:( Not the news we'd hoped for.
At this morning's (November 5) La Crosse County Board Executive Committee meeting, Supervisor Mader floated a motion to fund the SMRT at $157,000 for 2026 to provide more time to find alternatives to keep something in place for those who depend on it. The board members discussed the perceived high per-ride cost and the downturn in ridership in 2024. Increased fares were discussed, with several noting that even at double the current fare, it would be a bargain, but higher per-ride costs might also lead to reduced ridership.There was also discussion that many if not most of the riders are not from La Crosse county so it was felt that the county would be subsidizing other countries' residents. It was noted that the Administrator had already told everyone that it would probably not be continued and so other sponsors didn't have it in their budgets. We also learned that the WisDOT grant which helps to fund the bus had not been applied for, though it probably could be but with a very short turn around time.
To me it seemed that people were focused only on the numbers and not on the people this would affect. It seemed to me that board members were not looking at economic, social, and environmental benefits coming from this system.. It seemed to me that the fact that this is a regional transit system was not really part of the thinking.
In the end, only one person, the amendment's sponsor, voted for the amendment. This almost certainly means there will be no SMRT funding for 2026.
So, as backwards as this process has been, now there will be a public hearing (tomorrow, November 6, at 4:30 p.m.) where the petitions will be presented. If it's easy for you to attend, please do. Having a record of how people feel about this process, at least, and about the continuing need for rural public transportation is important. In addition, there is still the La Crosse County Board public hearing on the budget on November 10 at 5 p.m.
I am sorry we were not able to make a difference. The time was too short and it appears the well had already been poisoned.
We do have a tradition in this area of people making their own solutions to problems, and the La Crosse Area Planning Committee is still doing its Regional Transit Authority (RTA) study which may provide some ideas for other ways to make sure people have rides. Several state organizations are prioritizing lobbying for RTA legislation if the make up of our state legislature changes in the next election. So, after a string of ifs, it may be possible to revive a regional transit system in the future.
For now, a grassroots ride share or vehicle share program might be a solution. Here are some examples and models https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/transportation/2/ridesharing-models. And here's an article about some other communities' experiences: https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/getting-around-rural-america-without-a-car-is-hard-these-communities-developed-solutions/ It's possible that a cooperative or non-profit, faith group, or support agency could step in. If anyone is interested in discussing some short term options, please email us at LaCrosseTransitAdvocates@Proton.me.
The La Crosse Area Transit Advocates Leader team will meet on Wednesday, December 10 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. If you would like to join the meeting, please email us. The agenda will be discussion events and programming for 2026 and Transit Equity Day, February 4.
