We encourage you to celebrate Wisconsin Transit Week, which runs from May 18-24.  TDA of Wisconsin has pulled together a number of ways that everyone can participate. Please scroll down to see a letter from their Director, or visit www.tdawisconsin.org to find other ways you can participate in Wisconsin Transit Week. 

Individually, we are asking you to do #3: Contact your state legislative representatives and inform them of the benefits of transit.  The letter from TDA below has a number of key points you can use. Ask them to support regional transit authorities and dedicated funding for transit in this state budget.  Don’t know who your legislator is?  Visit www.legis.wisconsin.gov and click on the “Who Represents Me?” link in the middle of the page to find out.  Put in your address and it will bring up their contact information.

Also, other ways to participate are to USE public transit, or talk about this issue with your friends, colleagues and neighbors.  Feel free to forward them this information or links to the C.A.T. website. If you would like more information, talking points, fact sheets on key parts of this issue, etc. feel free to contact me directly or visit our Group site at http://groups.google.com/group/coalition-for-advancing-transit where you can access many of these things on the “Files” page.   

Thanks everyone for your continued support of this issue!

Let’s Get Moving!
Coalition for Advancing Transit (C.A.T.)

Celebrate transit during Wisconsin Transit Week

TDA sponsorship highlights buses, shared-ride taxis and paratransit services

By Craig Thompson, Executive Director, Transportation Development Association of WisconsinIn recognition of the key role that public transit systems play in Wisconsin’s economy, job outlook, environment and quality of life, Governor Jim Doyle has officially proclaimed that May 18-24 is Wisconsin Transit Week. This is a great time to highlight the many benefits of transit, because bus ridership in the nation is at its highest level in 50-plus years.

In addition, Wisconsin Transit Week is a great time to point out that public transit in Wisconsin involves much more than commuters riding big-city buses. Our state’s transit system actually encompasses a variety of other transit services that, like buses, offer a convenient and affordable alternative to car travel and enhance the quality of people’s lives: 

  • Specialized paratransit and medical transport companies deliver mobility and freedom to elderly and differently abled citizens in urban and rural areas throughout Wisconsin.
  • Shared-ride taxis located in our state’s small towns provide more than 1.5 million rides a year, helping Wisconsinites get to work, access health care, visit friends and family, do their shopping, and more.

In fact, whether the population of your community is 2,500 or 250,000, a strong transit system provides valuable services to everyone it reaches. And as our population ages – nationally, some 20 percent of us will be aged 65 and older by 2025 – the safety and convenience of buses, shared-ride taxis, and medical transportation services will become increasingly important.

Transit is also growing as a key player in local, state and national economies. Numerous studies show that public transit has a positive impact on the bottom lines of local businesses and municipalities; transit helps make economic development possible, raises property values, and generates new revenue for governments. On a national level, studies show that every $1 invested by taxpayers in transit yields $6 in economic gains.

The environmental benefits of transit are equally impressive. Each year, public transportation use saves the equivalent of 34 super tankers of oil. Public transit also reduces pollution, helps promote cleaner air, and cuts the nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually – equivalent to the electricity used by 4.9 million households.

Wisconsin’s transit systems work for everyone, and they make vital contributions to communities large and small. So consider riding the bus or hopping in a shared-ride taxi for your next trip to the store, to your office or job site, to a friend’s home, to the doctor’s office – wherever you need to go, Wisconsin transit is a great way to get there!

For more information on public transit in Wisconsin, visit www.tdawisconsin.org.

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