May is National Bike Month, and La Crosse is uniquely qualified to celebrate it!
The city was given silver-level bicycle-friendly community status by The League of American Bicyclists® through their Bicycle Friendly America℠ program. La Crosse earned this recognition because of its dedication to improving bicycling culture and infrastructure in the city.
Some of the recent bike accomplishments include:
Installing approximately 20 miles of on-street and 42 miles of off-street bike routes (map).
Growing a non-profit community bike share system, Drift Cycle, which began in 2021. Drift Cycle generates over 6,000 bike rides every year.
Securing over $5 million in grants over the past five years for bicycle infrastructure, and
Hosting an annual Ride with the Mayor which brings local advocates and elected officials together to talk about bicycle infrastructure successes and potential for improvement.
Read more about what the city has in store in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
Wagon Wheel Trail: a Bike Link Between La Crosse & La Crescent
Additionally, the Wagon Wheel Trail project - which is funded by $4 million in grant dollars – will soon provide a bike-friendly link between the La Crosse, WI and the La Crescent, MN. This is an effort between the two cities to improve access from one downtown to the other.
The Wagon Wheel Trail launched in 2003, and plans were approved in 2007. The plan was divided into four phases. The first phase was completed in 2015, and the second phase was completed in 2018. These two phases included trail work, paving, and grading through regions of the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, west of La Crosse.
The third phase of the project was completed in 2022. This phase included a 10-foot-wide bicycle and pedestrian bridge over Highway 14/61, taking users into downtown La Crescent.
The fourth and final phase is expected to be completed in 2026. This section includes constructing a 14-foot-wide bicycle and pedestrian bridge over the west channel of the Mississippi River between Wisconsin and Minnesota. It also includes a shared-use path along Highway 14/61 to take bicyclists into downtown La Crosse. Additional project information can be found at the Wagon Wheel Trail Design.
Creating a bike-friendly city is an important part of the La Crosse Climate Action Plan. The plan outlines strategies to reduce vehicle miles traveled and improve the comfort and safety of biking.
You can learn more about what you can do by going to Section 02: Transportation and Mobility in the La Crosse Climate Action Plan.