We won a public hearing for a Fox Cities RTA bill!
A public hearing has been scheduled with the Senate Transportation Committee for a Regional Transit Authority (RTA) for the greater Fox Cities region (SB456)!
We need your help! ESTHER will be arranging a carpool to Madison for the hearing that will be held on Thursday, March 8th at the state capitol. A time has not been given for the hearing. We will keep you posted on the time of the hearing and the and location for our carpool.
Time is running out. This session is scheduled to end in March. There IS NOT going to be another floor period scheduled for the rest of the year. This is our last chance to get something through at the state level this year. Without the flexibility afforded by a RTA, public transportation in the Fox Cities is likely to cease to exist by 2013.
What: Fox Cities RTA Public Hearing
When: Thursday, March 8th at 10:00 AM
Where: State Capitol in Room 411 South
Carpool Leaves: 7:45 AM from First Congregational UCC in Appleton (724 East South River Street)
Carpool Returns: Before 4:00 PM (estimated time) most likely earlier.
Let us know if you will be part of the carpool, call Stephanie at 920-216-0891. Additional information will be provided for those attending the hearing on Thursday as we depart Appleton for the State Capitol in Madison.
Can't make it to Madison? Your voice is still important. Please these three members of the Senate Transportation Committee to share with them how critical the RTA is to our community. Call now! A few important points are listed below.
Senator Lazich (chair of committee): (800) 334-1442
Senator Leibham: (vice chair of committee): (888) 295-8750
Senator Lasee: (608) 266-3512
A few simple points about what a Fox Cities Regional Transit Authority (RTA) would do:
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Create a vibrant, modern transit system is a fundamental part of a successful and sustainable economy in the greater Fox Cities.
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Allow for a permanent regional transit authority in the greater Fox Cities is critical to providing regional coordination, creating a united voice across the region, and advancing efficient regional linkages for jobs and economic growth.
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Provide a dedicated funding source for transit to provide adequate, stable funding for transit and prevent significant cuts in service.
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The dedicated sales tax voted on locally by the community of up to but not greater than 0.5% for transit will provide property tax relief by removing local transit costs from the property tax.
Public transit is important to too many in our community. Let's work together to keep our buses moving.
People of Faith United for Justice is a day-long gathering to learn, discuss, pray and take action on justice issues such as prison reform, public transit, affordable housing, transitional jobs, and more. We gather at Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison for plenary sessions and lunch, followed by a march to the capitol and meetings with legislators.
Rev. Scott Anderson, executive director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches, will be the keynote speaker at ESTHER’s eighth Annual Banquet at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 at Liberty Hall, 800 Eisenhower Drive, Kimberly. Festivities include music and a silent auction. Current and new members are welcome, as well as other friends, supporters and guests. The cost is $40 per person, $70 for a couple, or $350 for a table of 10. 
Thanks to the efforts of congregations and individuals affiliated with ESTHER in Oshkosh, those with no place to go in that community will have a place in which to stay warm and dry overnight when the weather turns bad. The Day By Day Warming Shelter, located at the St. Peters site (449 High Avenue) of the Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Parish, is hosting the shelter from the second week of October through the second week of April, and will provide dinner, breakfast, and a warm, safe place to stay overnight for 15 to 20 people. The shelter held an open house on October 24 during its first week of operation.
At the Say YES! to Transit event on Aug. 11, both Rep. Thomas Petri and Rep. Reid Ribble committed to support and work toward a solution to offer flexibility in federal transit assistance, where decisions on how funding is used is made at the local level. Petri has been a long-serving member of the House’s transportation and infrastructure committee and Ribble just recently joined this committee. 
