Regional Transit Authority Enabling Legislation

The citizens of Northwest Wisconsin request: 

·         Wisconsin’s legislators support enabling legislation necessary to form Regional Transportation Authorities or RTAs in order to provide increased public transportation options for our region.

 Background:

For many Northwest Wisconsin rural and small town residents, access to public transportation services to travel to work, to shop, to needed medical services is severely limited.  Inter-city travel to regional centers at which more specialized services are available is likewise limited.   

At the present time, two multi-governmental transit commissions provide multi-jurisdictional transit services in Northwest Wisconsin.  These commissions have been successful in operating one system in Ashland and Bayfield counties for over 27 years and another system which serves Sawyer County and the Lac Courte Oreilles tribe for the past seven years.  While the two present transit commissions have been effective at providing a structure to operate transit services, their funding source using local municipal and county revenues to match federal and state transit subsidies severely limits the commissions’ abilities to effectively respond to additional transportation needs as they emerge. 

Regional Transit Authority (RTA) models in other states go beyond the structure of our transit commissions and provide for a dedicated funding source.  The very first Regional Transit Legislation initiative adopted in 1969 came out of northern Wisconsin.  It was sponsored by State Senator Walter John Chilsen, the Republican floor leader (district is now represented by Sen. Russ Decker), Senator Tiny Krueger from Merrill (district is now represented by State Senator Jim Holperin), and finally State Representative Tony Earl of Wausau.  They worked together at the request of their Chambers of Commerce to start a Merrill to Wausau system.

  In September of 2008, Wisconsin’s legislature established the Special Committee on Regional Transportation Authority to explore options and draft proposed legislation to enable local governments to create Regional Transportation Authorities.  The proposed legislation was to address both governance and funding for RTAs.  While the committee was charged with recommending draft legislation, at this time, the outcome is uncertain.   

The authority to form RTAs will significantly enhance our region’s ability to develop transportation solutions that address the needs of transit-dependant residents of Northwestern Wisconsin.  It also provides structure to address needs for intercity transportation.  For improved access to employment, health care, education, economic development, and quality of life, we ask the state to support RTA enabling legislation necessary for a strong Wisconsin Transit System. 

For more information contact:
Tom Waby, Bay Area Rural Transit Manager
Telephone:  (715) 682-9664
Email:  bayareatransit@centurytel.net

More information on the legislative study committee’s work is available at:
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lc/committees/study/2008/RTA/index.htm