Let cities decide which roads to fix first

It has been a long time coming. But finally, repairs are planned to some of La Crosse’s worst streets. Both La Crosse Street and Green Bay Street are scheduled for repair next year. Drivers in La Crosse have complained about the conditions of these roads for years, but have been held hostage by the state, which is funding the projects because both are state roads. La Crosse has begged Madison to move the deteriorating roads up the priority list for years. Former Mayor Tim Kabat even tried to get La Crosse Street done by city crews and then bill the state for the work, an idea which was quickly shot down. But shouldn’t local officials make the decision about which roads get repaired and when? We’re often told that the best decisions are made at the local level, but when it comes to funding road repairs, the state doesn’t practice what it preaches. Perhaps a better way is to allocate money to cities for road work and let them decide which roads need to be fixed first. It wouldn’t cost any more, and it would likely lead to the worst roads getting fixed first, rather than waiting for the state to act. It is good our worst roads are finally going to get fixed, but it would be better if cities like La Crosse could make the decisions themselves.