Too much parking in La Crosse?

Case can be made as DOT considers road-building options

There’s a case to be made that there’s too much parking available in La Crosse.

Way too much for those who believe cheap and easy parking contribute to heavy traffic through the city from other communities. 

It’s part of the reason a no-build option could be part of what the Wisconsin DOT will be asked to consider for eventual transportation improvements in the city. 

But is there really too much parking? 

“There’s a part of me that wants to agree and a part of me that wants to disagree,” La Crosse city council rep. James Cherf said. “The pressure on our roadways throughout our community comes from cars on them.”

But Cherf says an abundance of parking also translates into increased commerce downtown and throughout the city of La Crosse.

The idea behind a no-build option is to limit parking options and increase use of things like mass transit. 

Cherf doesn’t think that sounds like a plan grounded in reality.

“The reality is that Americans love their cars,” Cherf said. “It’s hard to walk to downtown La Crosse lax from Holmen.”

The La Crosse Area Planning Committee will study the no-build option along with a half dozen other plans involving roads and a possible bridge before making a recommendation to the DOT for a preferred infrastructure option for the future.