September updates

We are looking forward to our SMRT 2 Vernon County Fair ride on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 (note new date). SMRT fares will be free or reduced for the first 12 riders but fair admission will be charged. We'll catch the mid-morning SMRT Yellow #2 in La Crosse and stop just across the street from the fairgrounds at about 11 a.m. Come back on your own on one of the Blue or Yellow routes buses. Find the time tables here: https://ridesmrt.com/  

Please sign up at https://tinyurl.com/SMRT2VCFair by September 9 if possible.

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LATA leaders will meet on September 18 at 5:30 online to continue planning for Week Without Driving and other transit-related activities. If you would like to join the conversation, please contact LaCrosseTransitAdvocates@proton.me for access information. 

The La Crosse Area Planning Committee's Committee on Transit and Active Transportation will meet on Thursday, September 12 at 3:30 p.m. The meeting, online and in-person, is open to the public. Email eduffer@lacrossecounty.org or call 608-785-5597 for (online) access info. The CTAT website is at https://www.lacrossecounty.org/metropolitan-planning-organization/committees/committee-on-transit-and-active-transportation

Also on September 12, at 6:30 p.m., the Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance will meet online to share news and information about what's happening with transit from around the state. If you would like to attend, please email us for access information.

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The Borealis is blowing past all rider number expectations and there's talk of adding a third daily train. In addition, new routes are under consideration, including Milwaukee to Green Bay and a train that would serve Madison and Eau Claire. The Wisconsin Association of Rail Passengers (WisARP) will hold its fall meeting in La Crosse on Saturday, October 26. Find more information at https://wisarp.wordpress.com.

MNDOT has a State Rail Plan Passenger Rail Priorities Survey | Let's Talk Transportation - MnDOT. Per Carl Glasemeyer at 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, "The survey allows for responses outside of Minnesota. A couple early questions inquire if the respondent has used the Empire Builder and Borealis service, I know a lot of Wisconsinites value these and would like to see more frequency added. Near the end of the survey, respondents can list city pairs they want to passenger rail service. This provides an opportunity to list desired connections between Wisconsin and Minnesota, a chance to support advocacy work to get passenger rail service to Eau Claire, Madison, and Superior." He also recommends requesting the option to stop in Minneapolis. Currently, you have to take the Amtrak to St. Paul and then double back.

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LATA is tabling at student back-to-school events. Thanks to Liz for getting the registration information! We were at the Viterbo Welcome Back Bash on August 29 and will be at Western Technical College's Resource Block Party on September 3 and UW-La Crosse's Sample the City event on September 4. Thank you Avery, Liz, Cathy, and Rozie for helping set up and table!

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Please participate in Week Without Driving, September 30 through October 6, and encourage others to sign up, too. This is an important opportunity to advocate for better transit and walking and biking infrastructure in order to move away from car dependency. Local events are still being finalized, but we know that there will be a noon press event on Monday, September 30 at City Hall to kick off the week. If you can, please plan to attend.

You can learn more about the La Crosse area WWD, including co-sponsors and events, at https://tinyurl.com/laxwwd24. This page will be updated as events and resources are finalized.

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We have learned that there's a delay in transferring from the DoubleMap app, which is no longer supported, to a new one that would combine fare sales (currently GenFare) and bus tracking. The original plan was to have the replacement ready by now, but it looks like this won't happen until early next year. This may mean real time bus tracking won't be available for a while! We hope the MTU will find a temporary solution to this.

The MTU again has some bus driver and maintenance openings. Lack of drivers is dangerous - Appleton recently drastically reduced their service because of a severe driver shortage. This is a problem all over the country. There is also a major shortage of school bus drivers. Get more information about the MTU openings at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacrossewi?keywords=transit