Tuesday, October 8, 2024

More updates

Thanks to all who participated in some way in the Week Without Driving as co-sponsors or participants. Remember to turn in your WWD bingo card by October 13 to a bus driver, at the transit center, or at the city park & rec window. If anyone would like to help plan Transit Equity Days events this winter (around February 4) or next year's WWD OR if you have feedback, ideas, or suggestions, please contact us.
 
Review your WWD experience or share your ideas and complaints at https://tinyurl.com/laxwwd24Review.

LATA Leaders will meet via Zoom on Wednesday, October 9 at 5:30 p.m. Please contact us for access information. We will NOT meet in November but will meet on Wednesday, December 11 at 5:30 p.m. to plan Transit Equity Days.


And, please support this important event organized by Liz Fryseth, White Cane Safety Day, on October 15 at 8:30 a.m. at the LA Crosse City Hall Council Chambers:

White Cane Safety day was introduced by congress on October 6th 1964 designated into law on October 15th. Blindness and severe visual impairment affect approximately 109,000 Wisconsin residents and the majority of these people use travel aids. These travel aids include a white cane or service animal to get around public streets, sidewalks, and places of public accommodation. These travel aids are universally recognized as symbols representing vision loss. 

Wisconsin’s White Cane Law requires that motorists come to a full stop before approaching closer then 10 feet to a pedestrian who is using a white cane or service animal.

Greater awareness of the White Cane Law leads to safer, more attentive driving in general. Enhancing the safety of all pedestrians, including children, elders, and people with disabilities.

 

Join and support our local B/VI (Blind and Visually Impaired) community and elevate the importance of White Cane Safety Day as well as pedestrian safety year-round.

Event Details
October 15th at 8:30 a.m. at the  La Crosse City Hall Council Chambers.
Proclamation read promptly at 8:30 am by Mayor Mitch Reynolds


Wednesday, October 2, 2024

October updates

Take a few minutes to complete the La Crosse Area Planning Committee Transportation SurveyTake the Survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LAPC_MTP To learn more, visit the APC Website or reach out to Erin Duffer at 608-785-5597 or eduffer@lacrossecounty.org.

LATA leaders will meet on Wednesday, October 9 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. online. We are hoping Leo Strand, the city's new sustainability coordinator, will hop on for a few minutes. His job is to help the city actualize its climate action plan action steps, many related to transit. If you would like to join in, please contact us for the link to join.

Also on Oct. 9, from 5 to 6 pm, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin is hosting a FREE webinar with Daniel Herriges of the Parking Reform Network. Daniel is a guest speaker for the Kenosha Transportation Academy, and they are opening this session up to the public. Register here for the Zoom call.

We are seeking RIDE GUIDES, volunteers who can help new MTU riders learn how to use the schedule and ride the bus. We'll provide simple training. If you are interested, please sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/LATARideGuideApp

Week Without Driving. Sign up for the WWD Challenge! Even if you know you will need to drive during the week, the purpose of the exercise is to spend that time being mindful of our transportation practices and considering how non-drivers deal with similar situations. If you participate and share your WWD experience, you will be entered in a prize drawing the national organizers. https://weekwithoutdriving.org/join

Please visit the local event page to get more information about what's happening in La Crosse, download a WWD Bingo card to print (you can also get them at the Transit Center, the Libraries, and the UWL Student Union desk), and find more information about this event. https://tinyurl.com/LaXWWD24.

Free fares on MTU all week. On Tuesday, October 1 only, free fares on the SMRT buses if you have a WWD Bingo Card! And one hour free during WWD on a Drift Cycle with the special code: wwddrift.

  • Monday, Sept. 30 – noon press event at city hall (please come if you can!) and at 6:30 p.m., an online book chat with bicycling and disability rights advocate, Anna Zivarts, author of “When Driving is Not an Option” and two local advocates. Register at the library's website: https://www.lacrosselibrary.org/event/hold-week-without-driving-book-talk-38097 or call 608-789-7122.

  • Tuesday, Oct. 1 – 10 to 2, tabling at UWL clock tower and 3 p.m. campus area walk audit

  • Wednesday, Oct. 2 – SMRT trip to Prairie du Chien (sign up at tinyurl.com/SMRT2PdCRSVP and two evening bike rides – Hear Here starts at Pearl Street Brewery at 5 p.m. and Drift Cycles ride starting at 6 p.m. at The Nature Place

  • Friday, Oct. 4 – Informal Transit Talk, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., with LATA at the Cameron Park Farmers Market

  • Saturday, Oct. 5 – Transit to Trails event from 9:30 (new time) to 11:40 a.m. with Coulee Region Sierra Club (register at tinyurl.com/CRSC-T2TRegister) and, at 12:30 p.m., Teaching Safe Bicycling clinic hosted by Wisconsin Bike Fed at the Black River Beach Neighborhood Center (free)

Wisconsin Association of Rail Passengers (WisARP) will hold its fall meeting in La Crosse on Saturday, October 26. LAPC's Erin Duffer is one of the featured speakers! You may attend in person or online. There will be more information about the Borealis and about other rail connections being planned in our state and region. Learn more at https://wisarp.wordpress.com/category/events/

While the Minnesota DOT survey about regional rail is closed, you are still able to submit comments with a letter or email to MnDOT (MNRailPlan@state.mn.gov). Read more about it at https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2024/09/regional-rail-could-transform-minnesotas-cities-now-is-the-time-to-act/

Early (absentee in person) voting for the November 5 election begins in La Crosse on October 22. Find out when and where you can vote in the city at https://www.cityoflacrosse.org/your-government/departments/city-clerk/elections-and-voting/vote-absentee and check your registration and other voting details at https://myvote.wi.gov Check out this discussion about Project 2025 and public transit with Beth Osborne of Transportation for America. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2024/07/23/podcast-gops-project-2025-is-a-wreck-for-sustainable-transportation

Friday, September 20, 2024

Sign up for the WWD Challenge!

Week Without Driving starts on September 30! Be sure to sign up for the challenge at https://weekwithoutdriving.org/join

Then, check out and participate in local WWD events! Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/laxwwd24

Saturday, September 14, 2024

WisARP fall Meeting in La Crosse

 


The Wisconsin Association of Rail Passengers (WisARP) will hold their fall meeting at the Radisson in La Crosse on October 26, 2024. The meeting includes speakers and election of Officers and Board of Directors.

Agenda:

  • 9:00 a.m. Coffee, Pastries
  • 10:00 a.m. - Noon Speakers
  • Noon - 1:00 p.m. Lunch
  • 1:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Speakers
  • 2:45 p.m. Elections
  • 3:00 p.m. Adjournment

Speakers:

  • Lisa Stern, Chief of Railroads and Harbors, WisDOT
  • Brian Sawyer, Inspector of Passenger Trains, State of Virginia
  • John Parkyn, WisARP President
  • Susan Foote-Martin, WisARP VP-Public Relations

Registration:

In-Person Attendance - $30 until October 20, $40 after. $5 for youth ages 22 and younger. Register and pay  online or by mail/check

Virtual Attendance is free.

Learn more and register at https://wisarp.wordpress.com/2024/09/14/wisarp-fall-2024-general-membership-meeting-and-elections/