CMRT - Online learning and discussion

The Coalition for More Responsible Transportation is a Wisconsin group made up of many Wisconsin transit, bike/ped, disability rights, and environment groups and individuals. LATA is a member of the Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance which is a member of CMRT

CMRT is hosting a aeries of webinars this summer around transportation issues. Check out the schedule and plan to attend. And consider joining La Crosse Area Transit Advocate to support a bigger statewide voice.

How Wisconsin Communities are Meeting the "Last Mile Challenge"

Thursday, June 18 at 6:30 PM
Join us as we explore how transit systems in several Wisconsin communities are addressing the "Last Mile Challenge," or the challenge of completing the last segment of a transit trip in order to reach one's final destination. Speakers include transportation expert/former Madison alder and planner Robbie Webber, La Crosse transit advocate Cathy Van Maren, Fox Cities transit advocate Connie Kanitz, and Chippewa Valley Transit Alliance leaders Mark Quam and Phil Swanhorst (who also took the lead in organizing this webinar -- thank you Mark and Phil!). Advance registration required here.

Transportation and Racial Justice

Thursday, July 9 at 6:30 PM
This webinar will focus on the intersection of transportation and racial (in)justice in Wisconsin. We will have more information on speakers and the topics they'll cover soon. Meanwhile, you're welcome to register here. 

Please note: If you're unable to use the Google Forms linked above to register or would prefer to call in your RSVP, please contact the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired at (608) 255-1166 from 8 AM to 3 PM on weekdays and we will register you for either webinar by phone.

Finally, if you weren't able to attend our first two webinars, you can view the recordings at the links below:

• Sharing the Road: The Benefits of More Walking & Biking in Our Communities (May 7, 2020; featuring Caressa Givens/WI Bike Fed and Gregg May/1000 Friends)
• Building Boondoggles: How Highway Expansions Undermine Public Transit, Walking and Biking (May 28, 2020; featuring Beth Osborne/Transportation for America, Milwaukee attorney Dennis Grzezinski, and Jeremy Gragert/Eau Claire City Council)

COVID-19 and public transportation

Recent CDC guidance that encouraged people to NOT use public transportation has received strong and immediate pushback from transit, social justice, and environmental groups. This note recently came our way, 

Good news. I reached out to a long-time friend and colleague at the CDC who is an expert in active transportation and health and he did some heavy lifting this weekend, buoyed by NACTO and APTA's statements on Friday. We are encouraged to provide feedback via this e-mail: eocevent209@cdc.gov.

The guidance has been updated to say...

For employees who commute to work using public transportation or ride sharing, consider offering the following support:

• If feasible, offer employees incentives to use forms of transportation that minimize close contact with others (e.g., biking, walking, driving or riding by car either alone or with household members).
• Ask employees to follow the CDC guidance on how to protect yourself when using transportation.
• Allow employees to shift their hours so they can commute during less busy times.
• Ask employees to clean their hands as soon as possible after their trip.

To be sure, COVID-19 has made the use of public transportation difficult. We know that the virus spreads by air, so wearing a mask to protect others from your possible infection (many people are infected but have no symptoms) and sitting as far as possible from others helps. Also, now that the weather has warmed, opening windows where we are sitting will help disperse virus particles in the air. 

But we cannot give up on public transportation! Not only is it efficient, less polluting, and more economical, it is also a major tool in the fight to reduce carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions.

Consider joining La Crosse Area Transit Advocates! You will also become a member of the Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance and be connected to Wisconsin's Coalition for More Responsible Transportation. 

National Get On Board Day - April 16

National GET ON BOARD DAY is Thursday, April 16. On this day we thank the drivers and staff of public transportation systems; recognize the vital function public transportation plays in moving people to work, school, shopping, and appointments; and appreciate the vital role public transit plays in reducing transportation-related emissions.

This year because of stay at home orders, we can't have a big party, but we still want to show appreciation for those frontline workers who are making sure people can get to work, get groceries, and to important appointments. So, we encourage you to print out this graphic and take it to the bus stop near you when the bus will come by on Thursday, April 16 and wave to the driver to show your appreciation. If you want to write a letter to the editor or send a message of thanks via the MTU or SMRT Facebook pages or email OHWS Transit, do that, too!

We will hope to do something bigger when we are again able to gather and celebrate together. Please participate if you can! Here's the link to a PRINTABLE .PDF. Or click the graphic below to get a social media friendly graphic.

Complete the parking survey

And be sure to mention the disparity between spending on providing parking and spending on providing public transportation.

Please Complete City Parking Survey
 

A parking study is being conducted for the City of La Crosse.  To provide information for this study, La Crosse neighborhood residents are invited to complete the following online surveys:
 

Downtown Business Owners:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DTBusOwn

Downtown Employees:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DTEmp

Downtown Customers/Visitors:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DTCust

All Area Residents:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AllResidents

Rail Passengers meeting in March

Registration for the WisARP Spring Meeting in La Crosse on March 28th is now open. You can register online at

https://reg.planetreg.com/E251038172849

If you live in the La Crosse area and you can't make it for the whole meeting, just come when you can at no charge. Just let me know that you will be coming. We are making the push to get the second Chicago-Twin Cities train.

Mark Weitenbeck
weitenbeck@sbcglobal.net 

Parking Study Open House - Jan. 29

The city is doing another parking study focussing on certain areas that have lots of cars parked on streets by Mayo, Gundersen, UWL, etc. There will be an open house on Wednesday, January 29 in the 3rd floor conference room of City Hall to hear from citizens about parking issues. One session is 9 to 10:30 a'm. and one is 4 to 6 p.m. 

Those of us who ride buses, whether it's our primary mode of transportation or whether we are 'choice' riders who also drive cars, should be in on this discussion. The cost of city parking infrastructure, maintenance, and enforcement is shared by all city residents whether or not they have or drive cars. The money that supports this parking system is money that might be better and more fairly spent improving our public transportation that is available and useable by all. The fines that are being used to control who parks where should be used, if there are to be fines, in improving the public transportation in these areas so fewer people will feel or have the need to drive and park there.

Many cities are reducing parking requirements and prohibiting parking in city centers. For a wonderful example of a brilliant many-dimensional solution to a many-dimensional situation, including parking, see https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2018/05/01/a-new-parking-garage-in-s-hertogenbosch/. At the meeting point of increasing car traffic, increasing carbon emissions, increased dangerous air quality, and increased traffic deaths, comes the realization that the cost of continuing to worship cars is becoming too expensive. Our city recently committed to reducing carbon emissions in our community. Will a new parking plan take that important goal into account?

Attend the open house and give your opinion please!

We have not met in forever! I hope this year we can have at least three big meetings per year and a monthly meeting of a steering committee. We are working to schedule a big meeting in February which will include a time to talk with MTU head, Adam Lorentz, and a real membership drive. As an institutional member of the Wisconsin Transit Riders' Alliance, LATA owes dues every year. This year, we will hope members can share in paying those dues and our meeting expenses.

Watch this space for our meeting date and email me if you would like to be part of a regular steering committee (subject to board approval).