New Year, New Opportunities!

Happy New Year! Let's work to help more people make the transition to cleaner, cheaper, healthier, safer, and more environmentally friendly public transportation AND make public transportation stronger and better!

Here are some opportunities:

Transportation Camp is Saturday, January 6. This online national
unconference brings transit pros and advocates together to share ideas and plan for local and national improvements. The break-out board looks great and the speakers will be inspirational. Register at https://t4america.org/transportation-camp/

Our LATA Leaders group will meet online on Wednesday, January 10 at 5:30 p.m. to finalize plans for Transit Equity Days and continue planning for 2024 advocacy and events. Please join us! Email or call 608-315-2693 for access information. 

Transit Equity Days (TED) are coming January 29 through February 4. This annual event is a chance to educate our neighbors and community leaders about the importance of a strong public transportation system. The more of us participating and sharing our stories and ideas, the stronger our voices will be. 

We are still finalizing some parts of the event, but please pencil in these dates and times and join us if you can.

FREE FARES on the MTU from Monday, Jan. 29 through Friday, Feb. 2!

FREE FARES on the SMRT on one day during the week (TBD)

Monday morning at 10:15 a.m. on Jan. 29 at the Transit Center, a TED press event. Can you come and show your support?

Monday through Friday, Jan. 29 through Feb. 2, Office Hours on the Bus. Our local elected and community leaders have been very willing to ride and talk about transit in past years. It helps for them to hear from the many people with many reasons who ride the bus. We will post a schedule later this month at our event page. 

Monday through Sunday, Jan. 29 through Feb. 4 we are grateful to the La Crosse Public Library who will again host a display about the many aspects of Transit Equity. Please visit (you can take the Circulator!) and thank the Library for their support!

Wednesday, January 31 at the Southside Neighborhood Center from 7 to 8:30 p.m. TRANSPORTATION LIBERATION to help people consider and plan to go car-lite or car-free.

Thursday, February 1, the Wisconsin Sierra Club and Coulee Region Group Sierra Club will host an online program about the national Transit to Trails for All initiative that is working for better access via public transit to local, state, and national wild, green, and recreation areas. Without transit, many people are unable to access these health-giving, healing public spaces. Learn more and register at tinyurl.com/WISC224-T2T4A

Sunday, February 4, the AARP will host a free screening of the Peabody Award-winning film, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks at the Rivoli Theater at 1:30 p.m. followed by a panel discussion about transit equity in the La Crosse area.

Monday, February 5, the Labor Network for Sustainability will host its annual Transit Equity Day livestream on its YouTube channel, including voices and events from around the country. Learn how to access the program at www.labor4sustainability.org/transit-equity-2024/livestream/ 

We are still working on a couple of other events! Please visit the event page at tinyurl.com/TEDLaCrosse2024 and plan to participate! 

Finally, PLEASE JOIN US! Our group has many friends but we have not really sought official members. But now we are. This year, no dues! Just fill out this form (no info will be sold or shared) tinyurl.com/JoinLATA and you will be an official La Crosse Area Transit Advocate!

Amtrak free companion with roomette

Amtrak will give a free companion ticket for those booking a roomette by Dec. 8 for travel from January 3 through March 27. Use code C103.

 

Learn and Feed Back!

There are several opportunities for us to learn about what's happening at the city level concerning walking, biking, and taking the bus. Please try to attend one or more if you can. Also, would you be interested in joining a panel to talk about Transit Equity in early February? If yes, please email LaCrosseTransitAdvocates@proton.me.

But first, please come on Thursday, December 14 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Talk Transit with MTU staff at the Southside Neighborhood Center, 1300 South 6th Street (accessibly via #1 or Circulators). The event is hosted by the MTU, but LATA will have a table there. Can you help staff it? Please email or call 608-315-2693 if yes!

 

 

There are a couple of city meetings coming up that the public may attend.

• On Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 8:30 a.m., the city's Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) will meet in the Council Chambers at City Hall AND online. The agenda is available at least 24 hours before the meeting and includes the link to attend online. Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/LaXBPAC
• On Tuesday, December 12 at 4:00 p.m., the city's MTU Board will meet online at 4:00 p.m. Find more information, agendas, and link to attend at https://tinyurl.com/LaXMTUBd

Our LATA leaders meeting will be on Wednesday, December 13 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. We'll talk about Transit Equity Days plans (Jan. 29 through Feb. 4) and what we want to do in 2024. Please join us if you can! Call or email for the link to join.

We would love to include more communities in our recognition of Transit Equity Days (TED), Jan. 29 through Feb. 4. Without access to good transit, many people are left our of life. We are building a week of transit/equity-related programs and events. If your group, organization, faith community, non-profit, or business would like to support TED, please email or call.

Remember, the Transportation for Amerca Transportation Camp Unconference happens on Saturday, January 6. This is a great chance to hear good ideas from around the country, connect with other transit advocates, and listen to fantastic speakers. The keynoter will be Veronica O. Davis, Transportation Manager, City of Houston. Her new book, Inclusive Transporation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities is a must-read! Get more information and register for the online conference here: https://t4america.org/transportation-camp/

Detour updates!

We just heard that the Route 1 bus will be back on its normal track soon! With the
reconstruction of South Avenue, several stops have changed. Here's a brief update:

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The South Ave detour ends on Monday, November 20, 2023, and the buses will go back to the normal route. 

Some bus stops have been relocated due to the road changes. 

Route 1 South Ave - Outbound 

• The bus stops have been removed from West Avenue and South Avenue and from South Ave and Bennett. 
• A new stop has been placed on South Ave by Kwik Spirits. 
• The bus stop and shelter remains by Aptiv but there is no longer a bus pull off lane
  

Route 1 Downtown - Inbound 

• The bus shelter by the Hmong Cultural Center on Ward Avenue has been moved closer to driveway. 
• The bus stop has been removed from 16th Street and South Ave and placed on South Avenue by the crosswalk close to America's Best Cleaning 
• The bus stop on the corner of South Avenue and West Avenue has been moved back on South Avenue close to the parking lot of Inland Printing. 

No other bus stops have been affected.

Your input needed!

 

Please participate with input for those updating the city's bike and pedestrian master plan. Transit riders are walkers and bicyclists. With transit connecting human-powered travel, you will need a car. WITH strong transit, walkers and bikers can get anywhere without a car provided the connections, schedules and infrastructure, are strong.

Feedback online at https://forwardlacrosse.org/

Remember to include transit in your input, stories, and suggestions. We need safe sidewalks and secure bike parking at bus stops, for example.

Would you attend a transit-oriented input session? Stay tuned!

Pedestrian Safety

Fall is officially here!

Did you know October happens to be Pedestrian Safety Month? 

How ever you roam - on foot, roll, or by bike, you are a pedestrian at some point. Thirty-one percent of Wisconsinites do not drive. This also includes people with vision loss. 

On October 12 at 11 a.m., a White Cane Day proclamation will be read at City Hall. I would love for transit/pedestrian advocates join us and support our local B/VI (blind and visually impaired) community. Over 109,000 Wisconsinites who utilize a white cane or guide dog 100% rely on public transportation and being a pedestrian.

On October 15th, White Cane Safety Day celebrates the achievements of people who are Blind or Visually Impaired. It promotes awareness of people walking who use white canes or guide dogs to assist them and to increase awareness of Wisconsin’s White Cane Law, which requires that motorists come to a full stop before approaching closer than 10 feet to a pedestrian who is using a white cane or guide dog.

Please consider reaching out to local officials to help advocate for Audible Pedestrians Signals and Accessibility within our great city!

Liz