December updates

We will do a SMRT ride from La Crosse to Viroqua on Wednesday, December 3, leaving La Crosse mid-morning and arriving in Viroqua at about 11 a.m. The fare is $5 each way paid in cash to the driver (no change!) We will meet up with some Viroqua area transit advocates for lunch and talk and then return on our own. The lunch is $5 and the menu is Chicken Thighs, Red Potato, Creamed Corn, Peach Cobbler. Or you can bring your own. Please sign up by the end of day on November 30. at https://tinyurl.com/ridesmrt120325

LATA Leaders will meet on Wednesday, December 10 at 6:30 p.m. online. We will mostly discuss Feb. 4 Transit Equity Day and 2026 programming. If you would like to join us, please reply to this email and I will send you a link to the meeting.

 

Also, on December 3 at noon, the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at UW-Milwaukee is hosting a webinar on “Transit Priority – Improving Public Transit Through Collaboration.” Register to attend or to receive the link to the recording at https://uwm.edu/architecture/event/transit-priority-improving-public-transit-through-collaboration/

And, on December 3, America Walks will host a Week Without Driving wrap up online at 1 p.m. Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/b7frTnFjQjOLjPbjQRK01w?_x_zm_rtaid=wU0PiuXNTl-IQbPy4KVF1g.1763049628045.709d8f8d08fd690b03cd8abfa2412c4b&_x_zm_rhtaid=195#/registration

SMRT Bus update: Thanks to Vernon County advocates and the 800+ petition signers, Vernon County added SMRT funding back into its 2026 budget. There are still gaps, though and we hope to hear what the next steps will be soon. We know a La Crosse County board supervisor recommended a steering committee be set up and several Vernon County board supervisors said they would like to be more represented in decision-making going forward. If we hear of opportunities for SMRT riders to provide input and suggestions, we will let you know. If you hear of something, please let us know.

The MTU December board meeting is canceled. There will be one in February.

On November 5, State Senator Kelda Roys and State Representative Mike Bare introduced legislation that would resurrect Retional Transit Authorities in our state. Their bill would allow for an RTA for each state Metropolitan Planning Organization. This would allow local units of government to operate and fund regional public transit. RTAs were in Governor Evers' 25-27 budget that was scrapped by the legislature. A copy of the bill can be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZKgsVVm-LV9yDpk95OBxrXeZCw9fKnNH/view?usp=sharing Please contact Sen. Brad Pfaff and your State Representative and ask them to co-sponsor this bill. Find contact info here: https://legis.wisconsin.gov/about/contact

While you're at it, please ask them to join the new Passenger Rail Caucus, too. Read more about that here: https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2025/09/15/legislatures-new-passenger-rail-caucus-wants-to-see-train-service-open-the-throttle/

On Thursday, December 11 at 8:30 p.m., the Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) HolidayTrain will be at the La Crosse Amtrak Station to put on  a live concert and raise money for local food banks. A cargo car is turned into a stage (performers include American Authors and Pynk Beard) and the event is free with guests encouraged to bring non-perishable food and/or cash donations. 

Have a happy holiday season and sate travels!

LATA

SMRT Ride - December 3

­Connect with transit advocates in Vernon County on Wednesday, December 3 by riding the Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit (SMRT) bus from La Crosse to Viroqua!

Leave from La Crosse between about 9:14 and 9:45 (see schedule below) and arrive in Viroqua at about 11. We'll eat lunch and chat with Viroqua area transit advocate friends, then come right back or stay and come back later - there are several options. See the Blue and Yellow route schedules. Space is limited. Cost is $5 cash each way (paid to the driver – no change!)

The lunch cost is $5 for chicken thighs, red potatoes, creamed corn, peach cobbler. OR you can bring your own lunch. (If you want to order lunch, you MUST RSVP by 11/30 evening!)

Pick up the SMRT at

• 9:48 a.m. - UWL (State Street by the blue mail box in front of Graff Main Hall)
• 9:54 - WTC (MTU shelter on the east side of 7th Street near Student Success Center)
• 9:58 - 5th & King (in front of La Crosse Polytechnic School by the MTU stop)
• 10:03 – Mayo (1th St. MTU shelter between the St. Francis Building and Skemp Building)
• 10:08 – Emplify (outside the entrance of the East Building)
• 10:18 – Aldi South (MTU stop near the Mayo Clinic Store at the south end of Shelby Mall)

Please RSVP by November 30 at https://tinyurl.com/ridesmrt120325

Next step - Vernon County

We are still overjoyed by the La Crosse County Board's decision to fund the SMRT for 2026 to give time to adjust and fix the system. BUT, that was just one step in the path back to service. 

Because the County Administrator had informed partners that the SMRT may not continue in 2026, some may have removed their share of funding from their budgets. So, now we have to make sure everyone gets back in the game.

Some Vernon County Save the SMRT advocates have reached out to their county board member, noting that La Crosse wants to make sure other counties are chipping in their share. They head back about steps forward. If you live in Vernon County, please send another email and plan to show up at another meeting!!

VERNON COUNTY SMRT ADVOCATES!!!

1. EMAIL board@vernoncountywi.gov with your advocacy stories! Even if you have already emailed, send them another one. If you cannot attend the November 9 budget meeting, that's a good reason to email again.

2. SHOW UP AND SPEAK at the upcoming budget at 9 AM on Thursday, November 20 in the County Board Room of the Courthouse Annex.

These action suggestions come from a Vernon County board member who plans to introduce an amendment to restore funding for the SMRT bus at the budget meeting that will follow the public hearing. The board member notes, "That potential budget change will be more effective if there are constituents who have made the board know the importance of this issue."

If you use the SMRT to get from Vernon County to someplace else or if you use the SMRT to get TO Vernon County, please weigh in!!

IT PASSED!!!!

We just got word that County Board Supervisor Mader reintroduced his resolution to add $157,000 to the La Crosse County budget for 2026 to keep operating the SMRT in 2026 AND IT PASSED 18 to 12!!!

This is is such a miracle that it's hard to believe it's true, but we even got confirmation in the form of a pic of the vote board, so it must be real!

This is the direct result of everyone who circulated and signed petitions, all those who called and emailed county board members, put up flyers, talked to friends, workers who asked their employers to weigh in, people who testified at public meetings, and who helped spread the word on social media. AND we must especially thank County Board Supervisors Dillon Mader, who championed this cause from the start, and Maureen Freedland, who spoke so eloquently at the meeting.

🎉🍾🎊 We must celebrate!!!🎉🍾🎊

BUT we should also be aware that other partners will also need to chip in, too, including some that may not have put SMRT funding into their budgets. So, there is more work to be done. (Another bit of good news is that the WISDOT grant we'd been told was out of reach because the application deadline had passed actually has an early December deadline!)

We will learn more tomorrow and put out more details. If we need to do more strategizing and outreach, we can hold  Zoom meeting. 

CONGRATULATIONS!

WOO-HOO!!!

SMRT Update 2

Thank you to those who came to the SMRT public hearing on November 6. Though it was held at 4:30 on a weekday when many are working or unable to attend because of transportation issues, a dozen people showed up to have their two minutes' say.

There is one more opportunity to speak, on Monday Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. Though the odds are not good, there's still a possibility to change minds and hearts.

SPEAK FOR SMRT!

MONDAY, NOV. 10

La Crosse County Admin. Center

7th & State

Doors open at 4:30 - Speaking starts at 5

Especially if you live in La Crosse County and/or work with clients, students, patients who use the SMRT in the county, please come if you can.

This is a final budget public input meeting so people will be there to talk about all kinds of budget issues. Doors open at 4:30 to sign up to speak. Each speaker gets just two minutes.

Please come if you can. Please share.

If you can't, write to CountyBoardSupervisors@LaCrosseCounty.org and say, "I cannot come to the November 10 budget hearing, but here is what I would say."

Ironically, a bill is now being circulated in the state legislature to enable Regional Transit Authorities. It will be introduced next month. Please contact our representatives and ask them to co-sponsor the bill being circulated by Rep. Bare and Sen. Roys. Contact us for more infomation -  LaCrosseTransitAdvocates@proton.me.

SMRT update - motion not passed

 
:(  Not the news we'd hoped for.

At this morning's (November 5) La Crosse County Board Executive Committee meeting, Supervisor Mader floated a motion to fund the SMRT at $157,000 for 2026 to provide more time to find alternatives to keep something in place for those who depend on it. The board members discussed the perceived high per-ride cost and the downturn in ridership in 2024. Increased fares were discussed, with several noting that even at double the current fare, it would be a bargain, but higher per-ride costs might also lead to reduced ridership.There was also discussion that many if not most of the riders are not from La Crosse county so it was felt that the county would be subsidizing other countries' residents.  It was noted that the Administrator had already told everyone that it would probably not be continued and so other sponsors didn't have it in their budgets. We also learned that the WisDOT grant which helps to fund the bus had not been applied for, though it probably could be but with a very short turn around time.

To me it seemed that people were focused only on the numbers and not on the people this would affect. It seemed to me that board members were not looking at economic, social, and environmental benefits coming from this system.. It seemed to me that the fact that this is a regional transit system was not really part of the thinking.

In the end, only one person, the amendment's sponsor, voted for the amendment. This almost certainly means there will be no SMRT funding for 2026. 

So, as backwards as this process has been, now there will be a public hearing (tomorrow, November 6, at 4:30 p.m.) where the petitions will be presented. If it's easy for you to attend, please do. Having a record of how people feel about this process, at least, and about the continuing need for rural public transportation is important. In addition, there is still the La Crosse County Board public hearing on the budget on November 10 at 5 p.m.

I am sorry we were not able to make a difference. The time was too short and it appears the well had already been poisoned.

We do have a tradition in this area of people making their own solutions to problems, and the La Crosse Area Planning Committee is still doing its Regional Transit Authority (RTA) study which may provide some ideas for other ways to make sure people have rides. Several state organizations are prioritizing lobbying for RTA legislation if the make up of our state legislature changes in the next election. So, after a string of ifs, it may be possible to revive a regional transit system in the future.

For now, a grassroots ride share or vehicle share program might be a solution. Here are some examples and models https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/transportation/2/ridesharing-models. And here's an article about some other communities' experiences: https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/getting-around-rural-america-without-a-car-is-hard-these-communities-developed-solutions/ It's possible that a cooperative or non-profit, faith group, or support agency could step in. If anyone is interested in discussing some short term options, please email us at LaCrosseTransitAdvocates@Proton.me.

The La Crosse Area Transit Advocates Leader team will meet on Wednesday, December 10 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. If you would like to join the meeting, please email us. The agenda will be discussion events and programming for 2026 and Transit Equity Day, February 4.