May is National Bike Month, and La Crosse is uniquely qualified to celebrate it!
The city continues to invest in becoming a more bike-friendly community. We’re actively working to secure funding for bicycle counters that will help us better understand riding patterns and improve infrastructure for everyone.
A very popular annual event to celebrate the success of the city’s efforts is the Ride with the Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey. This year it will be held on June 12 at 9:00 a.m., starting at City Hall. It’s a family-friendly, casual group ride that travels along local streets and trails—including crossings over the iconic Mississippi River bridges—highlighting recent improvements and future opportunities for biking in La Crosse. Riders of all ages and abilities are encouraged to attend, ask questions, and connect with city staff and fellow community members while enjoying a fun and informative morning on two wheels.
To help residents and visitors explore the city’s bike trail network, the city and the La Crosse Area Planning Committee worked with local partners to release updated bike maps. The maps highlight recommended routes, trails, and key connections throughout the community. They are available for free at City Hall and at local bike shops, making it easy to plan your next ride, discover new routes, and navigate La Crosse by bike with confidence.
La Crosse’s accomplishments helped the city achieve 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 achievements 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
Read more about what the city has in store in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
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.