Menu
Log in


NEWS

  • 8 Jul 2024 12:29 PM | Anonymous

    New Gillig Clean-Diesel Bus. Photo Courtesy of MCTS.

    New Gillig Clean-Diesel Bus. Photo Courtesy of MCTS.

    The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) is taking a big step toward regionalization and bidding to manage the City of Waukesha‘s system: Waukesha Metro Transit.

    If awarded the contract, MCTS would manage Waukesha Metro like a third-party government contractor. The City of Waukesha would maintain responsibility for funding the operations and infrastructure needs of the system.

    The move is the first major play by MCTS to create a regional transit system, after the launch of a new fare system being adopted by other transit systems in southeastern Wisconsin.

    “Ultimately, the hope is to illustrate how a regional approach to public transportation is a key component in growing the region economically,” according to a report by MCTS Deputy Director Julie Esch, which will go before the Milwaukee County Board later this month.

    MCTS is already a quasi-governmental private entity and not a government agency. In 1975, Milwaukee County created the non-profit Milwaukee Transport Services, Inc. (MTS) to take over operation of the privately owned and operated Milwaukee & Suburban Transport Company. MCTS, as an entity, is controlled by the MTS board, which is in-turn controlled by the county.

    MCTS already has a close working relationship with Waukesha Metro. The two transit agencies collaborated on a connection between MCTS’ new Connect 1 bus rapid transit route and Waukesha Metro route 1 at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center; an attempt at replacing the former GoldLine service that ran into Waukesha.

    Waukesha Metro also recently joined MCTS’ fare collection system WisGo, so riders can already pay fares for both transit services through the same mobile application.

    The Milwaukee transit system has a long-term structural deficit, which has been winnowing transit service in the county for years, at least until the COVID-19 pandemic infused the system with millions of dollars. The funding will run dry in 2027, and a projected $12.6 million budget deficit will surface. Regionalizing the system, and attracting new financial support from the state or federal government is one way MCTS officials hope to avoid drastic cuts to service. In other words, the transit system would be grown out of its funding crisis.

    MCTS is also considering bidding on operating the City of Milwaukee’s streetcar, called The Hop, and taking over FlexRide, a relatively new city-to-suburbs, job-focused transit service, as Urban Milwaukee previously reported.

    “Although state legislation does not allow regional transit authorities nor provides for dedicated funding, of any kind, there are opportunities for efficiencies and improved customer experience,” Esch notes.

    Waukesha Metro is a modest transit system compared to MCTS. It has a $7.1 million annual budget and 23 buses it operates on 10 routes, which radiate outward from the city’s Downtown Transit Center, serving major local destinations like Waukesha Memorial Hospital, shopping centers and schools, along with a paratransit service with smaller buses and vans.

    If MCTS ends up running Waukesha Metro, it may facilitate development of a cross-county bus rapid transit route. The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission spotlighted Waukesha Metro Route 1 for development of a bus rapid transit service in a recent five-year plan for the system. Metro 1 already connects to the county’s nine-mile Connect 1, which runs east and west across Milwaukee County between Downtown and the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center.

    “MCTS believes it is best positioned to operate Metro in accordance with RFP requirements and within federal, state, and local regulations,” Esch wrote in the board report. “Additionally, from a regional perspective, MCTS operation of Metro is a logical next step in transit growth for existing and future riders.”

    MCTS Bids to Run Waukesha Buses

  • 27 Jun 2024 8:49 AM | WIPTA Admin (Administrator)

    MILWAUKEE – As the Milwaukee County Transit System looks to grow its footprint in the region, while also juggling the complex funding issues the body has navigated for years, how realistic is the idea of a wider-reaching regional transit authority across not just Milwaukee County, but more of Southeast Wisconsin?

    That idea was floated to begin last Wednesday’s Milwaukee County Committee on Transportation and Transit meeting. MCTS Deputy Director Julie Esch says the system is considering a bid to manage both The Hop streetcar and Waukesha METRO when their respective contracts become available later this year and in 2025, respectively.

    “Not own the assets, but manage it” said Esch, adding that the FlexRide MKE program could also be brought under the MCTS umbrella within an RTA model.

    MCTS President and Managing Director Denise Wandke says a regional transit authority would look more attractive to potential funding sources. “We’re one of the very few systems of our size that don’t have dedicated funding, and I feel that we should look at different ways that we can incorporate some of these other mobility types in order to qualify for an RTA or find additional funding” said Wandke. “It’s putting these things under one roof, and hoping people see the impact that we have, and getting us to that type of funding.”

    Currently, mass transportation projects compete for state funds with other non-transit-related projects under the General Purpose Revenue Fund, a move instituted in 2023 by state Republicans. Before that, those transit projects would seek funds from the separate Transportation Fund.

    The idea of a regional transit authority in Southeast Wisconsin has been considered before. When a Milwaukee-to-Kenosha commuter rail network was originally proposed in 2009, the project included an RTA to oversee the development and execution of the line. That idea was scrubbed by the state Legislature in 2011 under then-Governor Scott Walker. Another RTA proposed around the same time that would have included MCTS never saw mass support from local elected officials at the time.

    While MCTS is not operated by the city, there is support for the idea of a RTA from Milwaukee leadership. In a statement from the office of Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, his spokesperson Jeff Fleming tells me the city is open to strengthening the existing relationship between Milwaukee and MCTS, which could also include a change in hands of management operations for The Hop. “If we are going to Grow Milwaukee and strengthen our economic competitiveness as a metro area, we will need a strong and robust public transit system. Whether that should take the form of a formal regional transit authority, mutually-beneficial operating agreements, or other approaches is worth exploring and discussing, including how different options could support the operation and expansion of The Hop” said Fleming.

    Third District Alderman Jonathan Brostoff, a noted supporter of transit infrastructure projects amongst his colleagues at City Hall, was even stronger in his conviction that an RTA would benefit the city when I asked him about the concept after the June 11th meeting of the Common Council. Brostoff says a RTA would make systems like The Hop more attractive to federal funding sources than the city asking for the money.

    “I think it’s important to keep all options on the table and explore what’s going to be best for the folks of Milwaukee. The county does have a long history and a lot of experience in running a transportation system. Let’s have those conversations and see what’s best for Milwaukeeans” says Brostoff.

    In the past, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 has been wary of wider support for RTAs due to legislative opposition. A comment from the union was not provided by the time of this article’s publication.

    MCTS told WTMJ last week Wednesday that while no official proposals have been drafted, it is looking ahead at the next structural budget gap coming in 2027, and pursuing all angles to find a solution that leads to solvency. A report by the Milwaukee County Comptroller’s office indicated that by 2027, the estimated gap between operating expenditures and revenues will hit 12.6 million dollars, growing to 17.5 million by 2029, and will “likely fall to the property tax unless new or increased revenue sources are secured.”

    While a regional transit authority remains purely hypothetical at this point, one way transit systems in Southeast Wisconsin have become more homogenized is through fare collection under WisGO, which took over MCTS fares from the old M-Card system in 2023. In addition to MCTS, four other transit networks in Wisconsin are either under the WisGO umbrella or will be at least partially on the network by the end of this year:

    “Regarding WisGo, the goal is to make travel across the region easy, and having one easy way to pay is helping us meet that goal.” says MCTS Marketing and Communications Manager Anna Schryver.

    Read the full article here.

  • 24 Jun 2024 2:05 PM | WIPTA Admin (Administrator)

    As Madison approaches the launch date for the east-west bus rapid transit line, the special stations and lanes already present a host of questions.

    Can cars drive in the lanes with the paved red squares? Will we be able to turn left there? When will all this road work be finished? When can we ride the new bus route?

    Mike Cechvala, the capital projects manager for Metro Transit, has overseen the work to implement bus rapid transit and has the answers.

    Construction crews on East Washington Avenue, University Avenue and Mineral Point Road are in the final stages of completing stations and platforms for the new bus system after 18 months of road work. City leaders say bus rapid transit, or BRT, will provide faster and more reliable transit service to more people across the city with service every 15 minutes or less. The revamped system will use specialized lanes, dedicated boarding stations, off-board fare collection, and fast and frequent operations.

    Those modernizations, however, require construction crews to update underground utilities and traffic signals and to remove the bump-outs at several intersections. That work is almost complete, but there are a handful of steps left before the buses are running, Cechvala said.

    The initial east-west line will run roughly between East Towne and West Towne malls. Construction on that line began in the spring.

    Meanwhile, the City Council on June 4 unanimously approved the north-south route, which will run from the north side of Madison, through the Downtown area, to Madison’s south side neighborhoods and end in Fitchburg.

    For now, though, work continues at some of the east-west stations, like between East Towne Mall and Stoughton Road and at the intersection of East Washington Avenue and Milwaukee Street. Crews are starting to make finishing touches, installing benches, railings, ceiling tiles and glass panels.

    The Cap Times spoke to Cechvala about those logistics and the timeline for the east-west route. 

    Can cars drive in the lanes with red pavement?

    Cechvala: We are in the middle of installing the bus-only lanes. This starts by putting down the red methyl methacrylate colorization people are seeing on East Washington Avenue and other streets. After that, we’ll add white lines, red lines and words that say “BUS ONLY” on top, in addition to signage. Once these are in place, people will not be able to drive in the bus lanes.

    Can you get a ticket for driving in those lanes right now?

    Cechvala: There’s not much that's really enforceable right now. Right now we’re in the awkward transition period where only the red colorization is in. Just red on its own doesn't mean anything. People can drive over them now, but when they see signs and markings that indicate the lane is bus only, they won’t be able to anymore. So for those who are seeing more red rectangles and they’re like, ‘What the heck is this?’ it’ll start making sense pretty soon. It’s very visible and kind of perplexing if you don't know what's going on. They’re basically just meaningless rectangles. When the BUS ONLY signs go in, it will be bus only and you can't drive in that lane.

    How will boarding buses in the middle of the road work?

    Cechvala: Buses will have doors on both sides of the bus. Riders will use the signalized crosswalk to cross from the curb to median like they normally would to cross the street. From there, they will walk up a short ramp to the platform, wait for the bus, and do the same thing in reverse when they get off the bus. On a typical journey, a rider does not have to cross the street any more than they do today. About two-thirds of the (east-west) route is center running. One-third is side-running still.

    Are there any safety concerns about boarding in the median of a road?

    Cechvala: Riders will have the same or better protection from traffic waiting at the platform compared to today waiting on the right side of the street. Having the bus in the left lane rather than the right lane eliminates many conflicts with right-turning vehicles, bikes and other vehicles stopping in the curb lane.

    What is the timeline for the east-west line to open?

    Cechvala: I hate to say it, but we just don't know it yet. We are still working on a launch date. It will be this fall, but we’re still not close enough to pick an actual date. We’re narrowing down a couple of dates but we don't want to set a date and then realize that it doesn't work. Besides the fact that we want everything to be basically done, there are events and football games, and we're looking to try not to open at the same time that traffic is a mess.

    What is the status of construction? 

    Cechvala: We have 31 stations. Because there are multiple platforms at some of the stations, there are 44 platforms. I have three major milestones that I keep track of: One is the platform being complete, so that’s the roadwork and concrete. Then there is the shelter structure being complete, and then, the last thing is the whole thing being complete. Nothing yet is totally finished but those numbers are growing and getting closer. Thirty-two out of 44 platforms are complete. For the shelters, 39 out of 44 are done. 

    What else needs to be done?

    We have a number of other things being built, odds and ends. People are starting to see pavement markings in the bus lanes. We’ve started painting the lines as well. You see the red first because the actual pavement markings go on top of that, and we put that off to closer to the end when the bus lanes will be actually open.

    What else should people know as construction wraps up?

    Cechvala: There are some other things to watch out for, like left turn restrictions. On East Wash, (once BRT starts), most of the time it will be two lanes of car traffic instead of three lanes. During rush hour, parking will be restricted and you will have the same three lanes. We hope going to two lanes will help manage traffic speeds and provide a more appropriate capacity, but we do need the capacity during rush hour for vehicles.

    How many left turns will be removed on the route?

    Cechvala: There are five total. One is the westbound left turn at University and Shorewood. That left turn didn't used to exist, and when the city rebuilt University Avenue a number of years ago, they squeezed in a very small left turn bay. We've removed that. There are four on East Washington. That would be:

    • The eastbound left at Paterson Street
    • The eastbound left at Baldwin Street
    • The westbound at Fourth Street
    • The eastbound toward Melvin Court

    Was reducing the lanes on East Wash a purposeful change to address speeding?

    It's not an intentional thing but it ties in well with some of the city’s other objectives to reduce speeds and reckless driving. It’s really all about BRT, but it's all connected.

    Will fares go up when BRT starts?

    Cechvala: No, fares are not going up, but we are instituting a new fare program and policy so it will be faster and easier to pay. There will be conveniences with that. There's going to be a combination of ways to pay. Right now, we have this antiquated magnetic stipe card. We're getting rid of that and we're using a combination of things, such as a smart card. At some point you'll be able to use your phone to pay with an app, with Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit and credit cards. That's not all going to come online at the same time, but that's the overall goal. It's a separate thing but it's tied to the BRT system — we'll be rolling that out ahead of the BRT launch sometime in the fall. 

    Read the full article here.

  • 13 Jun 2024 8:27 AM | WIPTA Admin (Administrator)

    Tuesday marked the very first run of Amtrak’s new Borealis route, which stretches across Wisconsin from Chicago to the Twin Cities. The new route offers passengers daily trips, doubling the service currently offered by Amtrak’s Empire Builder, which runs from Chicago to Washington state.

    In addition to increasing the frequency of rail service in Wisconsin, the Borealis route offers midday departure times, cheaper tickets and faster arrivals. It includes eight stops in Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Dells, and La Crosse.

    Lisa Stern worked on the route as the chief of railroads and harbors at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. She joined WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” to talk about the new service and how it might affect transportation in the state.

    The following was edited for clarity and brevity.

    Rob Ferrett: Take us on a tour. What are the basics of the Borealis route?

    Lisa Stern: The Borealis route will complement the existing Empire Builder. It’s going to leave from both Chicago and the Twin Cities — St. Paul, actually — around 11 to 11:30 in the morning, and then arrive at their destinations between 6:30 and 7. So it’s a very convenient time frame.

    It’ll be running through Wisconsin through the middle of the day. It will also provide a much more reliable schedule eastbound. I think a lot of people have been using the Empire Builder. And if you have, you know that sometimes that trip from Seattle back to Chicago has significant delays. But with this route, it will be just between the Twin Cities and Chicago and it will be a much more reliable schedule.

    RF: What do you know about demand for this new route? You’ve built it, will the passengers come and ride the rails?

    LS: The passengers are already coming. This started on Tuesday, and we have very high levels of train tickets being sold already. For this weekend, we were looking at 70 percent of the train already being sold out (as of) earlier this week. So there is a demand there.

    When we were looking at the service to start with, and evaluating the Empire Builder, 60 percent of the people who got on in Wisconsin got off within this route. So there was already a demand.

    RF: How does taking the Borealis across Wisconsin compare to driving, when it comes to factors like price, efficiency and environmental impact?

    LS: The costs will depend on how early you’ve booked your ticket and how busy the train is. So on a holiday weekend, the price will tend to grow. This opening week, we were selling tickets between Chicago and the Twin Cities starting at $41. The price can increase to over $100, depending on if there’s not very many seats left, (for example) on a holiday weekend. That’s for the full route. It will vary. If you’re getting on in Portage and going to La Crosse—it will be a smaller amount.

    The full distance from Chicago to the Twin Cities will take about seven and a half hours, which is about an hour longer than driving with no stops. But of course, you can get up on the train. We have a cafe car. We’ve made a big effort working with Amtrak and Minnesota and Illinois to provide some local fare there for people to enjoy.

    Trains are an environmentally friendly option for people to use for transportation. Additionally, it’s great for business travel. If you’re going (somewhere) for business, you can get emails done or get reading done on the train, or you can just relax and get ready for whatever you’re attending to when you’re at your destination.

    RF: There are groups out there calling for new passenger rail connections, including in Wisconsin’s second and third largest cities: Madison and Green Bay. What would have to happen to expand to cities that don’t currently have that train stop?

    LS: The Federal Railroad Administration has created this new program called the Corridor ID Program. And Wisconsin DOT submitted four different projects, and we were awarded all four. So those projects will look at expanding passenger rail in Wisconsin, and that includes to Madison, to Green Bay and also an Eau Claire connection. And Eau Claire County actually also submitted their own. So there’ll be a study looking at connecting Eau Claire to the Twin Cities as well. We’re also working with Minnesota on their Northern Lights Express, which will connect the Twin Cities up to Duluth (and) Superior.

    So this whole program would look at that exact question: what do we need? Where does it make sense to expand passenger rail? What do we need to do if we decide that that’s the way we want to move forward? So we’re just in the very beginning; we just signed the grant agreements this week, actually.

    RF: For people who don’t live in towns on the Borealis route right now, what kind of connection options are out there?

    LS: Currently, Wisconsin DOT supports a bus connection from the Green Bay area to the Hiawatha. So that’s one option that’s been very popular and successful. … There’s also some private bus connections between Madison and Columbus. … And we’re working on adding a bus connection between Eau Claire and Tomah. So that is something that will be coming, hopefully in the near future.

    Ready the full article here.

  • 10 Jun 2024 2:24 PM | WIPTA Admin (Administrator)
    MILWAUKEE —

    The Wisconsin Department of Transportation granted millions of federal dollars to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the state.

    WisDOT awarded $23.3 million to 53 locations across the state as a part of the Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program.

    "We're very excited that we have some substantial geographic dispersion across the state of Wisconsin, funding projects as far north as Ashland and then throughout the state," said Kaleb Vander Wiele, the transportation electrification project manager for WisDOT. "Currently, there's about 23,000 electric vehicles in our system in the state. This will really reduce some of the anxiety that they may have as they travel the state."

    The biggest beneficiary is Kwik Trip. Twenty-four of its gas stations will benefit.

    "We're very excited to bridge the gap and increase the amount of locations that we can offer people who drive EVs. Knowing that there's not a lot of options out there, especially off of the I-90, you know, major interstates, the highways. So for people to be able to expand where they can travel within the state and not have to worry that they're going to run out of fuel or their battery is going to die, that's something that we're excited to be able to offer," Ben Leibl, public relations specialist for Kwik Trip said.

    The sites include gas stations, hotels and grocery stores in counties as far north as Douglas County and as far south as Kenosha County.

    "The main problem with electric vehicles in the state of Wisconsin today is the lack of publicly available charging stations," Vander Wiele said.

    The funds will go toward fast charging stations that take 20 to 30 minutes to charge the vehicle. The new charging stations will be installed in two dozen Kwik Trips.

    "This is something that, you know, we've been looking forward to," Leibl said, "bring an alternative fuel to our guests with this being in the form of EV fast chargers."

    Babar Ansaree drives an EV Hummer pickup. He said more charging stations like the one he used at Festival Foods in Greenfield might help more people buy in to electric vehicles.

    "I think it would be awesome. I think the convenience of charging the vehicles would spark the interest and better for emissions and everything throughout. And these cars are fun to drive," Ansaree said.

    Gas-powered vehicle drivers WISN 12 News spoke with Friday weren't sold on the need for EV infrastructure.

    "I don't think the electric is really something that we need right now," Paul Good said while filling up his truck at a Kwik Trip in Pewaukee.

    The Department of Transportation said the EV charging stations could be operational by this fall, with the project continuing into 2025.

    Read the full article here.

  • 6 Jun 2024 3:13 PM | WIPTA Admin (Administrator)

    RACINE, Wis., May 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In support of sustainable mobility solutions across the City of Racine, Modine (NYSE: MOD), a diversified global leader in thermal management technology and solutions, today announced a collaboration with RYDE Racine, the city's comprehensive public transportation system. As part of an initiative to modernize and reduce public transit fleet emissions, the City of Racine operates nine all-electric buses with the Modine EVantage Thermal Management System, with up to four additional EVs on order. The Modine EVantage thermal management system will optimize inverter temperatures and improve the range, longevity, and reliability of the city's electric bus fleet along the nearly 700 stops it serves.

    The City of Racine recently received funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No Emission Vehicle Program to expand its EV fleet up to 13 buses.  These all-electric buses have integrated into the fleet, meeting range requirements for standard city routes. To meet the Buy America standard set forth in the funding guidelines, RYDE Racine has selected all-electric buses containing Modine EVantage thermal management systems to ensure they feature American-made components and systems from a hometown supplier.

    "Racine has set an ambitious goal to reduce the carbon footprint of our public transit system, and we're achieving this objective bus by bus. As we increase the size of our zero-emission bus fleet, Modine's sophisticated thermal management system is essential for maintaining our transit program's smooth operation, reliability, and efficiency," said Trevor Jung, Transit & Mobility Director at the City of Racine. "Through this collaboration, Modine has helped RYDE Racine fortify our electric buses with a hometown solution, demonstrating our combined commitment to enhancing service reliability for our passengers and environmental sustainability."

    With more than a century of expertise in thermal management, the Modine EVantage Thermal Management Systems combine state-of-the-art, proprietary heat exchanger technology with smart electronic products to deliver complete solutions designed to fit any chassis. EVantage thermal systems optimize inverter temperatures in all environments, from hot summer afternoons to icy winter mornings. EVantage systems offer best-in-class temperature management, improving performance, range, and longevity for various zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit and school buses.

    "Integrating our thermal management technology into the RYDE Racine electric buses marks a brilliant collaboration to achieve our shared goal of reducing transportation emissions and supporting our community," said Terry Petersen, Market Development Manager at Modine. "By partnering with RYDE Racine, we are proud to contribute to the sustainability efforts and innovation happening right in our backyard."

    The collaboration between Modine and RYDE Racine aligns with the company's overall strategy of expanding into the EV market while supporting local communities like Racine in their efforts to modernize their transportation systems through green initiatives.

    To learn more about Modine Evantage thermal systems, please visit www.modineEV.com.

    About Modine
    At Modine, we are Engineering a Cleaner, Healthier World™. Building on more than 100 years of excellence in thermal management, we provide trusted systems and solutions that improve air quality and conserve natural resources. More than 11,000 employees are at work in every corner of the globe, delivering the solutions our customers need, where they need them. Our Climate Solutions and Performance Technologies segments support our purpose by improving air quality, reducing energy and water consumption, lowering harmful emissions and enabling cleaner running vehicles and environmentally-friendly refrigerants. Modine is a global company headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin (U.S.), with operations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. For more information about Modine, visit www.modine.com.

    Read full article here.

  • 30 May 2024 10:44 AM | WIPTA Admin (Administrator)

    Milwaukee Enhances Public Transit for Summerfest

    In preparation for Summerfest, Milwaukee authorities have announced plans to enhance public transit accessibility by linking The Hop’s two lines and utilizing all five cars simultaneously.

    This initiative aims to facilitate transportation to the festival grounds, particularly the north gate accessible from the Couture.

    Alderman Bob Bauman emphasized the necessity of managing crowds in the Third Ward while discouraging further vehicular congestion.

    Parking at Summerfest will cost $40 per spot this season, with the festival scheduled to run for three consecutive weekends starting June 20th.

    Read the full article here!

  • 23 May 2024 10:24 AM | WIPTA Admin (Administrator)

    Public transportation for University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students, especially first-year students without access to a car, opens the opportunity to explore their new home off-campus. Special to La Crosse Municipal Transit (MTU) is the U-Pass and Safe Ride program.  

    Established in 2000, the U-Pass program through MTU allows all Western Technical College, Viterbo University and UWL students free and unlimited access to city buses with a valid student ID. Under that program, MTU developed Safe Ride, or what is commonly referred to as “The Drunk Bus” by UWL students.  

    The week before the start of the fall semester Safe Ride begins, operating from 10 p.m. – 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. The two buses circulate the route between WTC, Viterbo and UWL resulting in an approximate 15-minute wait time for passengers.  

    On Friday and Saturday nights, a third bus is added. “We are trying to eliminate wait times,” said Deputy Director of Transit James Krueger (he/him). “When we add a third bus it’s about every seven minutes [of wait time].” 

    Similar to the U-Pass program, riding the Safe Ride buses required no fee. However, unlike the U-Pass, passengers are not obligated to show a form of student ID.  

    “This is handy if you have friends that are coming to town that are wanting to go out to eat or downtown,” said Krueger. “You can ride the bus for the Safe Ride program without that extra person having to pay a fare or anything.” 

    The Safe Ride program was created to serve primarily students from the La Crosse area colleges and universities and has seen high levels of usage since its establishment in 2000. According to Krueger, 33,318 rides were completed in the calendar year of 2023 on Safe Ride buses and 31,091 on U-Pass routes. These figures reflect the program’s resurgence following the pandemic.  

    Before the pandemic, Safe Ride and U-Pass saw numbers in the hundreds of thousands. “It’s rebounding,” said Krueger. “We are trying to continue to get it to grow and foster a good relationship with the university.” 

    UWL advertises the Safe Ride program as a safe way to travel between downtown and campus, however, students recognize the program with a different title: “The Drunk Bus”.  

    A second-year student who wished to remain anonymous said, “I am not drunk on my way down [downtown], but when I take it home after bar-close that is where the name comes from.” 

    This name is not embraced by La Crosse MTU. “Whenever we hear someone say ‘The Drunk Bus,’ we kind of take that and say ‘no, no, it’s not The Drunk Bus, it’s a safe ride home’,” said Krueger.  

    MTU emphasizes the safe mode of transportation the Safe Ride program provides. Third-year Student Isabella McCarron (she/her) understands their goal. “I think if we didn’t have it, it would increase drunk driving significantly,” she said.  

    However, the name given to the Safe Ride program by students still resides with McCarron. “The only time I have used it was when I’ve been drunk,” she said. “I use it after bars close because there aren’t many Ubers available.” 

    In 2012 UWL was ranked number one in the nation for alcohol arrests. In this same year, Safe Ride saw its highest year with 95,711 trips. The collaboration between UWL and La Crosse MTU works to ensure the safety of students amid a strong drinking culture.  

    Krueger reiterated the multiple ways students can use their free bus pass. “It does offer an ease for students to get to and from work, to get to and from those places of entertainment,” he said. “Whether it’s movies or dining or anything like that, it’s a good opportunity for students.” 

    The anonymous second-year student explained they are grateful for the presence of the Safe Ride program and subsequent free bus pass. “It is a great resource for students who don’t have cars,” they said. “Freshmen should still have the opportunity to go to Target.”  

    The Safe Ride program will wrap up for this academic year on Saturday, May 11 and resume the Saturday before classes begin in the fall semester.

    McCarron stated, “I don’t have to worry about finding a ride home and I know I am safe on the bus.” 

    Read the full article here.

  • 20 May 2024 12:47 PM | WIPTA Admin (Administrator)

    Across the country, municipalities and transit agencies are beginning to embrace electrification in local transportation. They’re showing that the future of transportation does not have to be just electrified cars. And thanks to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, there’s a new funding opportunity to help local communities go electric.

    electric bikes line up at a docking station on a wide sidewalk in madison, wisconsinElectric bikeshare docking station in Madison, Wisconsin. (WORT News)

    In our Smart Growth and EVs series, we outlined some of the electrifying strategies that work hand-in-hand with the existing benefits of smart growth development. Among them, we singled out e-bikes/e-micromobilitycarsharemultifamily housingcurbside charging challenges, and charger-oriented development. While projects are ramping up across the country to build out the NEVI program’s new network of interstate charging stations, programs that support opportunities to walk, bike, and take public transit have often started not at the national level, but in our own backyards.

    Thanks to flexible provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a new grant program from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation will put $54 million in funding in communities’ hands to help pilot and expand electric mobility options through smart growth strategies. The grant will support expanded access for people who can’t charge at home (like apartment dwellers), electric fleets, and managed charging to help fill in the gaps that larger programs might be missing.

    Supporting electric fleets

    Fleets of all sizes move forward under this grant—and for good reason. Electrified fleets can offer big bonuses for operators. Over the last few months, transit agencies and states have had the opportunity to apply for funding to expand clean bus fleets under the Low or No Emission Bus Program. However, they’re not the only entities that could use electric fleets to decarbonize mobility. Work to innovate and expand micromobility, light duty, and medium duty fleets are all eligible for this grant—and there’s been no shortage of innovative deployments in cities and localities already.

    The Washington, DC region’s Capital Bikeshare system has seen ridership explode as of late. The DC region itself is full of hills, and when it comes to protective, modern bike infrastructure, DC is falling behind its peer cities. Despite that, ridership continues to grow. In March 2024, the bikeshare system saw over 430,000 trips, up over 50 percent from the previous year and continuing a trend of record use. There’s a culprit powering the trend—of all rides, about 50 percent were on the system’s newer e-bikes. And these big ridership boosts didn’t take much; only 1 in 7 bikes in the fleet are actually electrified. As a force for equitable mobility and transportation decarbonization, e-bike shares continue to stand out as a key strategy. (And this only scratches the surface once you consider the huge potential to reduce emissions from new e-bike subsidies, like those in Colorado and other states have).

    Advancing EV carshare

    Some localities have partnered with nonprofits to offer electric carshare that offers low-emission mobility to those who need it most. Evie Carshare in Minneapolis-St.Paul region, and Colorado Carshare in Denver metro help undercut costly car ownership by allowing people to use EVs only when they need them. Under this grant, non-profit organizations (like Evie Carshare and Colorado Carshare) and for-profits alike would be eligible for funding to plan, pilot and deploy fleets with awards up to $4 million.

    Strengthening smarter charging infrastructure

    Looking forward to a future powered by renewable energy and zero-emission fleets, one challenge will be balancing energy needs against generation capacity. Even today, increased demand for electricity from both EVs and development can be too much for existing utilities in certain areas. How municipalities and utilities will coordinate to increase capacity remains an open question. Managed charging helps alleviate these issues before they happen by leveraging software and systems to ensure that vehicles get charged at times most optimal for the grid and the vehicle. This program seeks to get ahead of these issues that dense, in-demand locations are very likely to face. And for many of those people who live in multifamily housing, new projects for charging models that minimize frustrating charger queues and enable curbside charging near essential destinations could make all the difference to electrify trips. Introducing mobility wallets that hold funds people could use for any mode (from transit, e-bikeshare time or EV carshare) could streamline charging even further.

    Going beyond the main funding programs for electrification (like the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, Charging and Fueling Infrastructure, and Low or No Emission programs) it’s a great sign that the Joint Office is still looking for ways to deliver funding where it’s still needed and could offer scalable decarbonization benefits with improvements. This is especially true when the funding opportunities play so well with smart growth strategies.

    Read the full article here.

  • 9 May 2024 9:56 AM | WIPTA Admin (Administrator)

    New passenger train arrivals and departures in a partnership with Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois

    ST. PAUL, Minn., and CHICAGO – Tickets are now available for a second daily Amtrak service between the Twin Cities and Chicago, via Milwaukee: new state-sponsored Borealis trains originate from St. Paul at midday and from Chicago in the late morning. Travelers seeking a more comfortable, sustainable and productive choice than driving will have double the current rail options, starting May 21, 2024.

    Amtrak Borealis coach fares start at $41 each way between St. Paul and Chicago for adults, with everyday discounts for children ages 2-12, students, seniors, veterans, military personnel and families, groups, and others.

    Amtrak Borealis trains will offer Coach and Business Class in addition to a café car featuring regional items. Customers will enjoy wide reclining seats with ample legroom, no middle seats, free Wi-Fi, and views of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and La Crosse, Wisc., in daylight in both directions across Wisconsin.

    The trains will make the current Empire Builder stops between St. Paul and Milwaukee and Hiawatha stops between Milwaukee and Chicago (see schedule). Another benefit of the Amtrak Borealis service is a new eastbound Amtrak origination from Ramsey County’s Union Depot in St. Paul.

    “A second daily passenger rail service connecting St. Paul to Chicago via Milwaukee is a welcome addition to our transportation system, providing more choices and travel flexibility for passengers,” said Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger, Minnesota Department of Transportation. “We appreciate our partnerships with communities, federal, state and local governments, the host railroad CPKC, and Amtrak that were needed to get this service on-track, and to provide another safe, reliable transportation option. We look forward to continuing these partnerships as we work toward further building out passenger rail options in the Midwest.”

    “This route includes eight stations in Wisconsin, and doubling the frequency of the service will better connect the many businesses, universities and tourist attractions along this corridor,” WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said. “This expansion is thanks to the work WisDOT was able to do together with Minnesota, Illinois and Amtrak, as well as the opportunities provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We will continue to work with federal and state partners to explore more passenger rail options in Wisconsin.”

    “We are proud to collaborate with neighboring states and our federal partners to offer more Amtrak service in the Midwest,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “Ensuring passenger rail that’s safe, reliable and accessible is one of the many reasons Illinois continues to distinguish itself as the transportation hub of North America under Gov. JB Pritzker.”

    The new service is sponsored by the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Amtrak now operates 29 state-supported routes with 18 state partners.

    “Through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification Program we are working with grantees on dozens of other possible new Amtrak routes,” said President Roger Harris. “Thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, interest from state transportation departments and others for new or expanded Amtrak service across the country is at an all-time high.”

    “This is a win for passenger rail expansion in America, and more importantly, it’s a win for a growing number of Americans who rely on passenger rail and benefit from it,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose. “Investments in rail have long helped Midwesterners and the region’s economy, and this new service will mean additional access for people traveling between Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois while contributing to economic growth.

    “The Federal Railroad Administration applauds the strong partnership between the states and Amtrak, and through President Biden’s infrastructure package, we know even more progress is underway,” Bose added.

    More Reactions:

    Rep. Gwen Moore, Wisconsin

    “I will always support increasing access to clean, affordable, and efficient transportation options. Improving inter-city train services in Wisconsin and across the nation brings many economic benefits. I’m excited for the job opportunities and improved tourism that an additional daily train will bring for my constituents and others traveling throughout our region, as well as the improvements to our region’s collective carbon footprint. ”

    Rail Passengers Association

    “There were years when it seemed as if today’s announcement would never take place, and yet here we are today celebrating a new round trip that will transform transportation in this busy corridor,” said Jim Mathews, Rail Passengers’ President & CEO. “Passenger trains mean trips that are taken off of highways and out of the sky, saving lives, limiting pollution, and opening up new possibilities. These new trains also mean new trips that would not have otherwise taken place at all, producing direct returns for the communities they serve.”

    The Association produced an economic-benefits analysis in 2019 suggesting that some 60% of passengers for the new service would come from diverting automotive trips as those passengers leave their cars behind, limiting pollution, and easing congestion. The Association estimated that 90,000 people who would otherwise use personal automobiles would be taken off the roads every year, saving $32 million across the region in highway maintenance costs alone.

    Read the full article here

Wisconsin Public Transportation Association

1502 W Broadway, Suite 102

Monona, WI 53713

info@wipta.org

Proud Members of:

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software