Email from 1000 Friends of Wisconsin What's Happening in July and Aug. JULY 2025 Please Welcome Raphie, Jen, & Rory to the Team! Over the last month, we have seen a transition of staffing bringing us back to a full team, transporting in fresh perspectives and blood, while continuing to build on the legacy of 1000 Friends! Raphie, Jen, & Rory have hit the ground running, grabbing the batons to take on our projects and programs. Raphie Torralba (she/her) is the Transportation Policy Analyst for 1000 Friends and joins us with a Master’s in Public Health and a background in community-centered programming focused on health education, food access, and environmental stewardship. As a population health fellow at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, she coordinated family-based and outdoor education programs in communities where many face limited support navigating their food environments or access to safe green spaces. She also conducted a community needs assessment, which examined how transportation and ... READ MORE Rory Swanson (he/him) is the Office Manager for 1000 Friends and a graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, with a Bachelor's in Accounting. He has experience working with financials in both Public Accounting and volunteer work as a participant in Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. He also has a close relationship with volunteer work as an Eagle Scout. Rory is new to 1000 Friends as of 2025, and he is delighted to now do work for a non-profit that serves a positive community impact. When he is not working, Rory hikes, plays saxophone, and checks out new board and card games ... READ MORE Jen Walker (she/her) is the Community Programs Manager at 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, where she facilitates the Community Transportation Academy, coordinates the Active Wisconsin network, and assists the Madison pro-housing campaign. She works to connect people, ideas, and resources, so that communities can increase safe, human-centered transportation options that help people thrive. Jen has worked at the intersection of public health and land use / transportation planning for over 15 years, beginning at Active Living By Design (ALBD; now Healthy Communities By Design). Jen holds dual Masters degrees in Public Health and City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina, and ... READ MORE We're Going to Miss You, Susan! Susan Gaeddert, our Community Programs Director, has taken a new position with UW-Madison and we're going to miss her dearly. Susan pioneered the Community Transportation Academy, a transportation advocacy course designed to empower regular residents to take action, building transportation equity in their own communities. This program saw success in 5 Wisconsin Communities, which also spurred the creation of the Midwest Transportation Academy, training other leaders to run their own academies for greater impacts in other states. Susan also coordinated Active Wisconsin, a statewide grassroots coalition of active transportation-supportive communities - keeping municipalities around the state connected while amplifying impact. Susan was excellent at this amplification, and with her additional work as the Wisconsin Climate Table Coordinator leading 40+ orgs around the state down a steady road (multi-use path?) of equitable climate change mitigation, she shined brightly through this difficult coalition work. Beyond the standard work scheme, Susan was also known for her rad knitting skills during meetings and conferences, for being a professional accompanist on piano, and of course regular bike riding. It's going to be difficult to fill Susan's shoes and we're going to miss her! -The 1KF Team  Sign Up ASAP For One of Our Safe Streets Academies in MKE! ~ Sign up for the Washington Park Safe Streets Academy (only 9 spots!) ~ Deadline: 1st Aug. ~ Sign up for the Lincoln Park Safe Streets Academy (only 10 spots!) ~ Deadline: 1st Aug. The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works and Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) are in the process of planning two projects involving the pavement replacement and resurfacing of Hwy 57 and Hwy 175 respectively. It's crucial that community members are engaged in the planning process to ensure that the project design reflects the accessibility and safety needs of people who pass through those corridors. In partnership with community organizations Rooted & Rising - Washington Park, Washington Park Friends, and Friends of Lincoln Park, we are launching one cohort per project area of the Milwaukee Safe Streets Academy (SSA). The Milwaukee SSA is a free, 3-week course where residents will be trained to advocate for safe and accessible road design. They will also connect with local transportation planning experts ahead of these key project design decisions and practice using tools for assessing safety and accessibility along roadways. Upon completing this course, residents in the project area will be equipped with skills and knowledge to advocate for transportation networks that work for all. The whole-group kickoff meeting will take place on August 5th at Fruition Cafe in Milwaukee. There are 10 seats available for each cohort. Registration is required. The deadline to apply is Fri, 1st Aug. 2025. Links to Apply: Washington Park area / Highway 175 Lincoln Park area / Highway 57 Milwaukee Mayor Signs Housing Element Legislation MILWAUKEE – On July 16th, Mayor Cavalier Johnson signed legislation adopting the Housing Element Plan and was joined by members of the Milwaukee Common Council and officials from the Department of City Development (DCD). The Housing Element (formerly known as Growing MKE) is the result of a citywide planning initiative shaped by significant community input to meet Milwaukee's evolving housing needs. Part of the City of Milwaukee's Comprehensive Plan, this plan recommends permitting additional styles of housing throughout the City of Milwaukee, as well as additional policies to advance goals for housing choice, housing affordability and homeownership, environmental sustainability, and walkable neighborhoods. Milwaukee CBS(58) reports on the signing. City staff share excitement of adoption and moving forward on youtube. Next Steps: As City staff roll out potential zoning reforms, Together for Homes will continue to support affordable housing policies and reforms allowing more housing options so Milwaukee residents can safely and comfortably age in place. *The Together for Homes Coalition is a group of community members, neighborhood groups, and businesses convened by 1000 Friends of Wisconsin. To learn more about Milwaukee's Housing Element, visit the City's Housing Element web page.  The Community Transportation Academy is Coming to Green Bay! 1000 Friends is excited to announce the Community Transportation Academy is coming to Greater Green Bay in Fall 2025! Applications are now open until August 15, 2025. What: FREE ten-week course that helps bridge the gap between community advocates and decision makers in transportation and provides participants with skills and knowledge to advocate for safe and accessible transportation networks that work for everyone. Learn about transportation plans and processes, interact with local and national experts invited as guest speakers, take local tours, connect with other participants, and more. When: Wednesdays from 4-6pm, September 3 - November 5 Where: 5 in-person sessions in Green Bay, 5 virtual sessions via Zoom Who: Community members, local elected leaders, city and county staff, and college students in the Greater Green bay area who are interested in learning more about local transportation to be a better advocate! No previous knowledge or experience required. How: Visit [link removed] to read more on the 1000 Friends website and apply. Questions? Email Jen Walker, Community Programs Manager at [email protected]  Who Has the Best Complete Streets Policies in the U.S. (According to Smart Growth America)? Find out which communities are getting it right with policy! What We're Hearing & Seeing 1A - Beating Loneliness, Building Better Public Spaces The park. The library. The corner coffee shop. These spaces, separate from our work and our homes, make up part of the landscape of our daily lives. But they can also have a profound impact on our ability to connect with other people…and our ability to stave off loneliness. That’s also true for the place where we live. Is it alone, or with others? Do we have support from neighbors, or ... Listen to the podcast ... Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day 2025 and Mini Grants Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day honors the living legacy of civil rights activist Ruby Bridges. Every November 14th, we can celebrate Ruby’s courageous and historic act by encouraging students to walk to school and engaging in a day of dialogue about activism, anti-racism, and anti-bullying. The goal is to inspire kids to make positive changes in their school and community. Learn more about Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day through the Safe Routes Partnership. Learn more about the mini grants before the application opens on 4 Aug. If I-794 is Removed, What's Possible? Architecture and urban planning students envision what’s possible in Freeway to Skyline.  Share your feedback soon regarding 794 with WisDOT. In Case You Missed It - AARP recently published a white paper that connects Complete Streets to safety for older adults. For more information Mark Your Calendars! APA-Wisconsin Annual Conference September 11-12, 2025 La Crosse Center 1000 Friends of Wisconsin 608-259-1000 | 1kfriends.org  We work remotely so please contact us via email: Trevor Roark Address: 1000 Friends of Wisconsin PO Box 25 Stevens Point, WI 54481 It's Summer! Let's walk, bike, and bus! Learn more about our Community Transportation Academies. Follow 1000 Friends Online DONATE NOW Share This Email Share This Email 1000 Friends of Wisconsin | P O Box 25 | Steves Point, WI 54481 US Unsubscribe | Constant Contact Data Notice