Congratulations
to Alysa, Sue, Liz, Toni, and Lillian for winning Week Without
Driving prizes. Lillian won the grand prize - a semester pass! America
Walks hosted its WWD wrap up call on Wednesday. This event has really
grown in just a few short years. This year, almost 3,500 individuals
and organizations across the country signed up as participants. There
are already plans for next year's WWD, September 29 through October
5. LATA will start planning in early 2025. If you have ideas or are
interested in helping with this event that highlights the
importance of prioritizing non-car options for every day transportation, please contact us at LaCrosseTransitAdvocates@proton.me or 608-315-2693. Again, thanks to all those who participated in
the La Crosse area whether you officially signed up or not!
The MTU
Board will meet on Tuesday, December 10 at 4 p.m. The meeting is open
to the public. See the agenda here:
https://cityoflacrosse.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1252295&GUID=EE8A664B-E19F-444A-8F15-60063C125060&Options=info|&Search=
To attend via Zoom:
https://cityoflacrosse-org.zoom.us/j/81424128085?pwd=5ftYlUgAmDYROJJpzC3MSJ3abaOK4H.1
Meeting ID: 814 2412 8085 Passcode: 147918
LATA
Leaders will meet on Zoom for one hour at 5:30 on Wednesday, December
11. We will talk about Feb.
4 Transit Equity Day programming, how to engage candidates for
mayor and city council about transit, Ride with a Guide,
accessibility, and plans for the new year. Please email or call us for access information if you would like to participate or if you have
suggestions.
At the
November meeting of Citizens with Disabilities, snow shoveling was
discussed, including who is responsible for what. In La Crosse, the
Park Department clears roads and sidewalks in city parks, the city
plows city streets, and MTU is responsible for clearing bus stops and
shelters, even if they get plowed back in by the city. As this
Streetsblog article notes, “More
Cities are Taking Responsibility for Clearing Sidewalks of Snow.”
In La Crosse, where up to 40% of adults are non-drivers, shoveling
off responsibility for sidewalks and bus stops to other entities may
not be a fair use of public resources.
The MTU's new AVL
(Automatic Vehicle Location) app will not be available at the beginning
of January as hoped. They are working to get it online as quickly as
possible. The new system will have more features and options, combining
bus location with fare purchases, and trip planning.
The La Crosse Area Planning Committee is still accepting public input about its Metropolitan Transportation Plan update. Find the link to the survey and more information at https://www.lacrossecounty.org/metropolitan-planning-organization/planning-and-programming/metropolitan-transportation-plan
Governor
Evers' Budget Listening Tour was in La Crosse on Wednesday and they will
host an online session on Monday, December 16 at 4 p.m. Transit
advocates are encouraged to attend and speak up for
Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtduqpqTgoE9Pizvu2wqHuwv84YCkT_OdI#/registration
and if you can't attend, you may submit written comments and budget
suggestions at the governor's comment page here:
https://wi.accessgov.com/public/Forms/Page/governor/voice-an-opinion/0
Amtrak's Borealis (second daily train from St. Paul to Chicago) continues to outperform expectations with more than 21,000
riders reported in October. Amtrak is having a
“share fare” holiday sale for groups, from 15 to 60 percent
off. Alas,
Transportation for America will
not host its Transportation Camp in 2025 due to scheduling,
logistics, and costs.
If you want to get involved in sharing ideas
with others, pushing for better transit, and envisioning a
transit-friendly future, please join
La Crosse Area Transit Advocates! In addition, the Wisconsin
Sierra Club has a statewide transportation
access and equity team. And the Wisconsin
Association of Rail Passengers works on improving and expanding
rail access in our state and regions. There may be more options
to engage, education, and advocate coming in 2025. Stay tuned!
Please
share this information with others. And Take the Bus!
Some
food for thought:
