Accommodating drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians proving difficult

It can be difficult to accommodate both motorists and bicyclists and pedestrians when building new roads. Let’s hope they do better than what we’ve seen so far. It makes sense when building roads to make it easier for pedestrians to safely cross the streets, and for bicyclists to have a place to ride free from cars. But the city of La Crosse’s effort to do so didn’t turn out so well on Second Street. The road was reconfigured as part of the expansion of the La Crosse Center, and as a result it is hard to tell just where you are supposed to drive. The lane heading north between Jay and State is so narrow that drivers typically have to cross the center line just to have enough room to drive, while the southbound lane features a bike lane as wide as the lane for cars. Many drivers have been confused by the lane markings, and drive south in the bike lane. The city is currently redoing some other major roads, including La Crosse Street and Green Bay Street. And once again, consideration will be given to pedestrians and bicyclists. Let’s hope that when that work is done there will be room for cyclists without having to make drivers cross the center line to avoid hitting the cars parked on the side of the roads.