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La Crosse committee considers videos, counters and pop-ups to broaden support for bike and pedestrian projects
Summary
Committee members discussed using short videos, local event demonstrations, counting technology and targeted messaging to reach residents who are not already bike advocates; staff estimated a modest counter budget and raised legal/privacy considerations for video counting.
At the Dec. 9 Bicycle History and Advisory Committee meeting, members spent significant time on outreach strategies to help La Crosse residents understand the benefits of bike lanes, sidewalks and shared-use paths.
The committee reviewed an example Minneapolis video and resources used by Milwaukee for project pages and engagement. A committee member suggested using the Cameron Park Farmer's Market or a festival street event as an opportunity to show residents what a pedestrianized street could look like and to collect first-person stories.
"I think there are a lot of myths around that are bustable by stories," Kathy said, recommending narratives showing how businesses can benefit from bike infrastructure. Members emphasized reaching non-enthusiasts and using short, positive content tailored to different media channels.
Staff outlined options for counting bike and pedestrian activity: volunteer camera counts, low-cost trail cams, and mobile multimodal counters. The staff member said the quote received for a mobile counter was about $6,000 and that a combined budget of roughly $10,000 would allow purchase or sharing of counters between planning and parks.
Committee members raised legal and privacy questions about video capture of people; staff suggested positioning cameras low or using sensors that avoid identifiable images.
The committee endorsed pursuing approachable storytelling, targeted outreach channels (including non-social media formats such as radio or flyers for broader reach), and exploring funding for counters in the coming budget cycle. No formal vote was taken; members asked staff to return with specific event and media plans.
