Anyone who opposed the proposed north-south road also should be opposed to the casino, Huebsch said. In 1998, nearly 63 percent of city of La Crosse voters said they didn't want a new north-south road proposed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The board of Livable Neighborhoods, a community group that organized opposition to the north-south road, debated the issue this week. In the end, however, the group was unable to agree whether they would support or oppose a casino at this time. That level is a concern.
Any significant development is a concern to a system that is already stressed.
Information sheets distributed by United for a Greater Coulee Region, which opposes the casino, highlight transportation concerns. The impact statement from the casino proponents says a casino here would bring 1.6 million visitors per year. That's 1,600,000 more people using our transportation system. About 46,000 day-trippers would come by bus from the Twin Cities. A number of local businesses also attract 1.3 million people or more annually.