Thank you! Transit Equity Days

Thank you to everyone who helped or participated in this year's Transit Equity Day!

We had some wonderful opportunities to bring this important issue to the front of the conversation and point out how connected it is to almost everything, including climate action, jobs and education, access to health care and services, and communities' and families' finances.

Thanks to local transit advocates who helped make everything happen: Avery, Bridget, Cathy, Joella, Kevin, Liz, Obbie, RoZ, and Sandy. Also thank you to La Crosse labor leader Terry Hicks for allowing us to include highlights of his book, We Walk: A History of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 519, at the Transit Center display.

Thank you to co-sponsors and supporters, including Citizen Action of Wisconsin Driftless Co-op, Coulee Region Sierra Club, the La Crosse MTU, Onalaska Holmen West Salem Shared Ride Taxi, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit, and the Sustainability Institute. And thanks to Western Technical College, the MTU, and the La Crosse Public Library for hosting TED displays.

Mayor Reynolds' TED proclamation, press event

Thank you to elected and community leaders who rode or will ride (we have to reschedule some rides because of illness or other schedule disruptions) or attended the February 1 press event: State Senator Brad Pfaff; La Crosse Mayor Reynolds; Onalaska Mayor Kim Smith; County Board Chair Monica Kruse; La Crosse County Board members Randy Erickson, Maurine Freedland, Ralph Geary, and David Pierce; La Crosse City Council members Doug Happel, Barb Janssen, Christine Kahlow, Mark Neumann, Rebecca Schwarz, and Jennifer Trost; Onalaska City Council members Larry Jiracek, Leanne Stokes, and Diane Wulf, ATU 519 president Todd Strasser, and La Crosse Neighborhoods leader Jim Bagniewski.(Apologies if we missed anyone! Email and we will update!)

Electeds on the bus!

We are grateful for excellent reporting on the events and the issues raised:

• La Crosse Kicks Off Week Dedicated to Transit Equity (Jan. 28, La Crosse Tribune)
• La Crosse MTU celebrates Transit Equity Days (Jan. 31, WKBT)
  
• La Crosse Mayor Issues Transit Equity Day Proclamation (Feb. 1, La Crosse Tribune) 
• Mayor Speaks on Expanding Transit Access (Feb. 1, La Crosse Tribune) 
• City officials, supporters recognize Transit Equity Day (Feb. 1, WXOW)

Thanks to those who shared their transit rider stories, through the online form, the paper forms, or social media. We hope to have a new Transit Tales page available at this site by February 12. Please check back! 

 If you missed Transit Equity Day programs, you can watch them here:

• Transit Equity and Climate Action with Susan Gaeddert of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, hosted by the Coulee Region Sierra Club
• Local Public Transportation with Peter Fletcher, LAPC, and Adam Lorentz, MTU, hosted by the Sustainability Institute
• Transit Equity Day Livestream from around the country hosted by the Labor Network for Sustainability

If you have comments about this year's event or suggestion for next year or if you would like to help plan future local events with La Crosse Area Transit Advocates, please email us at LaCrosseTransitAdvocates@proton.me or call 608-315-2693. 

Finally, if you are a transit rider or advocate, please consider becoming an official member of our group, so we can provide more education, more advocacy, and more support for great public transportation in our area.

Governor Evers' proclamation

Mayor Reynolds' proclamation

TED 23 display at La Crosse Public Library