If you Give a Community a Transportation Academy...
- Jen Walker
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
Hello Active Wisconsin Friends!
It’s been a minute since our last blog post. Thanks for hanging in there! So, what have we been up to? Quite a lot, starting with some staff changes.
I’m Jen Walker, Community Programs Manager at 1000 Friends of Wisconsin since July 2025. While I’m new to this role, I’m not new to Active Wisconsin. I served on the steering committee starting in 2023, and before that, from 2015 through 2020, I was part of the Wisconsin Active Communities Alliance, the group that originally helped develop Active Wisconsin. If you want the origin story, scroll to “History” at https://www.activewisconsin.org/about, and for more about me, keep scrolling to “Staff.”
Jumping Into the Community Transportation Academy
One of my first big tasks was coordinating our 6th Community Transportation Academy (CTA) in Green Bay this fall. I had some big shoes to fill—five successful Academies have taken place in La Crosse, Stevens Point, Beloit, Kenosha, and West Allis since 2025. I dove in headfirst, and now that I’ve resurfaced, I want to share some reflections on a program that’s quickly become one of my favorite parts of the job.
What Makes the CTA Special?
At its core, the CTA brings people together at a time when we need to connect with each other more than ever before. Participants come from a wide range of ages, identities, professions, and lived-experiences. Too often, we end up in spaces where we’ve sorted ourselves by our same-ness. But transportation? It’s something we all interact with. It’s a natural bridge across differences. I noticed that so clearly in the rich discussions, experiences, and connections throughout this fall’s Academy in Green Bay.
Our past Academies have sparked real impact:
In La Crosse, two CTA participants helped shape a new citywide policy eliminating off‑street parking requirements.
In Stevens Point, the CTA helped catalyze a new sidewalk to Madison Elementary and pushed for winter maintenance on a multi‑use path that had gone uncleared for 25 years.
West Allis participants formed a new advocacy group and testified at budget hearings for active transportation funding.
A participant from the Kenosha Academy joined the local planning commission and even applied to grad school.
Another alum from La Crosse learned of an MPO job opening and got hired.
And fun fact: our own Executive Director at 1000 Friends of Wisconsin is a 2023 CTA alum!
Gathering these stories for our 2025 annual report gave me a deeper appreciation for just how powerful this program has become.
Transportation Is Complicated—But People Can Shape It
The CTA exists because local transportation systems are complex, inequitable, and often opaque. Many people move through their daily lives without knowing why things are designed the way they are—or realizing they have a say.
Streets are public spaces. The public deserves a voice.
In Green Bay, that voice showed up loud and clear. Our participants presented 11 final projects to an audience that included the Mayor, county leaders, local staff, and representatives from organizations like Brown County United Way, the Center for Childhood Safety, and the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation. How many programs give everyday residents a platform like that?
One great story: a participant from Allouez had long advocated for safer crossings to the Fox River Trail. Through the Academy, she connected with a guest speaker from Wello, and now their entire Active Communities committee is tackling the project together. Advocacy is a team sport, after all.
Impact Beyond Wisconsin
Our work in Wisconsin has already inspired others. For the past two years, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin has helped train and support seven Midwest advocacy organizations as they launch CTAs of their own. When I started in this role, I continued coordinating this Community of Practice so our groups could learn together and strengthen the program.
In 2025, our cohort hosted 11 Academies across six states, engaging 185 participants and producing 63 final projects.
One truly inspiring story comes from Kansas City, MO, where BikeWalkKC leads the CTA. This fall, a young boy attended the Academy with his dad and later testified before city council to support banning right turns on red in school zones. His testimony helped not only pass the ordinance, but strengthen it so all schools benefited. You can read more about the accomplishment on BikeWalkKC's website.
What’s Next?
We’re already planning our next CTA in Madison this spring (2026). If you live or work in Madison—or know someone who might be interested—send them my way at jen@1kfriends.org.
We’re also exploring new funding opportunities so we can keep offering and growing this program. I see so much potential for synergy between Active Wisconsin and the CTA. Many CTA alumni have joined our newsletter list and continue to stay involved in local transportation advocacy. Strengthening those connections will help build a powerful network that supports active and safe communities across Wisconsin.
Thanks for being part of this journey. I’m excited for what comes next! ~ Jen