From MTU:
At the beginning of service on Wednesday, August 05, through Friday, August 14 the intersection of Hwy 16 and Gillette St will be closed for road construction. Route 5 will go through the industrial park to get to the mall and back.
The bus stops on Hwy 16 will be closed and the bus stop at Office Depot will be demand response during this time.
If you have any questions, please ask your driver or call MTU at 608-789-7350.
There will be a special meeting of the MTU's ADA Advisory committee on Tuesday, August 11 at 6 p.m. The link to join will be added to this post when available. The meeting is open to the public.
Call to Order
Roll Call
Approval of Minutes
Agenda Items:
Public Input Regarding Transit ADA Issues
LATA Leaders will not meet in August. Our next meeting is on Tuesday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m. Please email if you would like to join us.
Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance will host a meeting of all members on Thursday, August 6 at 6:30 p.m. online. The agenda includes discussion of WTRA feedback on RTA legislation, connections with other transit-friendly state organizations, and reports from around the state. Please email for the link to join.
The MTU Board is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, August 18 at 4 p.m. in person and online. The agenda is not yet available but will be at https://tinyurl.com/LaxMTUBoard when finalized. The public is welcome at these meetings.
CAN YOU HELP? LATA will table at postsecondary back-to-school events this fall (Viterbo on 9/3 between 12:45 and 2:15 p.m., WTC on 9/8 from noon to 1:30 p.m., UWL on 9/9 from 10:30 a.m. to noon OR noon to 1:30 p.m.). It's a great chance to highlight the availability of car-free transportation options and connect with students. If you can help out by taking a shift or two at our table, please sign up at https://tinyurl.com/latatablefall26
Week Without Driving is coming soon! We are hoping to host a WWD Stories event this year including written and recorded personal experiences of non-drivers and those who will try to be non-drivers during the week. Look for details on or before September 1! Also, if you can donate a WWD Bingo prize like a gift card or useful item please let us know before August 31. Please consider being a co-sponsor of our local WWD event, October 1-8, by signing up at https://tinyurl.com/laxwwdcosponsor. If you are planning a WWD event, please get info to us no later than August 31 if possible! Email with questions.
The next Week Without Driving (WWD) webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26 at 1 p.m. online. These webinars help people connect their lives, agencies, communities, and organizations to Week Without Driving to elevate and amplify both. This link takes you to a registration page and includes links to past webinars: https://weekwithoutdriving.org/organize/
As you know, the La Crosse County Board decided to end funding for the current SMRT program after this year. They are still required to hold a public meeting but we don't know when that will be. Some board members have indicated they would like to find something to serve La Crosse county residents, but of course if that ends at the county line, it doesn't really help workers, patients,students and others get here and back from out-of-county locations. If you have opportunities to speak with county board supervisors—in your neighborhood, at events, at public meetings—please bring this up and encourage them to keep working on it.
In July, the Coalition for More Responsible Transportation hosted an online forum on the possibility of Regional Transit Authority (RTA) enabling legislation coming back to the legislature next year. A regional transit authority would ensure that system administration is shared among those who benefit and that there is a way to fund the system. The CMRT group is working to gather suggestions from advocates, operators, planners, electeds, and transit users that will help a new RTA bill be the best possible that everyone can support. If you haven't yet completed the survey (which also provides links to educational materials), please do so at https://forms.gle/pNWKNMWdPbL44bA28. We expect there will be a statewide RTA advocacy campaign later this year. We will keep you posted.
Election Days - August primary, August 11. Congressional election, November 3.
From the American Public Transportation Association:
DOT Proposes to Eliminate All Guaranteed Funding for Public Transit and Passenger Rail
"On July 22, Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy sent a letter to Senate Committee leaders outlining the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) proposals for the Surface Transportation Authorization Act or related Surface Transportation Authorization Extension Act.
"APTA strongly opposes DOT’s proposals to eliminate all guaranteed funding for public transit and passenger rail by eliminating the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund and advance appropriations. These proposals jeopardize more than 85 percent of Federal public transit and passenger rail investment across the nation, including all public transit formula grants. On July 23, APTA issued a statement urging Congress to reject these funding proposals and build upon current public transit and passenger rail investment in the next Surface Transportation Authorization Act.
"We strongly encourage APTA members to make their voices heard on these and other critical issues. We urge all APTA members to invite your Members of Congress to Site Visits during the August recess to allow lawmakers to see firsthand the impact of Federal public transportation investments and connect policy decisions to their local constituents. To assist with your planning, please use APTA’s Guidance for Planning Site Visits and Events with your Members of Congress."
Read more here: https://www.apta.com/advocacy-material/u-s-department-of-transportation-submits-surface-transportation-authorization-proposals/
###
From Transportation for AmericaTransportation for America: "If there was any lingering confusion about the Trump administration’s willingness to faithfully and fully implement any current or future bipartisan deal on transportation reauthorization that Congress might consider, USDOT Secretary Duffy’s unhinged letter to Senate leadership about the administration’s reauthorization priorities should put a nail in that coffin.
"Congress should extend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for a year to keep the transportation funding moving, and then they should not even consider coming to the negotiating table on a long-term bill until past grants that are rescinded are restored, frozen transit capital projects are restarted, and ironclad protections are put in place to ensure that USDOT faithfully implements whatever Congress assembles—whether it aligns with the administration’s priorities or not."
Read more here: https://t4america.org/2026/07/27/usdot-letter-shows-it-will-likely-undermine-any-bipartisan-reauthorization-deal
###
From Urban Wire: "Adjusted for inflation, the BUILD Act would authorize lower overall transportation funding than the current federal transportation legislation, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which expires on September 30, 2026. Transit and rail programs face some of the deepest cuts under the BUILD Act, which prioritizes funding instead for road and highway infrastructure."
Read article: https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/how-will-congresss-proposed-cuts-transit-funding-affect-your-state-and-congressional
Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for a few minutes or a longer time on Thursday, August 20 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the La Crosse People's Food Co-op Community Room (2nd Floor), 315 Fifth Avenue South, for our annual TRANSIT TALK & TREATS open house Meet & Greet.
We'll have refreshments, music, info about upcoming events and advocacy opportunities, and DOOR PRIZES (including transit essentials and gift cards from area businesses). And it's all TOTALLY FREE and OPEN FOR EVERYONE!
Please help us share the flyer! Here's one to share online and here's one to print and post.
To donate a door prize, please contact us at LaCrosseTransitAdvocates@proton.me.
We don't expect the resolution to fail. But, the year is not over yet, and the commitment many of us heard when they re-funded the service for 2026 is unfulfilled. If they vote to end the SMRT, what will be next? We must insist that it's not nothing. The same issues people wrote, called, and testified about last year are still valid. People still need to get to work or school. Patients still need to get to treatment. Folks still need to get to the train or the mall or the bus to Minneapolis.
It is especially important for SMRT riders/advocates who live in La Crosse county to feed back. Your story is most important. If you want some other talking points,
It is also important for those who live outside the county to weigh in. Your counties have already said no to funding, but we don't know what options they had, what other models were considered, or how much input they had in the process.
This board is mainly focused on La Crosse County, so whatever you can do to highlight how your ride benefits the county might have impact. Many come for work, school, shopping, medical appointments, social or recreational activities. It's too bad you have to justify your transportation needs by demonstrating how it benefits someone else, but that's where we are!
The recently published La Crosse Area Regional Transit Authority Feasibility Study (Executive Summary here) noted that for every $1 invested in regional public transit in our area, we can expect at $4 to $5 return in economic activity. There are also some other quotable quotes you might want to include.
No matter what happens on Thursday, we need to keep up advocacy for something. Non-drivers need a connected, accessible transportation system. Fewer cars means less air and particle pollution and lower greenhouse gas emissions. More people on buses means fewer traffic deaths and injuries.
We will try to focus on what that or those programs might be in the coming months.
The City of La Crosse collaborated with the MTU for a free ride on Tuesday for students. We were told that it was a Scavenger Hunt. Students from across the La Crosse area were able to ride on the bus from wherever they started to the Transit Center. La Crosse Transit Advocates were there to give them information about riding the bus, and nylon backpacks which the kids really liked.
Here’s the story from WIProud – City of La Crosse collaborating for youth summer ride.
Rozie Brooks, LATA Member
First – from the La Crosse Area Planning Committee. “LAPC is updating the Regional Transit Development Plan and needs input from residents and visitors! This survey will take less than 5 minutes and will greatly help LAPC make recommendations that best represent how our community uses transit. Whether or not you ride transit, it provides an essential service to those that need it and is a great alternative to driving, walking, or biking. The Regional Transit Development Plan is a 5–10 year plan meant to track and recommend improvements to local transit services. Hearing from the public is an important part of making sure future investments in transit make the system work better. To complete an online survey, use the link below or to request hard copy of the survey, call Travis Key, LAPC Associate Transportation Planner, at 608-789-8548. Thank you!” https://forms.office.com/g/nz0YfwS0up
[NOTE: YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A COUNTY RESIDENT TO COMPLETE THIS SURVEY. Especially if you use the SMRT, it's important for you to fill this survey out!]
On
July 7, the MTU and School
District are hosting a “Great Race” style scavenger hunt for
local youth, ages 11-17, from noon to 4 p.m. Youth fares will be FREE
on this day whether or not people are participating in the event. A
flyer for the event is attached. Can
you help LATA staff the Transit Center scavenger hunt stop any time
between noon and 4 p.m. on July 7? If you can help, please email us!
On Thursday, July 9 at 3:30 p.m. the Advisory Committee on Transit and Active Transportation (CTAT) of the La Crosse Area Planning Committee (LAPC) is scheduled to meet online and in person. The agenda has not been published yet but will be available at https://www.lacrossecounty.org/metropolitan-planning-organization/committees/committee-on-transit-and-active-transportation
On Tuesday, July 14 from 2 to 4 p.m., the Coalition for More Responsible Transportation (CMRT) is planning an online program for all members (LATA members are members of Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance which is a member of CMRT, so you are invited!) As discussions around Regional Transit Authorities and transit policy continue, we want to bring the coalition together for a candid conversation to better understand members' collective priorities and begin developing a strong, unified advocacy agenda moving forward. We'll aim to conclude the planned program by 3:30, leaving room for continued discussion until 4. Register here for the link to join: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TIli0dO0RYicYEjYBlQa5Q The CMRT Steering Committee has also prepared a survey that all coalition members are encouraged to complete. Survey responses submitted ahead of the meeting will help shape the discussion: https://forms.gle/pNWKNMWdPbL44bA28
Did you know our region once had regional rail lines that connected our small communities with daily service? Arlyn Colby writes books about these services and he is coming to our area. Last year, he published The Coon Valley Line and he has just finished a book about The Viroqua Line. We are working to finalize an author talk on Friday afternoon, July 17 in La Crosse. Once details are finalized, information will be posted at our website.
On July 29, there will be a Week Without Driving webinar at 1 p.m. online. The topic is: Week Without Driving – A Global Movement for Transportation Access. You can learn more about this and past and future events at https://weekwithoutdriving.org/organize/
LATA is working on scheduling a Transit Talk & Treats event in mid-August at Peoples Food Co-op. Stay tuned for details.
We will table at postsecondary back-to-school events this fall between September 3 and 9. Shifts are 1.5 hours and you will talk with college students about our transit systems and how to use and support them. If you can help out, please sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/LATAtabling2026.
We are still seeking co-sponsors for this year's Week Without Driving (Oct. 1-8). If you, your workplace, faith group, business, or organization would like to help promote this important event to highlight the need for better transportation choices to ensure access to life for everyone, please fill out this form. Here's a sample email you can send to your school, workplace, club, faith group, or favorite store!
The monthly Wisconsin Association of Rail Passrngers Wisconsin Association of Rail Passengers Social Hour will be Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 7 p.m. CT
This event is only online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88139547851?pwd=PAmPiVyU3PirygbjxgWQNZ8Ocazjr8.1
Join the City of La Crosse MTU, youth agencies, and local organizations for a City-Wide Summer Ride event. Youth organizations are challenged to visit various locations around the city of La Crosse while naviagating the MTU. Groups will end at a local ice cream shop to celebrate!
Bus fare is FREE for all youth this day, regardless of participation.
TUESDAY, JULY 7
NOON to 4:00 PM
This event is for youth ages 11+ participating with a community organization. To sign up, please email Andy Kiel at akiel@lacrossesd.org by June 29.
From the National Campaign for Transit Justice:
Despite all of your great work over the last few years getting members of Congress to support transit, and specifically federal support for transit operations, the Build America 250 Act advanced through the House T&I Committee. It had less funding for transit than IIJA did, no support for transit operations, and continues to treat transit as an afterthought to highways. But without pushback, it’s at risk of passing through the House, letting the Senate potentially lock in these horrible details just months before a much more pro-transit Congress comes to D.C. We must do everything we can to keep this bill from advancing.
Right now, that means keeping the bill from reaching the House floor. If the bill reaches the House floor, it becomes a lot more difficult to flex our collective muscle and show that transit is essential. There is already frustration within both the Democratic caucus about the quality of the bill that passed T&I, including committee members regretting their votes, and the Republican party. We need to add to this storm.
Please use this template email and the information sheet above to reach out to your House representative(s) and ask them to tell House Democratic Leadership — Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Representative Katherine Clark, Representative Pete Aguilar, Representative Ted Lieu, and Representative Joe Neguse — that they don’t want this bill to come to the floor. Those of us based in D.C. will also be walking the halls of congress to spread the message and share the one-pager, but it will be much more effective the more emails that all of you send in.
The schedule for the SMRT ride from La Crosse to Viroqua on June 10 has changed slightly.
The optional video, Transportation Liberation, hosted by Vernon County Over 50, will be shown at 2:15 p.m. at McIntosh Memorial Library rather than at noon. If you choose to attend the video presentation, the return trip to La Crosse will be on the last, bus for the day (leaves Kwik Trip South at 3:24 p.m.). See schedules for YELLOW and BLUE routes at https://ridesmrt.com
Lunch with Vernon County Over 60 at 12:15 at the Bethel Home Fellowship Hall, 614 S. Rock Ave., is still available IF you register by TODAY, June 5 at https://tinyurl.com/SMRT-TransLib-June10. The menu is Country Fried Steak, Potato, Gravy, Green Beans, and Blueberry Crisp, and the cost is $5 paid to VCO50 on site.
Please email or call with questions.
From MTU:
Notice to all Route #4 Passengers:
At the beginning of service on Friday June 05 to the end of service on Saturday June 06 we will be using the following detour due to the State Track Meet being held on the UWL Campus.
Route 4 Losey Blvd will use West Ave to Main St and Main St to 19th St to resume the route. Route #4 Downtown will use Main St to 13th St and 13th St to Badger St to resume the route.
If you have any questions, please ask your driver, or contact MTU at 608.789.7350
COMING EVENTS
On June 10, LATA will host a SMRT ride from La Crosse to Viroqua. We'll leave La Crosse mid-morning and arrive in Viroqua at about 11 a.m. Lunch and return trip are on your own. Vernon County Over 50 will host filmmakers (and LATA leaders) Obbie King and Rozie Brooks at noon who will show and talk about their video, Transportation Liberation. Everyone is welcome to this free event. Bring your own lunch or get a catered lunch ($5 on site). RSVP (by June 5 if you want a VCO50-catered lunch) at https://tinyurl.com/SMRT-TransLib-June10.
On June 2, the Wisconsin Chapter Sierra Club will discuss Paved Paradise – How Parking Explains the World, a book about the high cost of car dependency, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. online. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/WISC-PavedBook
On June 4, the Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance will host an at-large meeting online at 6:30 p.m. Please email for a link to join.
The MTU Board will meet in person and online on June 16 at 4 p.m. The May meeting was postponed due to a schedule conflict. When it's available, the agenda and link to join will be posted at their legistar page: https://tinyurl.com/MTUBoard. The MTU ADA Advisory Committee meeting from May was canceled due to schedule conflicts.
On June 25, the High Speed Rail Alliance will host Thinking Big About Wisconsin Passenger Rail - A Conference Advancing a Generational Opportunity for Economic Growth from 1:30 to 4:30 at the Oriental Theater in Milwaukee. “This is the launch of a statewide effort to develop strong intercity rail connections throughout Wisconsin. Attendees will be equipped with actionable steps and a community of stakeholders to set these projects up for success.” Learn more and register here: https://www.hsrail.org/events/thinking-big-about-wisconsin-passenger-rail/
LATA Leaders will meet on June 30 at 6:30 p.m. rather than June 16 to accommodate vacation schedules. Please email for the link to join.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
We are looking for volunteers for an MTU event for La Crosse School District students on Wednesday, July 8. We don't have all the details yet, but if you might be available to help, please email us at LaCrosseTransitAdvocates@proton.me.
RECENT EVENTS
On May 14, LATA members Alex McDonough, Obbie King, Rozie Brooks, and Cathy Van Maren met and rode the bus with about 60 Logan Middle School students and teachers. With their North side Library closing, the students visited the Main Street Library to get familiar with resources there and took a ride on the circulator to get more comfortable riding the bus. We shared our own bus experiences and some information about the costs of taking the bus versus the cost of owning and driving a car. The MTU provided students with free passes for their next trip.
On May 21, Hintgen School students rode the MTU for a field trip to Trane Park. LATA Leader Liz Fryseth has been doing outreach to public schools to encourage them to use the bus more. Liz and Cathy Van Maren talked with the Hintgen class earlier in the year and Cathy was able to ride with the group during their May field trip. LATA paid the field trip bus fares for the group and the MTU provided free passes for students' next MTU trips.
Also on May 21, several LATA members had lunch with Nick DeMarsh of Forward Together Wisconsin who is a Milwaukee and Madison area bus and rail advocate to talk about public transit advocacy and opportunities for expanding transit as part of rail expansion.
ADVOCACY
We still have not heard anything about what might replace the SMRT bus next year or about any opportunities for public input. Our post-SMRT group hasn't been able to meet since April. We hope to come together in June to look at how we can advocate for something other than nothing. Transit champion Barbara Cline, who single-handedly built a public transit system in her rural South Dakota community, spoke during a recent call with the National Campaign for Transit Justice. Her story might provide an example.
You might run into a county board member or state elected official at a community event this month. Please bring up the importance of the SMRT to them and ask them what they are doing to ensure we don't lose our regional public transit. Let them know how important this is for students, workers, elders, and others who may not be able to drive or be able to afford to drive.
Does anyone want to build some simple bus stop benches? In the past few weeks, How inviting is it to see people sitting on street curbs or in the grass waiting for a bus. We have examples and plans from activists in many other communities. Interested? Contact us.
We are still seeking co-sponsors for Week Without Driving, October 1-8. Co-sponsors help spread the word and encourage their contacts to participate. If they wish, they can donate a WWD Bingo prize and/or host a WWD event or activity. Please ask your fav business, your faith group, your neighborhood association, workplace, school, or club to fill out the co-sponsor form at https://tinyurl.com/wwdlax-cosponsor.
The LAPC has released its RTA study. LATA hopes to host an information and discussion session some time during the next few months. Their announcement and more information is shown below.
The Coalition for More Responsible Transportation is working on an initiative to gather input and ideas from transit agencies, governmental bodies, and transit advocates in preparation for another round of advocacy for Regional Transit Authority enabling legislation that we can all enthusiastically support. A survey should be out in July or August along with guidance for advocates. Dave Steele of MobiliSE in Milwaukee talked about RTAs at the May 26 Great Waters Group Wisconsin Sierra Club action hour. We hope to find a link to the program soon!
+++
LAPC Announces RTA Feasibility Study
We're happy to finally share with everyone the finished products of the RTA Feasibility Study that was started late last year with our consultant SRF. All three technical memos and the executive summary can be found on our Modal Planning page of our website. Additionally, we'll be developing a one-pager document to capture the brief highlights and purpose of this study, which will be available by the end of this month.
Next steps for this effort are to continue engaging the community and elected officials about this study and advocating for enabling Regional Transit Authority legislation in Wisconsin. We're thankful for all the interest and support we've received throughout the study and are excited to continue supporting regional transit.
Please reach out if you'd like to discuss further or schedule a meeting with your respective organization.
Travis Key (He/Him)
Associate Transportation Planner
La Crosse Area Planning Committee, MPO
(608)-789-8548
= NO BUS SERVICE ON MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 25. =
AND ...
"At the beginning of service on Friday June 05 to the end of service on Saturday June 06 we will be using the following detour due to the State Track Meet being held on the UWL Campus.
"Route 4 Losey Blvd will use West Ave to Main St and Main St to 19th St to resume the route. Route #4 Downtown will use Main St to 13th St and 13th St to Badger St to resume the route."