Monitor St. adds bike lane and turn lane

Original estimates for project were $18,000.

Lane changes on a La Crosse city street has less to do with cars and more to do with bikes, as it turns out.  

City crews are changing the lane markings on Monitor St., between Rose St. and Lang Dr. — turning it from a four-lane into a three-lane road.

But, along with those three lanes — one lane in each direction and a turn lane in the center — are bike lanes.

Those bike lanes, along the roughly half-mile stretch of road, are among about 150 long-term recommendations to make the city more bike and pedestrian friendly.

Those recommendations were included in the bicycle and pedestrian master plan for the city approved several years ago.

The street will eventually have a pedestrian-friendly median for crossing, as well.

Cost of the Monitor bike-lane project was originally pegged at $18,000 and was just completed. Actual costs of the project have yet to be disclosed.