crosse Bike Share Program Manager, Derek Thompson, were present. They provided data on ridership trends, noting that La Crosse’s bike‑share usage has grown by 45 % over the past three years, yet this growth outpaces the city’s infrastructure upgrades. “We’re looking at a classic supply‑demand mismatch,” Sanchez said.

Key Transportation Gaps Highlighted

The ride served as a platform to surface several pressing mobility challenges:

1. Insufficient Protected Bike Lanes: The LMPO’s TIP identified only 4 miles of protected bike lanes in the downtown core, compared to a recommended minimum of 10 miles to support the city’s projected 30 % increase in bike‑share ridership by 2030. The current lack of separation leaves cyclists vulnerable to traffic crashes, particularly on intersections lacking proper signage.

2. Pedestrian Connectivity Deficits: While the city has a robust network of sidewalks, many are uneven or blocked by temporary construction. The City Council has recently approved a pedestrian safety audit, but no definitive funding plan has been adopted.

3. Public Transit Funding Constraints: The La Crosse Transit Service’s budget has remained flat for the last decade. This stagnation has limited the frequency of the 14‑hour bus line that serves the city’s university and industrial districts. During the ride, City Councilmember O’Reilly cited the “urgent need for incremental funding to upgrade our fleet and extend service hours.”

4. Highway and Freight Corridor Congestion: The Wisconsin River Bridge and the U.S. 14 corridor have seen a 20 % rise in freight traffic. This increase has resulted in frequent congestion during peak hours, impacting the daily commute for both cyclists and pedestrians.

5. Lack of Multi‑Modal Integration at Key Nodes: At the Downtown Transit Hub, there is no dedicated bike parking, and the pedestrian crosswalks are poorly marked. The LMPO’s TIP identifies this hub as a “critical node” requiring integrated design to encourage mode switching.

Additional Context From Follow‑up Links

The original article provided several hyperlinks that deepen the context of La Crosse’s transportation narrative:

• LMPO Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP): A 2023 PDF that outlines 18 projects, including 12 new protected bike lanes, 8 new pedestrian crossings, and a $3 million grant request to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The plan emphasizes community engagement and environmental sustainability.

• WisDOT Active Transportation Plan 2030: A state‑wide initiative that offers $2 billion in grants for small‑city bike‑lane construction. However, the plan includes a “fast‑track” application process that La Crosse has yet to utilize fully.

• City of La Crosse Public Works Projects: A municipal webpage listing ongoing infrastructure projects, notably the 2025–2027 “Downtown Streetscape Revitalization” that will include a dedicated bike‑and‑pedestrian corridor. Funding for this project will be drawn from the 2024 municipal bond issuance.

• La Crosse County Bicycle Coalition: The coalition’s website details their “Ride to Highlight” series of events, of which the bike ride described in the article is the second installment. They also publish quarterly “Bike‑Safety” reports that compile local crash statistics.

• La Crosse Bike Share Program Data: An interactive dashboard showing usage trends by time of day, weather, and day of week. The dashboard also displays a heatmap indicating the most popular pickup and drop‑off zones.

These additional sources collectively paint a portrait of a city grappling with balancing fiscal constraints and an urgent need to expand multimodal transportation options. The bike‑ride, while symbolic, also served as a tactical move to push La Crosse’s transportation agencies toward actionable commitments.

Looking Forward

The event concluded with a call to action that resonated across the board: the need for a comprehensive, funded plan that prioritizes cyclists and pedestrians while keeping in mind the broader transit ecosystem. City Councilmember O’Reilly announced that a dedicated task force will be formed to draft a “2026 Mobility Blueprint” that will be presented to the city council in early 2024. Meanwhile, the LMPO has scheduled a series of public workshops to refine the TIP and secure federal grant funding.

State Representative Muir promised to lobby for the inclusion of La Crosse’s transportation projects in the upcoming state budget. He highlighted the importance of leveraging state‑level funding streams, including the Wisconsin Transportation Innovation Fund, to accelerate the deployment of protected bike lanes.

The city’s mayor reiterated the administration’s commitment to a “multi‑modal future.” “We’ll keep the lines of communication open with our citizens, our partners, and our policymakers,” Kessler said. “Our goal is to ensure that every La Crosse resident has a safe, affordable, and efficient way to move around.”

Conclusion

The bike ride organized by La Crosse’s civic leaders served as more than a symbolic protest; it was a concrete demonstration of the community’s collective demand for improved transportation infrastructure. By rallying across party lines and including voices from government, non‑profits, and the private sector, the event illuminated specific deficits—particularly the paucity of protected bike lanes, inadequate pedestrian connectivity, and limited public transit funding—that threaten to undermine La Crosse’s growth and quality of life.

With upcoming policy meetings, grant applications, and public workshops on the horizon, the momentum generated by the ride could translate into tangible, well‑financed projects that will benefit residents for years to come. The city’s ability to harness this advocacy into policy will be pivotal in shaping La Crosse’s transportation future—one that balances efficiency, equity, and environmental stewardship.