Did you know, against all odds, our area boasts a regional public transit system that can take you from La Crosse to Prairie du Chien or Viroqua or Tomah (and points in between) for $4 or less?
The Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit (SMRT) system runs buses several times a day to get workers to jobs, patients to clinics, students to school, youth and elders to families, and adventurers to far off places without the need of a car.
Today, Tuesday, Jan. 30, in recognition of Transit Equity days, the SMRT buses will be FREE. That means you can hop on a mid-morning bus at one of several La Crosse stops and ride to Viroqua for lunch and some shopping and then return later in the day for free. (And, there's a public shared-ride taxi service in Viroqua if you need a ride when you're there.)
If you can't get to things, you cannot live a full life. If you cannot access training and education, work, essential services, shops, entertainment and recreation, social activities, and active citizenship, you are being left out. If government policies, priorities, and budgets promote and maintain inaccessibility, those policies, priorities, and budgets have to change.
For the past six years, the Labor Network for Sustainability has led a national effort to highlight the importance of accessible and sustainable public transportation as a civil right on February 4, the birthday of Rosa Parks. Learn more at their site.
In La Crosse, we have celebrated Transit Equity Days (TED) since 2020, and this year we will have programming from Monday, January 29 through Sunday, February 4. TED events will help us
consider our transportation system--what's fair and equitable, what's
sustainable, what's the best use of public space and money, and how
we ensure everyone can access a full life with or without a car.
During TED, fares on La
Crosse's public transit system will be free. On Tuesday, January 30,
fares on the Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit (SMRT) system will
be free. There will be displays at the La Crosse Public Library and
the Transit Center. Special programs will include a workshop about
living car-free, a webinar about getting better public transit access
to public parks, and a free film screening hosted by the AARP.
Special programming includes:
Wednesday, January 31 at 7 p.m. at the Southside Neighborhood Center: TRANSPORTATION LIBERATION - The joy and freedom of not owning a car. Sustainable living advocates Obbie King and Rozie Brooks describe the steps on their trail to Transportation Liberation. This multimedia show explains the why's, how's, and what to do now's of the "less driving" lifestyle. FREE AND OPEN TO ALL.
Thursday, February 1 at 6:30 p.m. online: Transit to Trails for All
- Hosted by
Sierra Club - Wisconsin Chapter and Sierra Club - Coulee Region Group
this online event will feature examples of how activists and planners are trying to
connect people to green spaces via transit, including stories from right
here in Wisconsin and lessons learned from the national campaign. REGISTER HERE FOR ACCESS LINK: tinyurl.com/WISC-T2T4A0201
Sunday, February 4 at 1:30 p.m. at the Rivoli: The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks - MUST PRE-REGISTER (free)Public Transit provides basic mobility for many in our communities. It
is also essential urban infrastructure – just like roads, bridges,
tunnels and utilities – that is crucial to the economic, social and
environmental well-being of all our regions. Everyone in the community
has the right to mobility. As part of La Crosse's Transit Equity Week,
AARP Wisconsin is pleased to host this screening in collaboration with La Crosse Area Transit Advocates. A
panel discussion on transit equity will immediately follow the
screening. The event is FREE and open to all, but registration is
required.
This event is for car drivers and for non-drivers! Car drivers are less safe, spend more money,use disproportionally more public space and budgets, and pollute farmore than those who walk, bike, and use public transit. One of the most impactful things a household can do to immediately and dramatically to reduce it's carbon emissions is switch from driving a private fossil-fueled vehicle to using active transportation.
It's easy to say, well, the bus doesn't really work for me, so I'll just keep driving. But, we need people to say, the bus doesn't really work for me so I will work to make it better. Not only is better bus service better for our fellow humans, our communities, our environment, and our climate, car-drivers can become non-drivers in the blink of an eye.
As it is, the Wisconsin DOT estimates up to 40 percent of City of La Crosse residents age 15 and older are non-drivers. Children and youth, those with health conditions or disabilities, people who can't afford cars, elders, and those who just don't want to drive should not have to miss an appointment, skip a social event, or quit a job because the bus doesn't go there or stops running too early. We can increase access and equity by pushing for a better public transit system. Learn more at tinyurl.com/TEDLaCrosse2024
"An advanced city is not one where even the poor use cars, but rather one where even the rich use public transport." -Enrique Peñalosa
Join the Sustainability Institute to learn about La Crosse's Carbon Free Challenge! This event will help homeowners save money while helping to create a carbon-free future.
Registration closes Jan. 31 at noon.
Join the Carbon Free La Crosse Challenge! The climate change challenge we face today is having an impact on our
air quality, water quality and quantity, temperature, and severe
weather. Increasing emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere
are creating a serious threat to our immediate future. The choices we
make today as individuals and as a community will determine the world
that our children and future generations will inherit.
The City of La Crosse is committed to policies that reduce greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions, accelerate the clean energy transition, and create
a climate resilient community. In January of 2023, the City Council
adopted the La Crosse Climate Action Plan (link is external)
which charts a path towards a 50% reduction in our community’s GHG
emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. We are proud that our
city's commitment to ambitious climate action makes us a part of the
historic and powerful response by the world’s cities to address the
climate crisis.
We all need to be part of the solution. The good news - there are actions everyone can take that will make a difference!
Help achieve La Crosse’s vision to be carbon free by 2050 by taking
action to reduce your own emissions. This site, Carbon Free La Crosse,
makes it easy to learn what actions you can take to reduce your carbon
footprint. Each action has helpful tips that explain how to act and
relevant information, rebates, and programs specific to La Crosse. You
can track the cumulative carbon impact of the actions you have taken. You can also register with groups and neighborhoods and challenge others
to help La Crosse become carbon neutral.
What will happen to the South Branch Library now that it is being abandoned by the city?
Apparently there's a public input session tonight at 6 p.m. at Faith United Methodist Church, 1818 Redfield Street. The property will be classified as surplus soon and sold. What should go there? At least two council representatives will be at the meeting according to a FB post I happened upon by accident (even though I don't do FB) and an announcement from WIZM.
Whether or not you live in the neighborhood, you probably have opinions about the lack of affordable housing in our community, the loss of "third spaces," the climate crisis, and more. Weigh in.
A significant part of the Greenland ice sheet itself is thought by scientists to be close to a tipping point of irreversible melting.
Greenland losing 30 million metric tons of ice an hour, study reveals (from The Guardian)
The Greenland ice cap is losing an average of 30 million metric tons of ice an hour due to the climate crisis, a study has revealed, which is 20% more than was previously thought. A metric ton (2,204.6 pounds) is slightly larger than an American ton.
Some scientists are concerned that this additional source of freshwater pouring into the North Atlantic might mean a collapse of the ocean currents called the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is closer to being triggered, with severe consequences for humanity. READ MORE
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