DOT’s plan for South Ave. bad for La Crosse?

DOT to add lanes, roundabouts

A proposed widening of South Avenue in La Crosse would be pretty unfriendly to bicycles and pedestrians.

That’s the consensus of the city’s Bike and Ped committee, meeting this week to review the DOT’s plans for South Avenue.

City council member Martin Gaul is on the committee and sees DOT plans for a couple of bike lanes as being insufficient.

“Frankly, I think that when you’re in high traffic areas like that any additional bike lanes is questionable just because you’re riding so close to existing traffic lanes,” Gaul said.

The DOT wants to add lanes and roundabouts to South Avenue in order to make it safer and better accommodate the tens of thousands of cars that use the road daily. 

The agency’s current plans would mean removing 14 to 32 properties. Homes and businesses, says Gaul, from which the city can ill afford to lose property tax revenue.