June updates

The Transit Talk event we are working with MTU has been pushed to July as has the MTU Board meeting. No details yet. 

 

 The City is hosting two "Zoning 101" information sessions about its work to update zoning codes. There are zoning changes that can encourage transit and make transit safer and more efficient. If you can, consider attending the session TONIGHT at 6 p.m. at 401 West Ave. S (take the #2 OR the C2 Circulator) or on June 23 at 6:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Losey & Main (take the #4). This is a good place to learn more and advocate for better zoning for transit and Transit Oriented Development. Visit https://forwardlacrosse.org/ for more information.

LATA leaders are still meeting on the second Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. We haven't yet found another day and time but we're still trying! If you would like to attend the June LATA meeting (June 11 at 5:30 p.m. online), please email us = LaCrosseTransitAdvocates at proton.me

We are starting to schedule some back to school tabling in the fall. We will be at Western Tech's Resource Block Party on September 2.

There are a couple of public transit related Youth Climate Action Fund projects in the pipeline. We'll know more and report on these soon.

Week Without Driving planning continues. If your faith group, organization, business, or group would like to be a cosponsor and/or offer a program or activity during the week (September 29 through October 5), please use this form: https://tinyurl.com/LaXWWDCoSponsor  If possible, please complete the form by the end of June.

If you are hosting an event, please consider exchanging Where to Park information with HOW TO GET HERE information and prioritize bus/bike at the top. It seems like a small thing, but including information about taking the bus reminds people that the bus is an option. (If it isn't, maybe you should have your event someplace else!) Encouraging public/active transportation can also reduce parking stress. This article, How to use campaigns and marketing to encourage sustainable transport choices, from C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, provides more examples and ideas. https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/How-to-use-campaigns-and-marketing-to-encourage-sustainable-transport-choices?language=en_US

Construction and Detours

Reminder: There will be no bus service on Memorial Day Monday, May 26th.

This year's road construction is causing delays in car and bus travel! It's especially affecting the Route 5. Here are some notices about detours and options from the MTU. Note that MTU and Drift Link Public Transit (Onalaska-Holmen-West Salem Shared Ride) are coordinating even more than usual with special return transfers for those needing to get to the Target area from Valley View Mall. 

You can always set up a transfer ahead of time by phone or online from MTU to Drift Link. The transfer point is the #5 stop at Valley View Mall. Transfers are limited to Drift Link service hours and will get you to points in the City Limits of Onalaska, Village of Holmen, and Village of West Salem. Normally, for the return ride, you pay the Drift Link fare to get back to the Mall to transfer back to the MTU, $3.00 - $4.50, depending on age, ability, and status, but there's a special transfer for Target rides during this construction period.

If you have questions about any of these changes, please ask your driver or call 608-789-7350.

Route 8 Crossing Meadows - For the duration of the Highway 16 construction project, bus stops on Hemstock Street will be demand response only during MTU office hours M-F, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please tell your driver that you want to be dropped off there OR CALL MTU at 608-789-7350 to get picked up there.

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:

We learned that the Vernon Memorial Hospital stop was changed in November, but no one has noted this on the schedules or website at RideSMRT.com. Had we not learned about the change from our morning driver, we might have missed the return bus. While there is a sign on the door of the hospital (that someone waiting for the bus might not even notice), there's nothing on the sign that says where to go to catch the bus! Fortunately, our morning driver told us where to stand (on Hickory Street just south of the hospital between (Kwik Trip is on the south side of the street). There is no "CATCH THE SMRT HERE" sign anywhere near there.

The UWL stop continues to be a puzzle. There's a SMRT sign in the shelter by Newman Center (south side of State Street near the Campbell Road intersection) and the schedule says "State St - Cartwright Center" but there's not SMRT sign on the north side of State Street which is where the westbound SMRT would pick up. It would be nice if they could place as sign exactly where the bus picks up on State Street (I caught it just at the 17th & State Stop sign in front of Wing.)

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.

May Updates

First, join us on MAY 1 for a SMRT 2 Viroqua trip. Leave La Crosse mid-morning. Arrive in Viroqua at about 11 a.m. Enjoy Viroqua’s sights, history, shops, and food, and return on your own to La Crosse. The cost:is $5 cash (exact change) each way paid to bus driver. Catch the bus at UWL, WTC, 5th & King, Mayo, Gundersen Health, or Shopko South. Four return options get you back to La Crosse between 1:30 and 5:00 p.m. Check the yellow and blue schedules at schedule at the SMRT website: https://ridesmrt.com/assets/PDF/SMRT-Bus-Sched.pdf  If you want, register here: https://tinyurl.com/lata2Viroqua

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!