Transportation Week of Action

Cross-posted from Coulee Region Sierra Club

Use the graphic above for online. Print and post .pdf flyer at this link.

Transportation call in Thursday

Why must we beg for basic transportation funding? This is from CMRT (Coalition for More Responsible Transportation in Wisconsin)

A reminder that tomorrow is the day: We're holding a coalition call-in day to key members of the legislature as they hammer out the transportation budget. The vote is scheduled for next week, so this is a critical time to make your voice heard.

We're asking for funding for local priorities -- transit and paratransit, walking and biking, and local road repairs -- not new highway expansions. 

If you haven't already, please RSVP here. We'll send you all the information you need, including a script and numbers to call. Also, you can join and share the coalition's Facebook event.

Budget call in TODAY!

From the Coalition for More Responsible Transportation:

After years of billion dollar investment poured into highway expansion projects, Wisconsin's transportation system is not meeting our needs.

Join a state-wide campaign to ask the Joint Finance Committee to prioritize public transportation, specialized transportation, and our local roads: not to enumerate any new highway expansion projects!

When: 
Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Targets:
Joint Finance Committee Co-Chairs:
~ Representative Nygren, 608 266 2343
~ Senator Darling, 608-266-5830

Up for another call? Call your legislators too! Find them here:https://legis.wisconsin.gov/ 

Sample Script:
Hello, my name is ____________, I’m from ____ , and I am calling about transportation in the state budget. 

I care about this because ______. 

Please fund local priorities: a $40 million increase to local roads, a $36 million increase to public transit, and a $6 million increase to specialized transportation that benefits seniors and people with disabilities. 

Please do not enumerate any new highway expansion projects: they are costly to taxpayers and bring more cars to the road, but do not  improve traffic flow. 

From crumbling local roads to dangerous bridges to public transit routes being closed, our local modes of transportation have suffered because of misplaced priorities. Additionally, people with disabilities, those who are outliving their ability to drive and those who cannot afford cars are being left out of important opportunities because transportation options are limited. 

Please build a transportation system that gets Wisconsinites where we need to go. Thank you.

News and Plans

LATA board member Andrea helped spread the word about the benefits of commuting by bus at an Earth Day event at LHI. The MTU Works program coordinates with employers to provide incentives to employees who commute by bus. It's easier, cheaper, and healthier! If you'd like to do a program at your workplace, email us at our NEW EMAIL ADDRESS - MTUFriends@hotmail.com or Cal 608-315-2693 (leave a msg).

Thanks to Bridget, Andrea, and Cathy for helping to staff the LATA/MTU display at this year's Earth Fair! 

Another opportunity to help spread the word about public transit is coming up on the afternoon of Sunday, June 9 at the Open Streets event along Main Street near the Main Library. If you could sign up for a shift, please head to the sign up form at https://tinyurl.com/June9LATA

Good news from MTU. This announcement just released by MTU Manager Adam Lorentz: "I would like to take a moment to recognize our Supervisors and Bus Operators for winning TMI’s most improved Transit System for Safety. It is a great accomplishment and shows the hard work and dedication of our team.  It also shows how our focus has changed from safety just being a box that is checked to now working on creating a Safety Culture that is present in everything that we do."

Upcoming:

* We'd like to schedule a public forum this summer on Onalaska MTU service. Can the midday service gap be filled? Who would benefit? What about weekend service? If you would like to help set something up, please email 

* We'd like to submit a proposal to La Crosse Park & Rec to offer some presentations on why the bus is important, how to ride, why ride, etc. If you are interested in working on that, please email or call 608-315-2683. 

Do you have a positive transit story to share? Would you like to blog here? Email us!

Transit advocates speak up

At the Conservation Lobby Day in Madison on March  27, more than 450 citizens visited their state legislators to lobby for clean water, public lands, and fighting global warming with clean energy. Legislators heard that improved public transportation is a big part of reducing carbon emissions.

On the 28th, members of the Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance heard from State Representative Debra Kolste, D-Appleton, of the Assembly Transportation Committee at the group's annual meeting. She talked about the governor's budget and the challenge of getting meaningful legislation passed with the current makeup of the state legislature. The group also passed an updated platform and elected new officers for 2019.

In Sunday's La Crosse Tribune, transit advocates, Denise Jess (Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired) and Cassie Steiner (John Muir Chapter Sierra Club) discussed the importance of comprehensive public transit systems, local and regional, for people who can't or don't drive cars. This would be a good letter to reference if you want to talk to your city council representative about better transit funding.

Bridget sent a link to an interesting discussion about "making the bus sexy again" and ways to improve the image and "cool factor" of public transportation. Listen here:
https://thewaroncars.org/2019/03/07/making-the-bus-sexy-again/

Can you help out at this year's Earth Fair (April 28) talking up the great environmental benefits of public transportation? We still have slots available. Sign up online!

Budget updates, public discussions

Two La Crosse area budget listening sessions are coming soon. Please attend abd talk about public transportation. 

On Thursday, March 28, a session hosted by Rep Steve Doyle and State Senators Jennifer Shilling and Jeff Smith will be at the Holmen Public Library at 5:30 pm and on Thursday, April 4, Sen Shilling and Rep Jill Billings will hold a session at the Northside Policing Center starting at 5:30 pm. 

Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance has provided this summary of transit related items in Governor Evers' proposed budget:

• $22 million increase in funding for transit (Sierra Club asked for $36 million)
• $10 million for transit capital assistance program
• "Levy limit exclusion," which could accomplish the same thing an RTA could: "The Governor also recommends creating a new levy limit exclusion for new or expanded transit services if those services cross municipal or county boundaries. This exclusion may not be used for any existing services and any amounts claimed must be subject to an intergovernmental cooperation agreement and be approved via referendum by each political subdivision party to the agreement." (Budget in Brief, page 87)
• $6 million increase in funding for specialized transit (WTRA supported the Disability Rights Coalition ask of $2.8 million ($1.4 million = 10% increase per year)
• 10% increase to Tribal Elderly Transportation Grants and Paratransit Aid

And VW SETTLEMENT: Half the funding goes toward charging stations and half toward electric buses