SMRT - what next?

 

We have asked but haven't yet heard what La Crosse County plans to do to look at replacing the SMRT with other transportation options. Based on reporting from the Vernon Reporter, we know that the current system will not be funded beyond this year.

A grassroots group has formed to look at options. Building on the work of a 2023 group - Coulee Region Rides and Transit - the new After-SMRT group is looking at how to organize for some kind of transit that will serve all who need it going forward. There are other models out there. How can we find one that works here.

While some people--those with disabilities and seniors--have access to (limited) transportation options, even those are being cut back and may be expensive or difficult to use. We know that transportation is the spine of our society. If people can't get to work or school, if patients can't get to care, if seniors can't get to visits with friends and family, our whole community suffers. That transportation isn't prioritized among our elected leaders and decision-makers is, at least in part, a result of nearly 100 years of automobile and fossil fuel industry marketing.

But economics, health and safety, and climate action demand change.

Monday at noon, Sarah Kline will talk about a new report "Improving Mobility in Rural and Tribal Communities."  that will highlight that there are more ways to run rural transit than we might think, more ways to fund it and more potential partners. Sara is Principal at SK Solutions LLC, former Counsel to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and former Director of Policy and Government Relations at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Here is the Zoom link. 

The next After-SMRT group meeting is tentatively scheduled for Friday, May 1 at 5:30 p.m. We will continue planning how to connect with those who can help find a way forward. If you are interested in participating, especially if you are a PdC or Tomah SMRT route user or connected with the Amish community, please contact us for join info. The meeting will be on Zoom. 

April updates

La Crosse Area Transit Advocates leader meeting will be on Tuesday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. We will discuss upcoming LATA events, next steps on post-SMRT plans, Week Without Driving. If you are interested in joining us, please  email for access information.

A group of us are meeting on April 17 to look at how to advocate for something to replace the SMRT in 2027 and beyond. We are considering some kind of public program early this summer. If you would like to join the conversation, please email for more details.

We are inviting former and potential new co-sponsors of Week Without Driving to sign up for this year's event, October 1 – 8. Co-sponsors will have their name/logo on event flyers, encourage their contacts/employees to participate, and help spread the word about WWD events. If they wish, co-sponsors can also be a drop off point for WWD bingo cards, donate a prize for WWD bingo, and/or host or present a program, activity, or event during the week. In addition, they are welcome to join in on planning. If interested, please fill out this form: https://tinyurl.com/wwdlaxcosponsor. Please also share this information with other faith groups, clubs, organizations, agencies, and businesses that might be interested!

If you missed the program, Advocating for Seamless Intercity Public Transportation in Wisconsin, which was part of the March 14 Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance annual spring meeting, you can watch online at https://youtu.be/LCAZP9OyIwM?si=3FslP1_pg4NSAs4n. Guests included Chris Ott, President, Wisconsin Association of Rail Passengers and Rep. Amaad Rivera-Wagner, a transit proponent serving in our state legislature.

During this program, we learned about the new Passenger Rail caucus in the Wisconsin state legislature and why we should encourage Representatives Tara Johnson, Jill Billings, and Steve Doyle and State Senator Brad Pfaff to join this caucus. For now, individuals are invited to email or visit with them; in future, LATA may put together a group to make a formal request. For more information about this and talking points and other suggestions, visit https://www.hsrail.org/wi-guide/

LATA will table at Earthapalooza at UWL on April 22 from 3 to 7 p.m. (tentative date/time). This is a chance to engage with UWL students and promote public transit as a primo tool for climate action. If you would like to sign up for a shift, please email.

We believe the MTU will be free on Sunday, April 26 with a slight detour in the #4 bus route to drop people at and pick people up from the southeast corner of Myrick Park (Hillview Avenue & La Crosse Street) for THE EARTH FAIR, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Get more Earth Fair information here: https://www.sustaininstitute.com/earthfairlacrosse 

The MTU has bus operator positions available. Read more about it here: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacrossewi/jobs/4898211/bus-operator

We expect to host a SMRT ride to Viroqua in early May. Stay tuned for details! 

The SMRT is dead. Long Live the SMRT.

 

Last fall the La Crosse County Board voted to fund the SMRT in 2026 to give time to find a more sustainable regional public transportation system.

So far, it seems little effort has been made to research those options, talk to those who rely on the SMRT, or do anything but demand a huge increase in payments from counties. 

So it was that last Wednesday night, an article in a Viroqua paper reported the Vernon County Board had been told they had to decide right away whether or not to pay a lot more in 2027 to keep the SMRT going. We don't know who decided the amounts, what they would have paid for, if any changes to the current system or any other models were considered, or who had or didn't have a role in making the plan. We had asked to be informed and involved as the process played out, but we were not. We have heard that some La Crosse County Board members didn't even know what was happening.

Of course the Vernon County Board voted to not pay the much higher amount. So, it seems, the SMRT is dead. 

But the commitment made at that La Crosse County Board vote last winter has not yet been met. There still needs to be research and effort made to find a solution. Public transit is essential, especially now that the costs of private driving are rising exponentially and global heating, driven in part by transportation emissions, is accelerating.

We don't know if those responsible are really this unimaginative or disinterested or uninformed about the importance of investing in maintaining a connected network of public transportation infrastructure. But, if the job is to find a more sustainable system, the job is not done. More work is needed.

La Crosse Area Transit Advocates is reaching out to riders, advocates, agencies, and electeds to plan next steps. We can't let this be the end. Ending things here is unacceptable. That's what we need to push for now.

If you would like to join the Zoom planning meeting in April 17 at 6 p.m., please email or text for access information. We are trying to collect more data and would like to host a public forum or town hall in late spring or early summer to bring attention to this ongoing need and illustrate that solutions are possible and must be investigated.

Saturday, 3/28 - WISARP spring meeting

 

On Saturday, March 28, 2026, WisARP will hold its Spring Membership Meeting. We’ll hold this event online, starting at 9:00 AM for a couple of hours.

—> Register Here (Free) <—

Originally, we planned to hold this event in Milwaukee. The upbeat atmosphere and connections we’ve had at recent in-person WisARP events can’t be beat!

The reason that we’ve switched this meeting to online is because nationwide No Kings rallies were announced for the same day we planned on. And the reason that we didn’t just pick another date is that WisARP’s bylaws currently require holding this meeting on the last Saturday in March (we’re working to change this for the future).

We know that some WisARP members want to attend both our membership meeting and a No Kings event because you told us, proactively—thank you. And even for those not interested in No Kings, those events have been big, bringing out tens of thousands of people in cities like Milwaukee. This would probably have caused trouble for everyone traveling to and from the WisARP meeting.

Bipartisan bill to support rural transit

Rounds Introduces Legislation to Support Rural Transit

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced the Investments in Rural Transit Act, legislation that would help rural transit providers improve their services. Rural transit operators provide essential lifeline services to millions of Americans, getting them to work, school, grocery stores, medical appointments and more. Co(sponsors included Minnesota Senator Tina Smith and Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin.

“Whether you are in a big city or a rural part of our state, every Wisconsinite should have access to good public transit. Unfortunately, that is just not the case in too many places and limited transit options are a significant barrier for folks trying to get to work, the store, or the doctor,” said Baldwin. “Our bipartisan legislation will invest in rural communities so workers and families are better connected to what they need.”

Specifically, the Investments in Rural Transit Act would:

• Increase federal share for operating costs. 
• Cut red tape. Rural transit providers are often small and efficient, but federal reporting requirements and other rules add significant administrative burdens to their operations without meaningful benefit. 
• Make procurement easier. 
• Support Tribal transit agencies.

Learn more here: https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-introduces-legislation-to-support-rural-transit

Email or call Senator Baldwin and thank her for supporting rural transit.

SMRT RED ALERT (again)

We recently received a March 17 article about the SMRT (below). We have been asking county board members since January how SMRT riders could have input into finding a more sustainable system going forward and have been told no one knows anything yet, they'll let us know when they know something, etc. And now it appears that the same thing has happened as happened last year. Someone has made a decision without any public input (that we have heard about).

The La Crosse County board voted to continue funding the SMRT in 2026 in order to provide time to look at other more sustainable options going forward, not to give more time to craft a nicer death notice. It appears there has been no effort to look at other systems and other options.

Please call your county board members and ask them what other options have been considered and what input your county board had in this plan. How were the contribution amounts determined? Did they look at van pools, on-demand service, expanding paratransit to include anyone needing a ride or other systems? If not, will they? Was any rider input solicited? What will they do to assist non-drivers and those who don't want to drive going forward? 

Transportation is the second highest (higher than food) household expense in the United States and the cost of driving is expected to rise sharply as oil prices climb. Transportation greenhouse gas emissions are the highest of any sector. Public transit (per the American Public Transit Association) is 10 times safer than driving a car.

We really cant accept You're On Your Own as a final answer.

If you have suggestions for action or for post-SMRT solutions, please contact us. Some of us will be in Viroqua on Friday and would be happy to meet with transit/SMRT advocates over lunch. Please email.

+++

Supervisors face Thursday vote on committee proposal to axe SMRT Bus

March 17, 2026 

VERNON COUNTY, Wis. – The Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit bus system (SMRT Bus) could be reaching the end of the road in Vernon County.

Following a temporary reprieve late last year regional partners are now facing a funding shortfall for 2027 and the Vernon County Economic Development Committee voted March 5 to advance a recommendation to the full county board to formally end support for the program after 2026.

Administrative Coordinator Cassandra Hanan first broke the news to the General Government Committee on March 4. She explained she recently with stakeholders in the system in La Crosse and La Crosse County, which administers the program asked partner counties to drastically increase their contributions.

“They are looking at an increased contribution for Vernon County of $100,000 dollars more than our current contribution,” said Hanan. “I do not know how that is going to be sustainable for Vernon County currently contributes $15,000 to the system.

The next day Hanan brought numbers to the Economic Development Committee. She noted that La Crosse County is currently subsidizing the program by over $250,000 dollars and regional partner support appears to be waning. Hanan said Monroe County representatives did not attend the meeting and a major hospital system have already indicated they will drop out of the funding agreement entirely.

“What lacrosse is proposing should this continue is that Vernon County contribution goes to $113,977 dollars,” said Hanan. “I do not have an additional $100,000 dollars in the county budget to support a program that supports 11 riders a day.”

Hanan shared that ridership on the Vernon County route dropped from an average of 13 riders a day in 2024 to just 11 in 2025. She reminded the committee that strict state levy limits restrict the county from simply raising property taxes to cover the massive increase in operating costs.

We reached out to Running Inc. that has the contract for the SMRT bus to see if those numbers were accurate but we have not received a comment from them. 

“If we were to move forward with this we would have to find somewhere else in the county that we are cutting by $100,000 dollars,” said Hanan. “And realistically that is not possible.”

Citizen committee member Karen Dahl pushed back against the cuts arguing that the bus is a vital lifeline for rural residents. She noted that the program was originally funded to help low income individuals access jobs and medical care outside the county.

“Not everybody has a car and it takes senior citizens from up to the hospital clinics and dentists,” said Dahl. “If we stopped funding this or paying our part anyway they are going to be stranded here.”

Hanan countered that the county already funds the Aging and Disability Resource Center to provide medical transportation and a minibus for seniors. She argued it is financially irresponsible to spend nearly $10,000 dollars per rider annually on the SMRT bus when other local options exist.

“We are talking about subsidizing essentially $10,000 dollars a person when we have programs that are already available for those people,” said Hanan. “And what county services then are we willing to cut in order to provide convenience for someone who does not want to drive to La Crosse?”

Committee Chair John Pedretti agreed that the financial model simply does not work. He pointed out that for the proposed subsidy amount the county could practically buy a car for every regular rider.

“I think it is important that we let everybody be clear that in 2027 there is not going to be the money for it,” said Pedretti. “So people have a year to a year and 10 months to figure out their next steps.”

Supervisor Patrick Sullivan echoed the need for clear communication so residents are not caught off guard by the cancellation.

“Look at better things maybe moving forward having those conversations about maybe ride share programs something to help those people,” said Sullivan. “But I do not think this is a viable option.”

Dahl asked if the committee should invite Justin Running of Running Inc. to attend a committee meeting get more details about ridership and options to save the program. 

“How about Justin coming and talking to us?” asked Dahl.

Committee Chair John Pedretti immediately responded to her suggestion by saying, “I think it’s already done past that”.

Supervisor Nathaniel Slack supported advancing the recommendation to end the program but urged the county to handle the public announcement delicately. The push to end the program follows an intense budget battle in November 2025 where dozens of residents packed county meetings to plead for the service and the Vernon County Board ultimately voted to restore $15,000 dollars to keep the bus running through 2026.

“I do think if we could include coming up with a thoughtful public information release on it kind of explaining what happened where it is going,” said Slack. “Because there was some fairly upset people at the board when you were discussing.”

The committee unanimously approved a motion to send the recommendation to the full Vernon County Board of Supervisors. The board is scheduled to vote on a formal resolution to discontinue SMRT bus support after 2026 during its March 19 meeting.