Adjusting to traffic

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, May 08, 2001 | by Cahalan, Steve

Besides slowing motorists, the week-old Rose Street reconstruction project has slowed business for several merchants along the milelong segment.

But some said the road work has had little effect on them.

"We were down quite a bit last week. We definitely noticed it," said Harriet Finch, manager of the Winslow's Hallmark shop at 2424 Rose St. in the Bridgeview Plaza shopping center. "We didn't have the after-work or the lunchhour traffic like we normally do."

But Finch said her store was busy Monday. "It's the week before Mother's Day, and people will go through hell and high water to get a card for that," she said.

She also hopes the increased business Monday might be a sign that motorists are getting used to the Rose Street project, which has reduced traffic to one lane in each direction.

"There's lots of ways to get in and out of here," Finch said of the shopping center. "It really isn't a problem hopping off the interstate to get into here and then hopping back on the interstate."

"During the week, we were down a little bit," said Earl Zumach, owner of the Country Kitchen restaurant at 2120 Rose St. He attributed that to construction work, rainy weather and people saving money for Mother's Day and graduations.

Business probably was down 12 to 13 percent last Monday through Friday, although weekend business was normal, said Cindy Jerome, general manager of the Perkins Restaurant at 1411 Rose St. "It's much better today," she said. "I don't know if people were just seared away last week and tried another route they didn't like."

Jerome said her restaurant has ordered two signs to direct motorists into the restaurant, and is featuring its Wednesday muffins special seven days a week to help draw customers.

The construction project hasn't affected business at the Best Western Midway Hotel at 1835 Rose St. or the hotel's River Jack's restaurant, General Manager Patti Stellmaker said. "The hotel and restaurant were both very busy" last week, she said, although a number of out-of-town people have been calling to make sure the hotel and restaurant haven't been flooded by the Mississippi River.

Winslow's, Country Kitchen, Perkins and Stellmaker's business are part of a group of Rose Street merchants that have been meeting monthly since October to discuss the project and what they can do to reduce its impact.

Dave Clements, who is general manager of the Super 8 Motel at 1625 Rose St. and a spokesman for the merchants group, said he had feared the project could reduce Rose Street merchants' business by about 20 percent. With the group planning a marketing campaign, he now hopes their business will be off no more than 5 to 10 percent.

"We're off a little bit but not a lot," he said of business last week at his own motel. Clements said he thinks the businesses most affected in the first week were those that rely more on local residents, such as restaurants and service stations. Local residents know about the construction project, while out-oftown visitors do not, he said.

More than 25 businesses have contributed money for advertising and promotions that should begin in a few weeks, Clements said. About $12,000 has been donated so far, and he hopes the total will reach between $15,000 and $18,000.

On Monday, the message "Smile 143 days left of road project" went up on a sign at the Super 8. The message will be on the sign for much of the construction project, and the number of days remaining will be updated. Clements said the number of days is based on the Sept. 28 deadline for having all lanes open to traffic.

The pavement portion of the $3.6 million project is to be completed by Sept. 28, which also is the first day of Oktoberfest. Remaining work, such as landscaping, is to be finished by Oct. 12. The stretch being improved is frorn Windsor Street north to Livingston Street. The project includes adding a center two-way left-turn lane, new storm sewer, water main construction and streetscaping work such as decorative lighting, colored concrete and landscaping.

The merchants group plans to have at least one noon-time cookout for road construction crews, to promote a good relationship with them, Clements said.