1000 FRIENDS OF WISCONSIN

WE CONTINUED OUR FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNITY DESIGN AND TRANSPORTATION TO HELP BUILD BETTER PLACES TO LIVE. WITH AN EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPING TRANSIT CONNECTIONS, WE HELP RESIDENTS REDUCIE THEIR DEPENDENCE ON CARS WHILE REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS CREATING A HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT. WE CONTINUED OUR WORK PROMOTING STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION POLICY THAT USES "FIX IT FIRST" METHODS RATHER THAN WASTEFUL HIGHWAY EXPANSION RESULTING IN A MORE EQUITABLE, ACCESSIBLE TRANSIT SYSTEM. WE ARE LEADERS OF THE COALITION FOR MORE RESPONSIBLE TRANSPORTATION THAT WORKS ACROSS THE STATE HOLDING FORUMS AND GATHERING STORIES TO BUILD OUR CASE FOR EQUITABLE AND AFFORDABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. OUR ACTIVE WISCONSIN PROGRAM PROMOTES BIKE, PED AND ROLLING INFRASTRUCTURE. THIS IS THE KEY TO HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, FEWER GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, AND ACCESS BEYOND JUST MOTOR VEHICLES. WE ARE LEADING A CAMPAIGN TO RETHINK 794. THIS IS A PROJECT THAT INFORMS MILWAUKEE RESIDENTS THE VALUE OF TURNING A LOCAL FREEWAY INTO A BOULEVARD TO RECONNECT A COMMUNITY AND OPEN LAND TO DEVELOPMENT FOR AN EXPANDED TAX BASE.

WHEN DISCUSSING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION STRATEGIES, THE FOCUS TENDS TO BE ON ENERGY I.E., SWITCHING TO RENEWABLES. A CRITICAL AREA THAT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED IN COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE IS URBAN AND REGIONAL LAND USE PLANNING. HOW COMMUNITIES ARE DESIGNED AND HOW PEOPLE MOVE AROUND THEM HAS BOTH SHORT AND LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES FOR MITIGATING AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE. WE ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF FIGHTING FOR AN EQUITABLE CARBON NEUTRAL TRANSPORTATION FUTURE. WE LEAD THE WISCONSIN CLIMATE TABLE, A NETWORK OF OVER 30 ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TOGETHER FOR EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS. THE CLIMATE TABLE DEVELOPED A TOOL TO HELP MUNICIPALITIES CENTER EQUITY IN CLIMATE ACTION TOOL KIT FOR EQUITY AND JUSTICE IN LOCAL CLIMATE PLANNING. WE COORDINATE MEETING ACROSS THE STATE TO SHARE IDEAS, OFFER RESOURCES, AND SHARE SUCCESS STORIES.