Monday, June 9, 2025
June updates
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Construction and Detours
Friday, May 2, 2025
Ride SMRT but more smart is needed
Yesterday, we did our annual May Day SMRT 2 Viroqua ride. There were only three of us on this trip and the weather was a bit drizzly, but it was well worth the trip. Both buses I rode on were almost brand new! It was so great to have a much smoother ride (part of that is also due to road work done in 2024). Alas, there is no wifi on the buses now. The La Crosse to Viroqua bus had an American flag pinned up over where the wifi password used to be. The return bus had nothing. The return driver noted that wifi is difficult in that terrain and never seemed to work well anyway. This is true! Neigher bus had a bike rack either, though if you bring a bike, they will put it inside the bus. I didn't bring my bike on this ride as planned because of the drizzle.
Both rides were smooth and on time. The drivers have a tablet that tells them when to be at each time-point stop and this seems to work well.
There were some new and ongoing challenges:
The Western TC stop (on the east side of 7th Street at the MTU shelter) is well marked as is the Mayo stop (MTU shelter outside the hospital). The stop at Gundersen Lutheran - outside the East Building - is not marked, and with people dropping off and picking up patients there, you may have to stand in the road to see the bus and make sure the driver sees you.
Despite these glitches, the ride is great and very worthwhile. This bus especially, mid-morning to Viroqua - is often relatively empty and is a great opportunity for folks to go shopping and eating for the afternoon. With four return options (from 12:15 to 3:40 leave times), you can just do some quick shopping or make an afternoon of it.
LATA will do another SMRT ride this fall.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
May Updates
In April, LATA tabled at the Earthapalooza at UWL and asked people stopping by our table to play, "Can I Get There with Public Transit?" The answers were surprising to some! We also let folks know about our advocacy work with local leaders, our group rides like the coming trip to Viroqua, and our ride with a guide program. Thank you Obbie, RoZie and Cathy for staffing the table!
The MTU had a presence at the La Crosse Earth Fair on Sunday, April 27. They displayed one of the hybrid buses and seemed to have a great stream of interested people of all age ranges visiting throughout the day. They also had free fares on Fair day. Switching from fossil fuel car travel to bus travel, no matter what fuel the bus is using, is a great way to reduce transportation emissions!
The Tranist app is out but the AVL (vehicle locator) is still not hooked up. How do you like it? Please feed back by leaving a comment or emailing us. We have a range of reactions and would like to hear yours!
The MTU ADA Advisory Committee is still looking for members. The next meeting, which you may attend in person (at city hall) or online via zoom, will be on Tuesday, May 13 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public. Contact LATA or koterwskit@cityoflacrosse.org for details about location/access code and agenda.
LATA Leaders will meet on Wednesday, May 14 from 5:30 to 6:30 online. We will work on the calendar for the rest of the year. If you are interested in joining us, please email or call (608-315-2693) for the link to join.
On Thursday, May 15, the La Crosse Area Planning Committee (LAPC) Committee on Transit and Active Transportation meets from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in person (County Admin building, room 2106) and online. This meeting is open to the public. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/LAPC-CTAT
The MTU Board will meet on Tuesday, May 20 at 4 p.m. in person
and online. The agenda is not published yet. This meeting is open to the
public. For access information, email lorentza@cityoflacrosse.org
Week Without Driving webinars help those co-sponsoring the fall event find ways to incorporate WWD into parallel efforts. Tentative dates and topics: on May 14 at 1 p.m. the topic will be Engaging Parents and Caregivers and on May 28 at 1 p.m., How to connect/include WWD as part of your transportation equity work/possible Rural Transportation
On Thursday, May 29, the Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance board will meet online from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The meeting is open to all WTRA members (if you are a LATA member, you are a WTRA member). Please email for the link if you are interested.
The Wisconsin DOT is doing a Public Transportation Trip Purpose and Impact survey "to learn why Wisconsinites use public transit and the department is asking for your help since it’s been about 10 years since we collected information from the last version. The results from this survey will help shape future transportation policies and funding decisions across the state. Feedback from this short survey will help WisDOT with transit research and support related initiatives. It will also give local transit agencies and the public useful insights into how transit is used and its impact on communities. Take the survey by May 26 at https://tinyurl.com/0525WisDOTTransitSurvey There are also Spanish language and Hmong language versions available.
There will be a major detour on the Route 5 starting in mid-May as Onalaska replaces the four-way stop intersection at Theater Road and County PH with a roundabout. If you need to get to Target, Kohls, etc. from La Crosse by transit, you might consider taking the #5 to Valley View Mall and transferring to the Onalaska-Holmen-West Salem shared ride taxi. You will need to arrange for the transfer in advance by calling OHWS at 608-784-0000. Request a transfer from the MTU driver to use when you change. If you return via OHWS to Valley View to catch the MTU, you will need to pay the OHWS fare ($4.50 per adult, $4.00 for student/senior/citizen with disability) and get a transfer for the MTU. Punch cards are available for discounted fares. Read more about it at https://tinyurl.com/OHWS-SharedRide
We hope to organize a public event in early June where you can come and talk with area transit staff about your experiences. Please email or call with your suggestions! Watch this space for details!