A WHOLE LOT OF FUSS OVER A BUS (SYSTEM). Legislation passed in 2009 provides for the creation of a Regional Transit Authority board in Eau Claire County by claiming a 0.5 percent sales tax increase.

The Chippewa Valley, a metro area made up of Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie, and smaller towns and villages, had a 2000 population of 148,337. The Valley spans across county lines, but what about the services regional residents depend on? A civic work group is studying the formation of a Regional Transit Authority that would connect transportation in the region. 

      Regional transportation has been gaining popularity by creating coalitions across city, county, and even state lines to develop transit that serves a larger population. By doing so, residents are able to travel farther for work, shopping, and tourism without depending on a car. Wisconsin legislation passed in 2009 provides for the creation of a Regional Transit Authority board in Eau Claire County by dedicating a 0.5 percent sales tax increase to fund regional transportation. At present, no such board has been created and no official plans are in place, but the work group has begun the first step of the process.

      Formed from the Clear Vision project (a county program to promote sustainability), the RTA Civic Work Group consists of volunteers with a stake in transportation who are studying the need for regional transit and contacting stakeholders. Stan Carpenter, former co-chair, defines stakeholders as “people with a vested interest in regional transit.” Group member Jeremy Gragert expands that to include citizen groups (like the elderly or poor) and organizations (like schools, employers, and the airport). The group’s goal is to talk to as many stakeholders as they can to identify the transit needs. They will use their findings to submit a report of recommendations to the county, who will be responsible for forming a board, inviting Chippewa County to the process, and beginning implementation. 

     The work group is also looking at RTAs elsewhere, taking notes on what has and hasn’t worked. The nearest example of an RTA is the Twin Cities, where public transportation such as the bus, light rail, and commuter rail systems are all funded and managed by the Metropolitan Council, a coalition of seven counties.

     According to Mike Branco, transit manager for the city, the current transit budget is about $5.2 million. With the tax increase, that could be increased to $8 million, giving the city the means to branch out further, creating more bus lines to rural areas. Though the law does not require it, Branco and the work group claim they will hold a referendum before raising taxes, in part to involve and educate the public about the services and benefits an RTA would offer.

     At present, the work group hasn’t discussed what forms regional transportation would take, but Carpenter stresses, “It’s not just buses!” Gragert would like to see a focus on improving bike paths, while Carpenter is most excited about the possibilities of rail – either in the form of a high-speed train or local light rail. It’s probable that the county will also go in a sustainable direction by using buses that run on biodiesel or electricity. 

     Will regional focus on transportation encourage a similar mindset for other urban issues? Gragert thinks so. He hopes the Valley will realize the correlation of transit and economic growth, and begin to focus on transit-oriented development to help reverse urban sprawl.

     Eau Claire is a textbook example of sprawl. Urban areas often have centralized services and mixed-use buildings, while suburbs are decentralized and separated. Eau Claire has developed like a suburb (building further from the city center rather than revitalizing existing developed areas), causing a greater reliance on autos and an unsustainable growth pattern that cuts off residents from the services they need most.

     RTAs offer all kinds of possibilities. A student at UWEC could take a bus to work in Chippewa Falls, or a Fall Creek family could ride to Oakwood Mall, or an elderly Altoona woman could take high-speed rail to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, and our community would grow to be more connected.