"Connecting Wisconsin: Public Transportation Projects for the 21st Century"

A new WISPIRG Foundation study was released examining specific opportunities for enhanced and expanded public transportation across the state and finding that such projects would save Wisconsinites money, boost the economy, and reduce oil consumption.

 

Democratic Caucus Action Offers Tremendous Economic Growth Opportunities for Wisconsin

Fox Valley, Chippewa Valley Big Winners in Regional Transit Authority Legislation

Assembly Democrats gave local communities a big economic boost by endorsing Regional Transit Authorities for Dane County, the Chippewa Valley, the Fox Valley and making improvements to the southeastern Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee RTA.

Read the entire Press Release

More Than Half of Vacationers Traveling to Cities This Summer
Will Use Local Public Transit System

Travelers cite use of public transit to help stretch their travel budget according to the Green Travel Forecast

Attorney General Van Hollen issues informal opinion on Riverway zoning ordinances.  DNR request.  Letter to DNR.

"Fresh" celebrates Growing Power

 

Milwaukee's internationally-known urban farmer, Will Allen, has a starring role in a documentary film, screening this week in Washington, D.C., New York City, and at Harvard University.

The son of southern sharecroppers, Will Allen always believed that everyone should have access to fresh, healthy food. Today, he lives his dream growing amazing products on a 3-acre lot in the middle of urban Milwaukee. By converting a million pounds of waste into energy via composting, Will also leads the way in visualizing zero-waste cities.

SE Wisconsin Regional Housing Plan


The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) is preparing a regional housing plan that will address the availability, distribution, and density of housing, including the relationship between jobs and affordable housing.

Public informational meetings are scheduled for June to provide opportunities for public input regarding the planning process and plan contents.


Executive Summary (pdf)

Revitalizing Wisconsin’s Downtowns: an e-learning and networking series
Sessions run January to December, 12:00 to 1:00, with local discussion at host sites immediately following.

Youth

Milwaukee Bronzeville Website Launched

The primary African-American economic and social hub of its time, Bronzeville brought all ethnicities together to celebrate African-American culture - highlighting jazz, blues and the arts. The website promotes business development and homeownership, the history of the neighborhood and its progress.

Linking Transportation and Land Use

Bill Would Encourage States to Link Transportation, Land-Use Decisions   

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey unveiled a comprehensive climate and energy bill, under which all states, assisted by U.S. EPA, would have three years to assess their transportation and land use, and set 10- and 20-year targets for related greenhouse gas emission cuts both throughout a state and in any metro area of at least 200,000 residents, while EPA, working with the Department of Transportation, would create a competitive grant program to help finance projects designed to meet the reduction targets.   Click here to read entire article.

“Job Sprawl” Undermines
Long-Term Regional, National Prosperity

Brookings Institute Ranks Urban Centers for Decentralization of Employment

Since 1998, almost every major American metro area has seen a drop in the share of employment located downtown as jobs have increasingly moved into farther-out suburbs, exacerbating “job sprawl” – a phenomenon that threatens to undermine the long-term
prosperity of the nation’s vital economic engines, according to a report released by the Brookings Institution. Click here to read more...

  Community Planning

Transportation


Where Do We Go From Here Released 1000 Friends has released its second transportation briefing booklet - "Where Do We Go From Here." It is intended to educate citizens, policy makers, business interests, transportation providers, and the media and elevate the public discussion of key transportation challenges and opportunities we face in Wisconsin today. Read it online in pdf format.

 

Government & Policy

  • HOW TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD -
    Tips on Effectively Communicating with your Legislator

    1000 Friends works to educate policy makers and advocates on land use issues in the Capitol but at a time when responsible land use, conservation and nvironmental issues are not at the top of the legislative priority list, we need our members and citizens to join their voices with ours for our message about responsible land use to be heard. One of the most common responses we get when we ask a legislator why he or she voted a certain way is, “I didn’t hear from anyone (i.e., “real people”) on this.” It’s the easiest excuse to use when asked to explain support for bad public policy, and it’s one that we shouldn’t give our representatives at the Capitol an opportunity to use.

 



Member Agency

 

1000 Friends of Wisconsin
16 N. Carroll Street, Suite 810   Madison WI 53703    608.259.1000