March 18 - Transit Talk with Sen. Brad Pfaff

Join us on Thursday, March 18 from 6 to 7 p.m. for an ONLINE forum with State Senator Brad Pfaff. Senator Pfaff serves on the Senate Committees on Transportation and Local Government. Agriculture and Tourism;  Economic and Workforce Development; Universities and Technical Colleges; and Utilities, Technology and Telecommunications.

There are many possible avenues of discussion, including the recommendations about public transportation made in the recently released Governor's Task Force on Climate Change report, the Governor's proposed 2021-2023 budget, the effects of COVID-19 on public transportation operations, new technology--from electric vehicles to public transit apps, and the role of a robust public transportation system in providing equitable access to jobs, education, recreation, services, and life for all regardless of location, wealth, health, age, and ability. We'll hope Senator Pfaff can touch on some of these and we'll be sure to leave time for your questions.

Please JOIN US! Register at tiny.cc/lata-pfaff  You will also be able to submit a question for Senator Pfaff at this registration site. This is a Cisco Webex event, accessible by computer/smart phone/tablet AND by dialing in from any phone for those who register and receive the link.

T4A

 

Make transportation history with us. Join us next Thursday to be a part of the solution.  2021 is a once-in-a-generation chance to fundamentally change U.S. transportation.  With pedestrian fatalities skyrocketing, millions of Americans stranded from jobs and opportunities, and the climate crisis quickly reaching the point of no return, we need to act: We can’t afford to waste another five years and billions of dollars on programs that just make our problems worse.

Register for the webinar

Join us on Thursday, February 25th at 1:30 pm CT to learn why 2021 can be a historic shift for U.S. transportation and how you can join the fight for fundamental reform.  Hear from the Transportation for America director Beth Osborne, policy director Scott Goldstein, and outreach director Chris Rall on why 2021 is a rare opportunity for remake transportation to provide everyone—no matter who you are or where you live—with safe, convenient, and affordable access to opportunity. We’ll give you the tools you need to be a part of the solution. Register for the webinar.

State Budget update

The Sierra Club, through the Coalition for More Responsible Transportation, noted that Governor Evers' proposed 2021-23 budget includes the following transit and transportation items:

• Highways: Lots of money to highways, enumeration of the I-94 East-West project 
  
• CMRT's ask: no new highway expansion enumerations, especially I-94

• Transit:  Increase general transit aids by 2.5 percent increase ($3.5m) + a a transit capital improvement grant program ($10m) + increased funding for employment access and mobility programs ($4m)
• CMRT's ask: $50m/year increase to transit
• Paratransit and Specialized Transit:  2.5 percent increase to paratransit and smaller increase to specialized 
• CMRT's ask: increase paratransit and specialized transit funding

We expect there will be some information and training sessions regarding transportation budget advocacy in the next couple of months, and we will post these as they are announced.

WisARP annual meeting March 27

The Wisconsin Association of Rail Passengers will meet online this year:

Due to the pandemic and restrictions on the size of meetings, the WisARP spring meeting will be held as a Zoom videoconference. The meeting will be March 27th, from 9:00 am until Noon. Tune in and get the latest Amtrak and WisDOT news. Speakers will include Arun Rao, Passenger Rail Manager for WisDOT. 

IMPORTANT: If you plan to attend, please contact the WisARP chair. The Zoom license has a participation limit and we need to know if we will need to increase that limit. Thanks.

LATA Celebrates TRANSIT EQUITY DAY

On National Transit Equity Day, the La Crosse Area Transit Advocates join hundreds of others organizations and individuals around the country in celebrating the importance of accessible, affordable, useful public transportation in our communities and region.

In honor of this day, the La Crosse MTU is reminding riders about the historic struggle, led by Rosa Parks, to desegregate the Montgomery, Alabama public transportation system. 

Recognizing the importance of public transportation for access, equity and our environment, the Coulee Region Sierra Club has passed a resolution committing to support, at the federal, state and local levels, legislation that will increase public transportation funding, eliminate or reduce fares for certain populations, increase access for those with disabilities, increase public transportation and related infrastructure union jobs that prioritize hiring of the economically disadvantaged, people of color, those from communities underserved by public transportation, and people from other marginalized communities.

Our current transit-advocate mayor will be leaving this spring, so La Crosse Area Transit Advocates reached out to candidates wishing to replace him with a seven-question survey about local and regional public transportation. So far only four five candidates--Katherine Blanchard, Martin Gaul, Jessica Olson, Mitch Reynolds and Samuel Schneider--have responded. We'll update the response page if we receive more candidates' comments. Read the responses here and contact and follow up with candidates who did and did not respond. Let them know how important public transportation is to you and why you want them to be strong transit advocates and prioritize improving local and regional public transportation. If you need more reasons, read the Transit Equity Day Principles and watch the Community Hearing livestream.

Join us this year to grow and strengthen LATA so we can ensure that public transportation is included in budget and planning priorities as the new year unfolds. Help us plan programs, talk to elected leaders, organize events, and work with our state partners in the Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance.

MTU Celebrates Transit Equity Day, February 4

 

 The City of La Crosse MTU would like to invite you to participate in Transit Equity Day on Thursday February 4^th, 2021.

 

For the past four years on February 4, a network of transit rider unions, community organizations, environmental groups and labor unions have organized Transit Equity Day–a national day of action to commemorate the birthday of Rosa Parks by declaring that public transit is a civil right. Rosa is an iconic figure of the civil rights era who chose the tactic of refusing to give up her seat on the bus to demand an end to segregation in the Montgomery, Alabama, transit system. We make the connection to this act of resistance to highlight the rights of all people to high-quality public transportation run on clean/renewable energy.

The MTU will Honor Rosa Parks by reserving one seat on each bus by placing the poster shown (left) along with a single rose.