Great Lakes Ice Cover, Mike Birbiglia, Wisconsin Transit Week

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It all started with a story about sleepwalking. Veronica Rueckert and Rob Ferrett chat with comedian and This American Life stand-out Mike Birbiglia, who visits Wisconsin this week. They also discuss the near-record-high levels of ice cover on the Great Lakes and find out about public transportation systems all throughout the state, as part of Wisconsin Transit Week.

Featured in this Show

  • Transit Week Highlights Wisconsin’s Public Transportation Systems

    It’s Wisconsin Transit Week, according to a proclamation from Gov. Scott Walker, and a transportation advocate said the state’s public transit systems have a lot of benefits that go unrecognized.

    Officials with the state Department of Transporation estimate that about 54 percent of Wisconsin’s population has access to some form of public transportation. Officials have set a goal to increase that access to 75 percent.

    Craig Thompson, executive director of the Transportation Development Association, said public transportation isn’t just a factor in larger cities.

    “In the more rural areas of the state, there are shared-ride taxis, there are some vans, there are shared-ride taxis, some vans. There’s also some special transit for elderly and disabled as well,” Thompson said.

    Thompson said public transportation is an important factor in the state’s economy, in part, simply by helping people get to and from work.

    “There’s a larger segment of the population than people think that don’t have a car, don’t have access to a car,” he said. “It’s a huge benefit to be able to connect people to either jobs, or go to school, or to get the skills to get a job.”

    Thompson said public transportation is vital to providing mobility to seniors, and the need will grow in the future.

    “We do have a huge influx of Baby Boomers reaching 65 and older, and as we do that, there’s gonna be a lot of folks that are maybe not gonna be able to drive any more, and some maybe shouldn’t. And so, when there’s a public transportation system available, I think it helps everyone out,” he said.

  • Great Lakes Ice Cover Nears Record Highs

    The ice cover on the Great Lakes is above 90% for the first time since 1994, and if temperatures remain as low as they have been the ice cover could break a record set in 1979. An expert from the NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory gives the current ice conditions and how the ice is a good thing for fruit growers but a bad thing for shippers.

  • Laugh 'Till It Hurts

    Public radio regular Mike Birbiglia (burr-BIG-lee-ah) has made a career of transforming the painful and strange into laughs. He’ll tell us why he thanks god for jokes.

  • Wisconsin Transit Week

    This week is Wisconsin Transit Week, meant to educate, raise awareness, and celebrate Wisconsin’s public transportation system. The head of the state’s Transportation Development Association discusses what’s going on this Transit Week and explains the benefits of using public transportation.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Craig Thompson Guest
  • George Leshkevich Guest
  • Mike Birbiglia Guest
  • Amanda Magnus Producer