February Updates

 

We hope you will be able to join the Transit Equity Days events, Sunday, February 2 through Wednesday, February 5. Good public transportation is important for ensuring that everyone—no matter their age, health, or financial status—can get to their full life. These events are a way to consider what's equitable when it comes to transportation and advocate for better, more connected, more accessible transit in our area. See the full list of events at https://tinyurl.com/TEDLaCrosse-2025 and note that there are FREE FARES on the MTU on February 4 and FREE FARES on the SMRT (if you have or show on your phone a TED flyer) on February 5.We would especially encourage transit advocates to take a ride with candidates for mayor and city council and tell your transit story! If you can't our story collection form is always open for business at https://tinyurl.com/LaXTEDStory.

There is also a national Transit Equity Day livestream happening on the Labor Network for Sustainability's YouTube channel on February 4 at 11 a.m. Central. Find the link at https://www.labor4sustainability.org/transportation/transit-equity-2025/

Some local elementary school students are also advocating for better bus service during Transit Equity Days! Stay tuned!

LATA Leaders will hold its monthly meeting on Zoom on Wednesday, February 12 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. We will likely evaluate TED, talk more about engaging candidates before the April election for mayor and council, and discuss future LATA programming for 2025. Please email if you would like to join the discussion!

Government committees meet soon.

• The Bike Ped Advisory Committee (transit is pedestrian infrastructure) meets on Tuesday, February 11 at 8:30 a.m. Meeting details are not yet available.

• The Committee for Citizens with Disabilities will meet on Thursday, February 13 at 9 a.m. MTU Director, Adam Lorentz, is supposed to be at this meeting for follow up on items discussed in December. Get details and online access information from https://cityoflacrosse.legistar.com

• The MTU Board is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, February 18 at 4 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and is held in person and online.

On Saturday, February 15, the Coalition for More Responsible Transportation will host a Wisconsin Transit Summit in Madison (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with lunch provided) and online. “This event is open to transportation advocates in Wisconsin who prioritize public transportation, mass transit, walking and biking infrastructure in order to increase sustainable and accessible transportation choices, improve connectedness in both urban and rural areas of the state, and decrease being forced to drive and depend on an individually-owned vehicle. Please only share this invitation with like-minded individuals who want to collaborate to take action together.” Get more info and register (to attend in person or for the Zoom link) at https://tinyurl.com/cmrtsummit

The SMRT has raised fares for 2025 to $5 per ride (less per ride if you buy a punch card or month pass.) Please advocate for SMRT with our county board representatives and businesses and communities served by the SMRT, including Sparta, Tomah, Westby, Viroqua, Coon Valley, Stoddard, Genoa, De Soto, Prairie du Chien.

The MTU needs more drivers! These are union jobs. MTU is also seeking more members for its ADA Advisory Committee. Meetings are held every other month. Email for more information.

Amtrak is having a Roomette Free Companion Flash Sale for Valentine's Day. “Now through February 6, book an elevated, First Class experience in a Roomette and bring a friend along on the journey for free.” The Borealis continues to perform well. If you are a bicyclist, please write to Amtrak and tell them we need bike accommodations on those trains. If you have been outside of our region, you know that there are a variety of ways to accept bikes without having whole baggage cars for them!

Believe it or not, planning is already starting for Week Without Driving, Sept. 29 through October 5, 2025. At the initial planning call, there were people from all over North America plus the UK and event Australia! Let's start planning locally with a Zoom meeting in early March. If you are interested, please email with best days/times for a one-hour meeting!

Who knows what's going to happen to transit under the new regime. Will anyone uphold the laws, like you can't freeze money that's already been appropriated? We'll see. Transportation for America has a suggestion: Confused about the chaos? Make Congress and the administration clarify the transportation funding freeze.

Here are a couple of interesting articles that seem pertinent to our area:

Dedicated transit lanes help increase ridership and reduce emissions, https://mntransportationresearch.org/2024/07/01/dedicated-transit-lanes-help-attract-riders-reduce-carbon-emissions/ (what if we had an express bus that went from Mormon Coulee Road, straight up Losey to Woodmans and back every 15 minutes?)

No Bus Stop Seating? No Problem. (Actually, There is Definitely a Problem.) https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2024/10/29/no-bus-stop-seating-no-problem-actually-there-is-definitely-a-problem Is anyone is interested in working on some simple bus stop seating? We have been asking for it for years and yet people end up sitting on sidewalks, rock walls, lamp post bases, curbs, stumps, and even in the dirt waiting for their bus. This is not good customer service. There are lots of plans and examples out there. Let's make some seating!

If you know of a transit related event, meeting, speaker, or program coming up, please email so we can share it on this web page.

Remember, shifting from a private gas-powered car to public transit is one of the immediate most impactful ways a household can reduce its carbon emissions!