Bingo deadline MONDAY! And input opportunities

 

Thanks to all who participated in Week Without Driving! Remember to get your WWD Bingo cards in by the end ot the day on MONDAY (new date)! You can drop completed cards at the Transit Center or with any MTU bus driver on the bus. OR you can scan or take a photo of your completed card and email it to us at LaCrosseTransitAdvocates@proton.me. 

Didn't get a bingo card? Print this one, fill it in, scan it, and email it back right now! Remember, we have PRIZES!

Also, if you had a special experience or delightful surprise or unexpected glitch during your week without driving, please share it with us by emailing or filling out the form at https://tinyurl.com/mywwdexperience. There is no deadline for sharing your story!

Going beyond Week Without Driving, there are a few important public input opportunities coming up!

By the end of TODAY, please take LAPC La Crosse Regional Transportation Safety Plan survey! https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/eaa42a08ed3b43a58f5f45163928955b

AND

The City of La Crosse Board of Estimates will meet on MONDAY, OCTOBER 12 at 4 p.m. at City Hall to discuss the proposed 2027 operating budget for the city. There will be a public hearing at this meeting. Please consider coming to testify and/or emailing council members to support strong public transportation funding given that public transit is an essential service for tens of thousands of La Crosse residents and an important climate action tool. Remember, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation estimates that 40% OR MORE city of La Crosse residents are non-drivers and the city's climate action plan calls for improving transit services to reduce vehicle miles traveled and corresponding transportation-related carbon emissions. You can find your council member's contact information here OR consider emailing all using the form at https://cityforms.cityoflacrosse.org/Forms/ContactCityCouncil.

AND 

There will be a public input meeting on OCTOBER 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Southside Neighborhood Center regarding route changes proposed by the MTU.

Details may be found at a map on the city's web site. 

• Tweak Route 2 near Pammel Creek Road to better serve State Road Elementary School
• Make Circulator 1 route less twisty between Green Bay Street and Eagle Crest South
• Expand Route 8 to travel the length of River Valley Drive and along George Street between Clinton and St. James to better serve Schuh Homes.

PLEASE take this opportunity to tell MTU what you think about these proposed updates. If you have other ideas, share those, too.

AND

From 1000 Friends of Wisconsin:

The wait is over! Wisconsin’s DRAFT Active Transportation Plan 2050 is here!

Released by WisDOT on September 24, the plan combines Wisconsin’s previous bicycle and pedestrian plans into one long-range statewide plan for walking, bicycling, and other human-powered transportation. WisDOT's ATP website has links to the plan, comment page, and to sign up for direct updates.

When finalized, the Active Transportation Plan will align with Connect 2050, Wisconsin's statewide long-range transportation plan. This means it will help shape Wisconsin’s active transportation policies and priorities for years to come.

But the window to weigh in is short: public comments are due October 24, 2026.

Now is our chance to speak up! We encourage you to:

• Review the draft plan.
• Submit a public comment and share what you want to see prioritized.
• Multiply your impact. Reach out to at least one person in your network who cares about active transportation and encourage them to review the plan and submit comments, too. The more voices WisDOT hears from, the stronger our message will be.

Week Without Driving

Mark your calendars and plan to join us in recognizing Week Without Driving, October 1-8. This national event highlights the challenges non-drivers have in our car-centric world and encourages all of us to consider what changes in planning, policy, and budgets we can make to help everyone access their lives more safely, conveniently, affordably, and fairly!

How can you participate?

• Check out our display through September 30 at the La Crosse Public Library and from October 1-8 at the Grand River Station Transit Center, 314 Jay St.
• Sign up to do the WWD Experience (try going a week without driving your car!) There are no fails! Only opportunities to consider how those with fewer choices cope.
• Pick up or print off a WWD Bingo Card and maybe win a prize!
• Come to our WWD Kick Off press event on Thursday, October 1 at 10:15 a.m. at the Grand River Station Transit Center, 314 Jay Street! (Let us know if you'd like to speak!) 
• Come to a WWD event! Bring your friends!
• Share our flyer on your social media. Post a flyer at your workplace. Email it to others.
• Let us hear your WWD story by emailing us a few paragraphs or a link to your WWD selfie short!
• Visit our WWD La Crosse event page for details and updates! 

Regional transit update

Thank you to those who wrote, called, and testified at the SMRT bus hearing. There were far fewer people speaking this time, but the reasons we need a regional transit service are as important as ever.

We appreciate those county board supervisors who expressed support for finding a way forward!

At its September 17 meeting, the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors voted to add a new item to its strategic plan as noted in the meeting minutes:

Healthy Infrastructure
• New Outcome Measure - Collaborate with the MPO to investigate “Multi-County Transit Commission,” “Multi-Jurisdictional Transit Commission,” or similar organization structure, as a means to establish fast and reliable public transportation alternatives to meet the needs of all la crosse county residents, including those with mobility barriers. This organization would also gather perspective from municipal partners to act on the investigation’s recommendation. 

If you live outside of La Crosse County, please contact your county board and ask them to participate in an effort to find a SMRT replacement. 

Those who live in the county - please contact your county board member and thank them for adding this important item to the strategic plan and encourage them to be transparent and open to public input as the work proceeds.

TWO DISCONTINUATION HEARINGS NEXT WEEK!

Two area public transportation systems are on the chopping block.

From Abby Vans: Abby Vans has been made aware of a Public Hearing for the residents of the City of Tomah regarding possible discontinuation of the Tomah Transit service effective January 1, 2027. We are sharing this information in case you were not aware. Any interested person, please plan to attend the public hearing on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at the City Hall, 819 Superior Avenue, Tomah, Wisconsin.

And, we have learned from a La Crosse County Board member that a public hearing on the discontinuation of the SMRT bus will be held by the La Crosse County Board Executive Committee on Tuesday, September 15 at 4:30 p.m. We have not found the public notice in the La Crosse Tribune, we were told it was published on July 30. 

Here is the notice emailed from the County Planning and Zoning Department:

While testimony at the meeting will likely not change the plan to discontinue the SMRT at the end of this year, it is an opportunity to go on the record about the process and the lack of planning for something to replace this vital service. If you are able to attend, please be polite and keep your comments short (I think the time limit is three minutes but it might be two!)

There is no online option for providing testimony. You can learn more about the County Board Executive Committee, including members' email addresses, here:  https://www.lacrossecounty.org/countyboard/committees/standing-committees-boards-and-commissions/executive-committee

Just as the UN has released a report about the dire climate situation if we do not stop fossil fuel emissions immediately, and as the cost of private car ownership becomes ever more unaffordable, we are losing funding and support for public transportation around the country. Taking every opportunity to remind electeds that public transportation is a vital, essential service is important.

Please spread the word. 

September updates AND ACTION ALERT!

Thanks to those of you who attended our Transit Talk & Treats event. To be honest, attendance was low and we are looking at changing things up for next year. On the bright side, the food was plentiful and great and almost everyone won a door prize. We would like to thank those who provided the prizes, including People's Food Co-op, LATA, The Root Note, Pearl Street Books, Kroner's Hardware, and Markos Apparel.

 

CAN YOU HELP? LATA will table at postsecondary back-to-school events this fall: Viterbo on 9/3 between 12:45 and 2:15 p.m. WTC on 9/8 from noon to 1:30 p.m., and UWL on 9/9 from 10:30 a.m. to noon (the later shift is filled). It's a great chance to highlight the availability of car-free transportation options and connect with students. If you can help out by taking a shift at our table, please sign up at https://tinyurl.com/latatablefall26.

The La Crosse Area Planning Committee's advisory Committee on Transit and Active Transportation is scheduled to meet at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 10 in person and online. The meetings are open to the public. The agenda is not yet published but may include ranking of 2026-2030 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) applications. Details about the meeting along with information about the TAP applications can be found at https://www.lacrossecounty.org/metropolitan-planning-organization/committees/committee-on-transit-and-active-transportation

LATA Leaders will meet on Tuesday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m. online. The agenda will focus mostly on Week Without Driving planning. If you would like to join the discussion, please call or email us for the link to join (or phone number to call in).

ACTION ALERT!! From the Coalition for More Responsible Transportation. "MCDOT director Joe Lamers sent out this email with an attached template letter. This is regarding a critical issue facing federal transit funding. Please engage your Congressional representative before they return from the summer recess. Also, pass this on to others!" Read details and access the email template here.

On September 8 at 10 a.m., the Cities for Everyone webinar series hosted by Canadian planner Gil Penalosa will feature Anna Zivarts, author of When Driving is Not an Option. These webinars are usually super interesting, especially the Q & A following the presentation. Anna is a founder of national Week Without Driving event. Learn more and register here: https://gpenalosa.ca/webinar

Week Without Driving is October 1 through 8 this year. We are now trying to finalize the schedule of events and hope to have info available by mid-September. There are a few things you can do to help.

1. If you are with an organization, business, faith group, or non-profit that supports the effort to increase transportation options in our community, please consider being a co-sponsor. There's no charge – you just agree to help promote the event and encourage your contacts to participate. Sign up here asap: https://tinyurl.com/wwdlax-cosponsor

2. Call or email your city council representative and county board member. Identify yourself as a transit user or advocate to ask them to participate in Week Without Driving by signing up at https://weekwithoutdriving.org/join and/or scheduling a ride on the MTU between October 1-8 at https://tinyurl.com/wwdlacrosse (after September 13).

3. Write a 250 word letter to the editor about why we need more and better transportation options in our community. You can email your letter to letters@lacrossetribune.com.

4. If you are able, participate in and attend WWD events. At the very least, fill out a WWD bingo card (and maybe win a prize!) which will be available soon at https://tinyurl.com/wwdlacrosse.

5. For more ideas, visit https://weekwithoutdriving.org/participate/

MTU Board Meeting

Tuesday, August 18 at 4 p.m., there will be a meeting of the MTU Board in person and online.

The agenda is shown below. Find links to supporting documents on the .pdf agenda page.

Members of the public who wish to zoom in should email Adam Lorentz (lorentza@cityoflacrosse.org) for the link.

Agenda

• 26-0876 Specialized Transportation RFP
• 26-0877 Western Technical College Fall 2026 / Spring 2027 Agreement
• 26-0878 Viterbo University Fall 2026 / Spring, Summer 2027 Agreement
• System Analysis 2027 - Public Input 2026
• Upcoming events and projects