what_that_too wrote on Jul 10, 2008 11:10 AM:
" Also, the limited schedules/hours at night/weekends/holidays* discourage anyone from riding the bus - if you take the bus early, but have to call a cab to get back, what's the point? Waiting an hour evenings/weekends (the current MTU schedule) is not my idea of convenience.
*Almost every retail business is open holidays - last Christmas Eve one discounter was open until 10:00 PM, and most were still open at 5-6:00.
Another thing: You aren't supposed to carry large items onto buses. So you go shopping, and you can't bring home anything like a table lamp. Intercity buses (remember them?) always had external cargo holds under the seats. That's what is needed (a small extra charge could be made for using them). "
what_that_too wrote on Jul 10, 2008 11:10 AM:
" Fifth Ave and State Street in an intersection and bus transfer point. It's NOT a Depot, even though many people use the Post Office lobby for a shelter (except when it's closed, which is often, like Sundays).
What we need are "Park 'n' Ride" locations in towns like Holmen, West Salem, Sparta, and Coon Vally/Westby/Viroqua - with small shelters - where buses could pick up people with La Crosse destinations, instead of the MTU cruising all of the small towns hoping to snag a couple of riders. This could be an opportunity for private carriers (such as the H/O/WS shared ride, but with larger vehicles), working in conjunction with the MTU. "
Mack wrote on Jul 9, 2008 4:44 PM:
" Limited hours is the biggest problem with La Crosse MTU. City coverage is really pretty good. There are additional challenges with such a long skinny town. "
Sioux-z-q wrote on Jul 9, 2008 12:42 PM:
" I'm saving a ton of money every month by riding the bus. I wish the routes were more direct, but at least I don't have to drive or pay $3.99 a gallon for gas! "
johnny wrote on Jul 9, 2008 12:05 PM:
" On behalf of the Gundersen Onalaska campus employees, I'd like to say that we need MTU service BEFORE 9:30 a.m. so employees can utilize the bus. I commend the Onalaska-Holmen ride share, but as Darwin stated, it doesn't always work for someone who is on a schedule. What a waste not to have at least an "on-demand" route to Onalaska Gundersen early in the morning. "
wakeup wrote on Jul 9, 2008 10:04 AM:
" MTU is great BUT they need to make the transition from a small town bus system to a metro system - adding lines to outlying communities (county muscle needed), expanding the schedule (run smaller buses during non-peak hours), adding express lines during rush hours and negotiating with expansion. For example - express line from Wal-Mart on South Side to Woodmans straight up and down losey/hwy 16 during rush hour. Expanded hours (to midnight). Look into a rush hour buses that run from Stoddard to Wal-Mart south and back, from Coon Valley and back and from Cashton to K-Mart and back. Also a better marketing campaign targeted at businesses with commuters AND better bus SHELTERS that have route and time info. "
oz wrote on Jul 9, 2008 9:06 AM:
" Vindicator: rather than complain about "seeing" empty buses, perhaps you should RIDE the bus. After all, there's lotza room to stretch out.
I keep seeing big privately-owned vehicles driving around nearly empty. We are all subsidizing the gas these drivers are wasting (to the tune of $3.20/gallon). Take away the fuel subsidy, it only encourages wasteful behavior. "
transplant wrote on Jul 9, 2008 8:15 AM:
" Perhaps the City of Onalaska should be the one you ask to bring better service to that area. They can then work with the MTU to develop that service.
And yes, I ride the MTU. It may be a little inconvenient at times, or a little late, but it definitely does save money and wear and tear on the car. $30/month for a pass beats $50/weeek for gas.
Thank you MTU for the service you provide. "
Darwin wrote on Jul 9, 2008 7:39 AM:
" And the cost is ridiculous:
Ride 1.5 miles to the bus pick-up: $3.00
Ride 6 miles downtown: $1.25 (less if you have a bus pass).
Yes, you can transfer between the two, but it's still a lopsided charge. Don't get me started about their hours of operation.
I go past several SR folks daily, sitting in the Center 90 parking lot, with nothing to do. Now THAT'S efficiency! Call some morning for a ride to the bus stop, and you'll here, "I think we can get you there in time." WHAT!?! MTU doesn't have that problem on a daily basis. The only time the MTU has been late is when we've gotten a ridiculous amount of snow and the roads are unsafe for everyone. "
Darwin wrote on Jul 9, 2008 7:39 AM:
" MTU ROCKS. But please, please, please bring better MTU service to Onalaska! The Shared Ride system is terrible if you need to actually keep to a work schedule. I understand it serves the elderly and disabled sufficiently, but if you need to catch a bus at a certain time, good luck. "
Vindicator wrote on Jul 9, 2008 6:33 AM:
" Ridership has skyrocketed in Lacrescent on the MTU from ZERO to one. The big MTU bus cruises around
Lacrescent empty or nearly empty 99% of the time I see it. "
ryeguy wrote on Jul 9, 2008 6:24 AM:
" When I was in school, we were taught about "agreement." That is, a plural subject (prices) requires a plural verb (bring). The headline should therefore read, "Gas prices BRING new interest in MTU," or, "Gas PRICE brings new interest in MTU." Our hands would be slapped if we wrote something so obviously wrong grammatically as this headline. TSK TSK TSK.
Many economists are saying not only that change is coming, but that, in the long run, high gas prices are necessary to force changes we know are needed eventually anyway - solar, passive and active; wind; electric cars; regional public transportation; bicycle lanes; etc. "
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