Here are a few things that might be of interest.
LATA Leaders will meet on Wednesday, July 9 at 6:30 p.m. online. If you would like to join, please reply to this email. We'll be focusing on planning a transit advocates gathering this summer and planning for Week Without Driving (WWD) this fall.
MTU buses appear to be almost all connected to the new Transit app so you can see where your bus is in real time. Unfortunately, you can only view one route at a time so if you are planning to switch buses outside of the usual transfer points, you'll have to switch back and forth to see what bus is where. Do you have thoughts on the new app? Feedback on the new app is one of the things we hope to include in a summer transit advocates gathering.
The MTU ADA Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, July 8 at 5:30 p.m. in the Grandad Room at City Hall and on Zoom, but confirmation hasn't been sent yet. These meetings are open to the public. If you would like to attend, please contact Tim Koterwski at the MTU or email us for the Zoom link.
MTU Director Adam Lorentz is scheduled to be at this month's Citizens with Disabilities meeting, Thursday, July 10 at 9 a.m. The meeting will be held in the Hedgehog Room at City Hall and online. It is open to the public. The agenda is not posted yet. The Zoom link will be on the agenda. Find it at https://cityoflacrosse.legistar.com/DepartmentDetail.aspx?ID=42236&GUID=5C1B4DD4-92F5-4DF8-8681-8023B1556EE7
The La Crosse Area Planning Committee's Committee on Transit and Active Transportation will meet on Thursday, July 10 at 3:30 p.m. in person Room 2106 of the County Administrative Building (6th & State) and online. The agenda includes a report on a Regional Transit Authority study (alas, RTAs were not included in the budget Gov. Evers recently signed) and discussion of LAPC participation in Week Without Driving.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will hold a public input meeting as part of its US 53 & US 14/61 Corridor Study on Wednesday, July 16 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at the Black River Beach Neighborhood Center. Learn more and get a link to comment online at https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/533516-lacrosse/us53us1461.aspx
The folks at America Walks, national sponsors of Week Without Driving, have been holding monthly webinars on different ways transit advocates, nonprofits, schools, government agencies, businesses, and more can use WWD to spread the word about their services, products, priorities. The next webinar is on July 9 at 1 p.m. and it will deal with rural transit. You can see the schedule of coming webinars and get links to view past ones at https://weekwithoutdriving.org/events/
America Walks is doing a research study with UC Davis on the importance of elevating non-drivers' experiences in transportation discussions. They are looking for non-drivers to interview as part of the project. There is a stipend for those who are chosen. If you cannot drive and would like to be considered, please fill out the form at https://forms.gle/bBDfY4h2EKs2aUtn8
You may have seen that the Borealis continues to overperform expectations, serving 222,475 passengers during the first full 12 months of operation (June 1, 2024 - May 31, 2025), as reported by the Wisconsin Association of Rail Passengers. They also note, “Since March 26, 2025, train capacity has been reduced approximately 20-25% due to a rail coach shortage (we're tracking it). We recommend avoiding peak days (Friday and Sunday) if possible. Sellouts are more likely on those days.”
The budget bill signed by the Governor a few days ago was disappointingly lacking in transit improvements, despite heavy lobbying by citizen groups.. As reported by Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance secretary Susan DeVos, “It appears that aside from a 10% funding increase to local Paratransit funding for FY 2026, funding for Mass Transit Aids and Passenger Rail Operating Assistance will remain at FY 2025 base levels.”
During debate on the budget, Sen Jeff Smith (District 31 – Chippewa Valley) supported an amendment that included authorization of RTAs which failed on party lines. The Governor did not elevate RTAs in his negations, either. Sen Smith's leadership on Regional Transportation Authorities should be recognized. You can send him a note of appreciation for this effort and for uplifting how important RTAs are: https://legis.wisconsin.gov/senate/31/smith/contact/contact-me/
We are still looking for co-sponsors for La Crosse Area Week Without Driving (Sept. 29 – Oct. 5), including faith groups, businesses, non-profits, organizations, clubs, school groups, and service agencies. Co-sponsors help spread the word, encourage their contacts to participate, and, if they want, host a related activity or event. If you'd like more information, contact us. If you'd like to co-sponsor, please complete this form at your earliest convenience: https://forms.gle/gyon1uYL77Hb3mXw6
Check out this Project Drawdown webinar by Cameron Roberts about Low-Carbon Mobility - False Solutions, Partial Solutions and a Full Solution. https://youtu.be/2DOPLdE8mZw?feature=shared
