Losey Blvd. one step closer to a lower speed limit

Police say travel on the road is generally 10 miles over limit now.

La Crosse took its first steps in lowering the speed limit on Losey Blvd. 

Tuesday night, a city council committee approved lowering the speed on the busy four lane from 30 miles per hour to 25.  

A common sense approach, says council member Gary Padesky, despite calls from those who Padesky says are chronically late.

“Because they can’t plan their day better, they wanna race through our neighborhoods,” Padesky said.

Police say the typical speed on Losey is generally closer to 40 than to 30. The full council votes on the speed limit issue next week. 

“For anybody to say, ‘Well, it’s the major thoroughfare through La Crosse.’ Well, a lot of streets are. So is West Ave. and that’s 25,” Padesky said.

Padesky has heard the criticisms about the proposal and he’s not buying it. There’s too much at stake, he believes.

“That is a neighborhood,” Padesky said. “It’s filled with family. It’s filled with kids. It’s filled with old men on trikes. There’s a pool. There’s a fire station, and we have two schools.”

Along with voting on the speed change, the full council may also consider narrowing the busy street in the future.