LATA meeting notes

LATA Leaders met on Dec  11. Here are highlights of upcoming events and actions. If you can help, please email lacrossetransitadvocates-at-proton.me or call 608-315-2693. Our next meeting is on January 8 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom (online or dial-in). Contact us for access info.

We plan to revise our 2021 mayoral candidate survey and ask 2025 candidates to respond before the Feb. 18 primary and we will post their responses. You can read the 2021 questions and responses here: https://tinyurl.com/LATA21MayorSurvey. If you have question or edit suggestions, please email them by January 7.

Transit Equity Day is February 4. This is a national initiative to highlight the importance of good public transit for equity, good jobs, and the environment. We are hoping to host some group bus rides with candidates for mayor and city council, a library display, a film screening, and, possibly, another event or two. If you'd like to get involved in planning and organizing please contact us. We have some specific tasks for those with limited time!

12/12 Citizens with Disabilities meeting

MTU Director Adam Lorentz will speak and answer questions at at Thursday's monthly Citizens with Disabilities meeting. This advisory committee of the La Crosse City council meets at 9 a.m. every second Thursday in person and online. The meeting is open to the public and committed chair, Council Member Larry Sleznikow often makes space for non-committal members to ask questions.

Here is the agenda with access information:

City of La Crosse, Wisconsin

Committee for Citizens with Disabilities

Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 9:00 AM Hedgehog Room - Council Chambers

Join Zoom Meeting: https://cityoflacrosse-org.zoom.us/j/82890273414?pwd=oFP7BzZSQraBUI7Ibc624YFkxKXqqG.1 
Meeting ID: 828 9027 3414 
Passcode: 236310 
• +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) 

Find your local number: https://cityoflacrosse-org.zoom.us/u/kFqy4GR2A

AGENDA 

• Call to Order
• Roll Call
• Approval of Minutes
• Agenda Items:

1. La Cosse Municipal Transit (MTU) updates and MTU accessibility Q&A (Adam Lorentz, Director of Transit)
2. Current disability-related communication needs
3. Updates from committee members
4. Future agenda items

• Adjournment

Notice is further given that members of other governmental bodies may be present at the above scheduled meeting to gather information about a subject over which they have decision-making responsibility.

NOTICE TO PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY

Requests from persons with a disability who need assistance to participate in this meeting should call the City Clerk's office at (608) 789-7510 or send an email to ADAcityclerk@cityoflacrosse.org, with as much advance notice as possible.

December updates

Congratulations to Alysa, Sue, Liz, Toni, and Lillian for winning Week Without Driving prizes. Lillian won the grand prize - a semester pass! America Walks hosted its WWD wrap up call on Wednesday. This event has really grown in just a few short years. This year, almost 3,500 individuals and organizations across the country signed up as participants. There are already plans for next year's WWD, September 29 through October 5. LATA will start planning in early 2025. If you have ideas or are interested in helping with this event that highlights the importance of prioritizing non-car options for every day transportation, please contact us at LaCrosseTransitAdvocates@proton.me or 608-315-2693. Again, thanks to all those who participated in the La Crosse area whether you officially signed up or not!

The MTU Board will meet on Tuesday, December 10 at 4 p.m. The meeting is open to the public. See the agenda here: https://cityoflacrosse.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1252295&GUID=EE8A664B-E19F-444A-8F15-60063C125060&Options=info|&Search= To attend via Zoom: https://cityoflacrosse-org.zoom.us/j/81424128085?pwd=5ftYlUgAmDYROJJpzC3MSJ3abaOK4H.1 Meeting ID: 814 2412 8085 Passcode: 147918

LATA Leaders will meet on Zoom for one hour at 5:30 on Wednesday, December 11. We will talk about Feb. 4 Transit Equity Day programming, how to engage candidates for mayor and city council about transit, Ride with a Guide, accessibility, and plans for the new year. Please email or call us for access information if you would like to participate or if you have suggestions.

At the November meeting of Citizens with Disabilities, snow shoveling was discussed, including who is responsible for what. In La Crosse, the Park Department clears roads and sidewalks in city parks, the city plows city streets, and MTU is responsible for clearing bus stops and shelters, even if they get plowed back in by the city. As this Streetsblog article notes, “More Cities are Taking Responsibility for Clearing Sidewalks of Snow.” In La Crosse, where up to 40% of adults are non-drivers, shoveling off responsibility for sidewalks and bus stops to other entities may not be a fair use of public resources.

The MTU's new AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) app will not be available at the beginning of January as hoped. They are working to get it online as quickly as possible. The new system will have more features and options, combining bus location with fare purchases, and trip planning.

The La Crosse Area Planning Committee is still accepting public input about its Metropolitan Transportation Plan update. Find the link to the survey and more information at https://www.lacrossecounty.org/metropolitan-planning-organization/planning-and-programming/metropolitan-transportation-plan

Governor Evers' Budget Listening Tour was in La Crosse on Wednesday and they will host an online session on Monday, December 16 at 4 p.m. Transit advocates are encouraged to attend and speak up for 

• putting public transportation back in the transportation budget (it was removed to the general fund by the legislature during the last budget process), 

• reestablishing Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs), removed by the state legislature in 2011, so regional entities can have taxing authority to grow and strengthen a useful network of regional public transit, and

• shifting the transportation budget to prioritize transit and active transportation projects. 

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtduqpqTgoE9Pizvu2wqHuwv84YCkT_OdI#/registration and if you can't attend, you may submit written comments and budget suggestions at the governor's comment page here: https://wi.accessgov.com/public/Forms/Page/governor/voice-an-opinion/0

 

Amtrak's Borealis (second daily train from St. Paul to Chicago) continues to outperform expectations with more than 21,000 riders reported in October. Amtrak is having a “share fare” holiday sale for groups, from 15 to 60 percent off.

Alas, Transportation for America will not host its Transportation Camp in 2025 due to scheduling, logistics, and costs. 

If you want to get involved in sharing ideas with others, pushing for better transit, and envisioning a transit-friendly future, please join La Crosse Area Transit Advocates! In addition, the Wisconsin Sierra Club has a statewide transportation access and equity team. And the Wisconsin Association of Rail Passengers works on improving and expanding rail access in our state and regions. There may be more options to engage, education, and advocate coming in 2025. Stay tuned!

Please share this information with others. And Take the Bus!

Some food for thought:

• Talking Headways podcast - Educating the Next Generation of Transit Riders

• Can ‘Transit-Oriented Entertainment’ Help End the National Ridership Decline? Unlock Your City (Streetsblog article)

• Culture, Structure, and Public Transportation by Karen Sternheimer in Everyday Sociology Blog

• How are the Dutch using trains to create a megacity? | Navigating Urban Transit with George Liu (10 minutes on YouTube)

Borealis

KARE TV in the Twin Cities did a really nice six-minute story on the Borealis recently. As noted in the video, ridership is higher than expected and they are looking for ways to add capacity.

There was also a Borealis report at the October 26 WisARP Fall meeting where the presenter was asked about the possibility of adding BIKE capacity. He said that because a freight car would cost $100,000 to $200,000 per year that was unlikely. This seems like a real waste and we hope folks will continue to advocate for bikes in the Borealis. Anyone who has traveled abroad knows it doesn't take a whole freight car to accommodate bicycles!

In the meantime, LATA may work on hosting a Borealis ride in 2025.