Help plan the future of transit in our region!

At their May 27 public input virtual open house, SRF Consultants introduced the next access points for public input into their Regional Transit Development (TDP) planning process for the La Crosse Area Planning Committee (LAPC). Please take advantage of these opportunities!

From the Public Meetings and Materials web page:

Help us shape the future of transit in the La Crosse region! This 10-minute survey is one part of the La Crosse Regional TDP, which will provide a vision for transit over the next ten years. The survey will help the planning team understand existing travel behavior, help create service recommendations and prioritization, and provide La Crosse Municipal Transit Utility, Onalaska Shared Ride, and Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit with customer service feedback. Please provide your input by taking this 10-minute community survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/LaCrosseRegionalTransit

Please help us spread the word by sharing this survey with your family, friends, colleagues, and networks. Responses will remain confidential and will not be shared or used for any other purposes.

You may also leave specific comments on the map of this interactive website. Add your ideas to the map by clicking on “Add Comment” or “Add Bus Route.” You can zoom in or out on the map to place points or draw routes in specific locations in the community.

More opportunities for public input are coming, including in-person events. You are also welcome to email. Again, from the LAPC TDP web page:

We want to hear from you!

• What do you like about existing transit service in the region?
• What don't you like?
• How can service be improved?
• What do you want service to look like in 10 years?
• If you're not a current transit user, what would encourage you to start using transit?

If you couldn't make the May 27 meeting, you can view the presentation and its recording.

Comments and questions can also be directed to project staff:

• Menno Schukking, SRF Consulting

Join Us - Members and Friends , June 22

Our next Transit Talk! Tuesday, June 22 at 6:30 p.m. ONLINE.

We tried to arrange an in-person event for June, but many places are not yet accepting groups. So, we will meet online on Tuesday, June 22 at 6:30 p.m. for a MEMBERS AND FRIENDS GET TOGETHER. Please join us!

At this organizing meeting, we want to hear from YOU!

• Why are you a transit advocate?
• What would you most like LATA to focus on this year?
  
• What changes would you love to see in La Crosse area public transportation?
• What great ideas have you seen or experienced in other communities? 
• Can you help us plan events, reach out to other advocates, connect with other communities, communicate and advocate?

We'll gather your ideas, let you know how to formally join LATA, and event have some door prizes for those who show up!

The event will be on ZOOM and access information will be emailed to those who register at tiny.cc/LATA-TransitTalk.

See you there!

Great video on why we need operations support for transit

Here's a 2-minute video that beautifully illustrates the case for federal operations support for transit:

https://vimeo.com/504477662

See our previous post to take action.

 

 

Advocate! Funding for transit operations!

 

From Transportation for America:

Tell Congress to fund transit operations. 

For decades, the federal government has only provided funding for public transportation maintenance and infrastructure projects—not the day-to-day costs of running trains and buses. This has to change in order to create the equitable and sustainable transportation system necessary to connect everyone to opportunities.

We urge Congress to include operating support for public transit in the next surface transportation authorization, the long-term law that determines how much we spend on transportation and what we spend it on. The current law, the FAST Act, expires this September, giving Congress a rare opportunity to fundamentally remake American transportation. 

Send a message to Congress urging your representatives to support funding transit operations and funding transit and highways at the same level in the next long-term transportation law.

Use Transportation for America's online tool to send a message right away. Then, call your representative and senators to tell them why this is important.

 

Be a transit advocate! May 27 Open House!

One of the most important ways individuals and households can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions is to stop driving fossil fueled vehicles. Using "active transit," walking, biking, or taking the bus, not only is major climate action, but it also makes for less congestion, healthier people, cleaner air, and a more equitable community.

While our service is good for Wisconsin, it's not so great for those who don't live near a bus line, have to go places outside of service hours, or have other issues. This is a call to get involved in advocating for better bus service--more and more frequent service, more convenient routes, better connections.

Not everyone can, should, or can afford to own and drive a car (the national average cost to own and maintain a vehicle is more than $9,000!) Should that relegate them to living half-lives, unable to go to an event because the bus has stopped running, unable to take a job because the bus doesn't go there, unable to visit friends because there's no service?

Public transportation is vital to public and climate health, economic justice and equity, community cohesion and safety, access to jobs, services, and entertainment, and so much more.

Here's a chance to be a transit advocate. Please take it.

The La Crosse Area Planning Committee is embarking on a process to create a 10-year Regional Transit Development Plan, and your input is needed!

A virtual open house will take place through Zoom on Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 5 p.m. to discuss future transit service improvements for La Crosse Municipal Transit Utility (MTU), Onalaska Shared Ride (OSR), and Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit (SMRT). We want to hear from the community – transit users and non-users alike – about how bus service could be improved, and what it should look like in the future. Please click the link below to register for the open house meeting.

Register in advance for the open house on Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 5pm here:

https://srfconsulting.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_g8tgKQYpQNWWO6D2LhP3bQ

Passcode: LCRTDP

The TDP will report existing conditions, public feedback, community needs, and recommendations for how the area transit operators should align services to meet the needs of a growing region. We want to hear about your experiences with La Crosse regional transit services and gather feedback on how we should prioritize service improvements.

Share this open house invite with others in the La Crosse region! Please help us spread the word by sharing this open house invite with your family, friends, colleagues and networks.

The project is an initiative of the La Crosse Area Planning Committee (LAPC). Visit www.lacrossecounty.org/metropolitan-planning-organization/LAPC-Home/regional-transit-development-plan for more information.

 

Thank you!

Thanks to Mayor Mitch Reynolds and MTU Director Adam Lorentz for sharing an hour with local transit advocates on Tuesday evening. It was exciting to hear about the updates and improvements coming for the MTU including a cleaner fleet with new electric and hybrid vehicles and touchless fare pay options. It was also heartening to hear Mayor Mitch reiterate his strong support for public transportation and talk about why it's important for equity, economic health, and climate action. 

We also heard from Menno Schukking, a consultant working with the La Crosse Area Planning Commission on the region's future transit plans. He invited us to attend the virtual open house on May 27 at 5 p.m. on Zoom (passcode: LCRTDP). 

There were good questions from participants and we look forward to working to educate and motivate more area residents totale public transportation.

If you missed the program, listen here (use passcode ViWZiYY2).

Thanks to our co-sponsors, Coulee Region Sierra Club and Citizen Action of Wisconsin - Driftless Co-op.

Our June program is still being planned. We are looking at an in-person member and friend event. More details will be available soon.

UPDATED: May 18 Transit Talk with Mayor Reynolds and Adam Lorentz, MTU Director

Join us ONLINE on Tuesday, May 18 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for our next Transit Talk with La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds and MTU director Adam Lorentz. We'll hear how COVID-19 affected the MTU; what's new as stimulus funds come to our area; what's planned for the future; and how the mayor, council and city can support and strengthen our public transportation system. Participants will have the chance to ask questions during the event.

To get access information, please REGISTER at this link: http://tiny.cc/LATA-TransitTalk (https://forms.gle/Vfopz5MVC6rUwCyb8) or call 608-315-2693 (leave message for call back) for instructions about dialing in to participate by telephone.

We are collecting ideas for future LATA programs and events, so if you have suggestions, would like to join the planning team, or have any other ideas to help make us better area transit advocates, please email us at MTUFriends@hotmail.com or call 608-315-2693 (leave message for call back). 

And, if you want to help make our organization stronger and more effective, please JOIN US!

Co-sponsored by the Coulee Region Sierra Club,Citizen Action Driftless Co-op, and La Crosse Area Transit Advocates.