City will take action to decrease Cass St. confusion

Erasing some markings on La Crosse’s newly refurbished stretch of Cass Street may end some confusion.  

That is, at least, the hope, as the city’s Board of Public Works on Monday agreed to get rid of the bike symbols on the pavement between West Avenue and 7th Street.  

From the Wisconsin Bike Fed organization, Carlyon Dvorak supports the move. But asked whether the city should just remove the also-contentious sidewalk bump outs along the same stretch?

“No, absolutely not,” she said. “I think it’s really important to have a narrow travel lane to encourage drivers to drive slowly.

“When we have a narrow travel lane, it encourages people to watch for all road users and not drive too fast.”

Despite city claims, Dvorak says the lanes on the north side of Cass Street aren’t designed to be bike lanes and she recommends bicyclists ride in the traffic lanes.  

“I think that the city was trying to accommodate people on bikes but the space is really not appropriately used as a bike lane,” Dvorak said. “Bikes should use the traffic lane in that space.”

She says what the city planned as bike lanes don’t meet the definition of what such a lane should look like because, among other reasons, the lanes dead-end every block at sidewalk bump outs.