September updates

We are looking forward to our SMRT 2 Vernon County Fair ride on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 (note new date). SMRT fares will be free or reduced for the first 12 riders but fair admission will be charged. We'll catch the mid-morning SMRT Yellow #2 in La Crosse and stop just across the street from the fairgrounds at about 11 a.m. Come back on your own on one of the Blue or Yellow routes buses. Find the time tables here: https://ridesmrt.com/  

Please sign up at https://tinyurl.com/SMRT2VCFair by September 9 if possible.

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LATA leaders will meet on September 18 at 5:30 online to continue planning for Week Without Driving and other transit-related activities. If you would like to join the conversation, please contact LaCrosseTransitAdvocates@proton.me for access information. 

The La Crosse Area Planning Committee's Committee on Transit and Active Transportation will meet on Thursday, September 12 at 3:30 p.m. The meeting, online and in-person, is open to the public. Email eduffer@lacrossecounty.org or call 608-785-5597 for (online) access info. The CTAT website is at https://www.lacrossecounty.org/metropolitan-planning-organization/committees/committee-on-transit-and-active-transportation

Also on September 12, at 6:30 p.m., the Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance will meet online to share news and information about what's happening with transit from around the state. If you would like to attend, please email us for access information.

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The Borealis is blowing past all rider number expectations and there's talk of adding a third daily train. In addition, new routes are under consideration, including Milwaukee to Green Bay and a train that would serve Madison and Eau Claire. The Wisconsin Association of Rail Passengers (WisARP) will hold its fall meeting in La Crosse on Saturday, October 26. Find more information at https://wisarp.wordpress.com.

MNDOT has a State Rail Plan Passenger Rail Priorities Survey | Let's Talk Transportation - MnDOT. Per Carl Glasemeyer at 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, "The survey allows for responses outside of Minnesota. A couple early questions inquire if the respondent has used the Empire Builder and Borealis service, I know a lot of Wisconsinites value these and would like to see more frequency added. Near the end of the survey, respondents can list city pairs they want to passenger rail service. This provides an opportunity to list desired connections between Wisconsin and Minnesota, a chance to support advocacy work to get passenger rail service to Eau Claire, Madison, and Superior." He also recommends requesting the option to stop in Minneapolis. Currently, you have to take the Amtrak to St. Paul and then double back.

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LATA is tabling at student back-to-school events. Thanks to Liz for getting the registration information! We were at the Viterbo Welcome Back Bash on August 29 and will be at Western Technical College's Resource Block Party on September 3 and UW-La Crosse's Sample the City event on September 4. Thank you Avery, Liz, Cathy, and Rozie for helping set up and table!

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Please participate in Week Without Driving, September 30 through October 6, and encourage others to sign up, too. This is an important opportunity to advocate for better transit and walking and biking infrastructure in order to move away from car dependency. Local events are still being finalized, but we know that there will be a noon press event on Monday, September 30 at City Hall to kick off the week. If you can, please plan to attend.

You can learn more about the La Crosse area WWD, including co-sponsors and events, at https://tinyurl.com/laxwwd24. This page will be updated as events and resources are finalized.

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We have learned that there's a delay in transferring from the DoubleMap app, which is no longer supported, to a new one that would combine fare sales (currently GenFare) and bus tracking. The original plan was to have the replacement ready by now, but it looks like this won't happen until early next year. This may mean real time bus tracking won't be available for a while! We hope the MTU will find a temporary solution to this.

The MTU again has some bus driver and maintenance openings. Lack of drivers is dangerous - Appleton recently drastically reduced their service because of a severe driver shortage. This is a problem all over the country. There is also a major shortage of school bus drivers. Get more information about the MTU openings at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacrossewi?keywords=transit

CHANGE OF DATE!

Our SMRT to the Fair trip has been moved to Friday, September 13, because the fair doesn't start until later in the day on September 11.

The plan is still the same: catch the SMRT in La Crosse, arrive at the fair around 11 a.m. and return when you want (there are four options).

Fair admission will be charged: Afes 5 and under, Free. Ages 6-15 and 65+, $5. Ages 16-64, $10. An updated flyer is coming soon.

Reduced SMRT fare for those who register by September 9 at https://tinyurl.com/SMRT2VCFair

August and beyond

Here are some events and opportunities coming up this fall.

LATA Leaders will meet on Wednesday, August 14 at 5:30 p.m. online. Please email us for access information. The City of La Crosse Bike/Ped Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday morning, August 13 at 8:30 a.m. Find more information at their Legistar page.

LATA will host a SMRT ride to the Vernon County Fair in Viroqua on Wednesday, September 11. This day is free admission at the fair, and SMRT has arranged for free or reduced bus fares for a limited number of riders. We will catch the SMRT YELLOW Route 2 as it winds through La Crosse and arrive near the fairgrounds at about 11 a.m. There area few options for return trips with the latest bus leaving the area around 3:30 p.m. SIGN UP BY SEPTEMBER 9 AT https://tinyurl.com/SMRT2VCFair  Learn more at https://lacrosseata.blogspot.com/p/smrt-2-viroqua.html

LATA tabled at the Disability Pride Fest in La Crosse on Saturday, July 20. 

There are several opportunities coming up for us to table at student and community events. If you could spare an hour or so to help, that would be great! Are you available on any of these dates? If yes, please contact us ASAP.

• 8/29 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Viterbo 
• 9/ 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Western TC
• 9/ 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at UWL
• 9/16 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Radisson
  

The MTU Board will meet online and in person on August 20 at 4 p.m. (see the Legistar committee page for details) and the MTU ADA Advisory Committee will meet on September 10 at 5:30 p.m. Contact koterwskit@cityoflacrosse.org to be notified about the meeting details.

Coming up, we are busy planning Week Without Driving, September 30 through October 6. If your organization, club, agency, business, faith group, or institution would like to co-sponsor, please complete the co-sponsor form by August 16 at https://forms.gle/Z8tXYYz9oC4Q1Yai6. Co-sponsors will have their names and logos on WWD materials and will promise to help promote WWD and related activities. OPTIONAL for co-sponsors – donate a prize, item, discount, coupon or similar for our WWD Bingo drawing and raffle and/or host a WWD event. Here's what's scheduled or being worked on now:

• Free MTU fares all week

• Monday, Sept. 30 press event kick-off in the morning (we'll invite electeds, community leaders, co-sponsors, and transit advocates to speak and attend)

• Monday, Sept. 30 afternoon – Adult bike training hosted by Wisconsin Bike Fed

• Monday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. - Book Talk with Anna Zivarts, author of When Driving is Not an Option followed by panel of local non-drivers (online – registration info coming by Sept. 1) hosted by La Crosse Public Library

• Wednesday, October 2 – Ride SMRT to Prairie du Chien. A day trip on regional public transportation hosted by La Crosse Area Transit Advocates

• Friday, October 4 – Transit Talk & Chill at the Cameron Park Farmers Market hosted by La Crosse Area Transit Advocates

• Saturday, October 5 – Transit to Trails hosted by Coulee Region Sierra Club 
  

We are looking forward to the new MTU apps that will combine fare payment and real time bus location. As soon as we hear more about this, we'll let you know.

Finally, if you are interested in being a LATA Ride Guide, please let us know. We will try to set up a training near the end of August.

No SMRT 2 Interstate Fair

 

Due to scheduling conflicts and short notice, we will NOT be hosting a SMRT ride from La Crosse to the Interstate Fair on July 19 this year. 

We will be doing the September 13 SMRT ride to the Vernon County Fair. 

Stay tuned for more details.