COUNTIES COLLABORATION CONFERENCE

DECEMBER 9, 2011

Current Transportation Situation

The Transportation System

Transportation System: “a facility consisting of the means and equipment necessary for the movement of passengers or goods.”

Logistics: “the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers” “Goods” could be customers, employees, materials, products, etc. “Requirements” could include elements of time, safety, cost, comfort, etc.

Moving PeopleRoad Rail Air Water

Moving Freight

The Transportation System

This is a complex and dynamic system The various modes work together and are dependent upon one another to

meet requirements The various modes also compete with one another for usage and

resources There are also conflicts between moving people and freight The system is always changing due to both internal and external factors

This system is vital to our economy We must work together as a region to maintain and enhance

our system to benefit our regional economy

Moving PeopleRoad Rail Air Water

Moving Freight

Controversy in Transportation

Examples of Controversies: North South Corridor Costs associated with certain Bicycle Pedestrian

Accomodations Transportations Role in Land Use and Blight

Today, we should avoid the controversies and focus on the areas of need and collaborative improvement

Regional System

Only 83.5% of the residents of the 7 Rivers Region counties live and work within the same county.

The following chart shows the inflow of wages for residents working outside the given county and the outflow of wages to workers living outside of the given county (WI DWD 2007 statistics):

County Inflow (in millions) Outflow (in millions)

La Crosse $206.5 $544.6

Monroe $139.8 $156.6

Vernon $185.6 $57.6

Trempealeau $170.7 $130.7

Jackson $93 $75.5

Juneau $146.6 $86.9

System Issues - Road

Road maintenance is costly La Crosse County Roadway Plan identified $37.8M in

unfunded roadway needs to address safety and congestion concerns

Our geography presents unique situations Bridge safety and closures have become an issue

Lansing Bridge was closed in August (adding as much as 70 miles to commutes, and forcing communities to add a boat shuttle)

Asphalt costs can be volatile Accommodations for bicycles/pedestrians can be

tricky

System Issues - Rail

Shared track between commodity and passenger traffic can create issues with dependability

Fixed routes and limited facilities can create issues with access

Demand for capacity can be an issue Moving frac sand could create capacity issues

Is there enough demand for freight containers on rail to justify an offload facility in the La Crosse Area?

Is there a need for additional AMTRAK service?

System Issues - Air

High fuel costs can lead to profitability issues Airlines may reduce their fleet of smaller, less efficient aircraft

Dependency on federal money and reliance on federal regulations may limit the capacity in some markets

Will the BRAC reduce the demand for air from Fort McCoy?

System Issues - Water

Flooding can create issues with dependability if locks and dams are closed down In 2008, flooding stranded over 100 barges in the Winona

Harbor

Opportunities for our Region

We are fortunate to have options in all modes of travel

We have a solid base of industries that have demands for good transportation linkages

Congestion issues are, for the most part, minor

Commodity Flow Data - In

2007 Data Road Rail Air Water

La Crosse 2,471,598 249,120 - 324,363

Monroe 684,168 78,520 - -

Vernon 425,390 3,840 - 879,107

Trempealeau 1,213,105 253,120 - -

Jackson 3,476,851 25,480 - -

Juneau 1,150,145 - - -

Commodity Flow Data - Out

2007 Data Road Rail Air Water

La Crosse 3,337,574 70,920 9 1,957,883

Monroe 1,271,785 - - -

Vernon 997,241 - - 47,435

Trempealeau 2,307,832 172,800 - -

Jackson 2,360,108 1,338,480 - -

Juneau 719,700 3,840 - -

Panel of Transportation Professionals

Dan Wruck – Airport Manager, La Crosse Municipal Airport

Tom Faella – MPO/LAPC Director, President of MN MPO Directors Association

Peter Fletcher – Transportation Planner, MRRPC

Panel of Transportation Professionals

Introduction – discuss your role with regard to our transportation network

Overview of various modes of transportation Transportation opportunities in this region Transportation issues that you see in this region Upcoming developments/projects to enhance

region’s transportation system

Business Panel

Larry Laber, CHS (Winona) Nick Lichter, Organic Valley (Vernon County) Jim Kane, Pacal (La Crosse)