1. Saving the King Street Bicycle Boulevard
Proposing Solutions for West and King Intersection for Safe, Active Transportation in La Crosse
version March 16, 2016
Carolyn Dvorak
Southwest Region Director, and Share and Be Aware Coordinator, Wisconsin Bike Fed
with James Longhurst

2. The Problem:
The City of La Crosse 2012 Bike Ped Master Plan calls for a new kind of street design for La Crosse: A “Bicycle Boulevard”, or “Neighborhood Greenway”.
Five were planned; the first two on 17th and King Streets. Four years later, city and state traffic engineers have failed to agree on a design to cross West Avenue.
Unless a solution is found, the King Street Neighborhood Greenway will fail, and plans to add pedestrian and bike facilities on Avon, Farnham, 22nd, and elsewhere will be threatened.

3. Detail of map from City of La Crosse 2012 Bike / Ped Master Plan, page the purple dashed lines on King Street, 17th, Farnham and 22nd are planned Neighborhood Greenways; West and King is marked as a “bicycle problem intersection.”

4. Bike boulevard defined:
Bike Boulevards or Neighborhood Greenways are low-speed, low volume neighborhood streets designed to encourage people walking and biking by giving them priority. Normal car traffic is still allowed, but signs, pavement markings, and traffic calming are used to prevent cut through travel and speeding by people driving.

5. April disapproved -- TYLin design for King and West intersection, with pedestrian islands, and no left turn lane on West for automobiles:

6. The Solution:
La Crosse residents and Neighborhood Associations can help by lobbying their city councilmembers to improve the safety and health of the community.
There are many, many possible technical solutions to getting walkers and bikers across West Avenue. City residents can insist that one of the following solutions should be tried to improve this busy intersection.

7. Possible Solutions for King and West:
Active Warning Beacons: RRFB, HAWK
Median Refuge Islands
Intersection Crossing Markings Combined with Warning Signs

8. Active Warning Beacons: RRFB, HAWK
User-actuated amber flashing lights that supplement warning signs can be used at unsignalized intersections.
Beacons can be turned on by a push-button or passively (a sensor automatically detects pedestrians).
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon, or RRFB
These are often used at mid-block crossings: Copeland Avenue, South Avenue,4th Street. They can also be used at intersections.

9. NACTO intersection design for an RRFB with an advanced stop line.
This is a RRFB with an advanced stop line.

10. RRFB used for a multi-use trail at a mid-block crossing.

11. RRFB with a median refuge (left) for crossing multi-lane road, marked walkers and bikers.
Another RRFB example used with a Median Refuge that allows people to cross a multi-lane road on bikes or walking.

12. A HAWK is a High-Intensity Activated crossWalK beacon
A HAWK is a High-Intensity Activated crossWalK beacon. The signal is dark until pedestrians press a button; then it flashes yellow, then solid yellow, then stops traffic with a red light to allow pedestrians to cross safely.
HAWKS have phases which move from dormant , flashing yellow, steady yellow, red, and flashing red.

13. Push button to walk. Drivers slow down on flashing yellow, solid yellow means prepare to stop, turns to solid red STOP, flashing red: if people have cleared the intersection, you may proceed with caution.

14. High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (or HAWK) with a push button that can be accessed by bicycle as well as on foot can be used across multiple lane roads
HAWK in Appleton, WI

15. 2. Median Refuge Islands
Median refuge islands are protected, raised spaces placed in the center of the street to help walkers and bikers. This helps by allowing bicyclists and pedestrians to cross one direction of traffic at a time. They can be combined with other signs and signals.
Medians configured to protect cycle tracks can both facilitate crossings and also function as two-stage turn queue boxes (I think this confuses the issue since it does not apply- we should omit it) Medians configured to protect cycle tracks can both facilitate crossings and also function as two-stage turn queue boxes. For bicycle facility crossings of higher volume or multi-lane streets, increased levels of treatment may be desired including bicycle signals, hybrid beacons, or active warning beacons.

16. Median Refuge Island, Davis CA
Medians configured to protect cycle tracks can both facilitate crossings and also function as two-stage turn queue boxes (I think this confuses the issue since it does not apply- we should omit it) Medians configured to protect cycle tracks can both facilitate crossings and also function as two-stage turn queue boxes. For bicycle facility crossings of higher volume or multi-lane streets, increased levels of treatment may be desired including bicycle signals, hybrid beacons, or active warning beacons.

17. 3. Intersection Crossing Markings Combined with Warning Signs
Even without signals or traffic lights, intersection crossings can be combined with medians and warning signs to improve safety for walkers, bikers, and drivers.
the use of a fluorescent yellow-green background color for non-motorized signs or plaque, including pedestrian signs (W11-2, W11-9, and W11-15) and bicycle or trail crossing signs (MUTCD W11-15)

18. Marked crosswalks with median refuge island and warning signs
Marked crosswalks with median refuge island and warning signs. These refuge islands allow turning traffic.

19. Intersection Crossing Markings combined with median refuge Island and warning signs. These refuge islands prevent turning traffic

20. What can you do?
Talk about walking and biking safety concerns at your meetings -- there are solutions
Write to Common Council at
Be prepared for upcoming (April? May?) public meeting on King Street Neighborhood Greenway Plan

21. Email: carolyn.dvorak@wisconsinbikefed.org
Thank you.
More information: