The Legislature still hasn’t quite hammered out the method to free up about $85 million in state funds so Michigan can qualify for nearly $500 million in federal highway money.

What doesn’t need to be figured out is Michigan’s desperate need for such sums. The need is depressingly real, as affirmed this month by a report out of the Reason Foundation.

Each year, the foundation does its own analysis of state highways and, year after year, Michigan does poorly in it. So poorly, in fact, that the state's ranking for 2008 - 35th - still constitutes some measure of progress.

For a good part of the last decade, Michigan has been mired in the bottom 10 on highway performance and efficiency. In 2007, the state climbed to No. 31, but has now fallen back into the lowest third of the states. The good news, wink, is that Michigan's struggles are consistent.

Reason grades on 13 subcategories to develop its overall ranking. Michigan is considered to be in the 10 best states on only one: fatality rates. In 10 of the 13 subcategories, ranging from "capital and bridge disbursements" to "urban interstate condition," Michigan ranks No. 30 or lower.

By contrast, Indiana's overall ranking of No. 23 is based on sub-rankings that range from No. 1 - best - for rural arterials and interstates to No. 43 for "administrative disbursements."

In short, Michigan has plenty of room, in the foundation's eyes, to improve conditions and efficiencies.

"Drivers in California, Minnesota, Maryland, Michigan and Connecticut are stuck in the worst traffic. Over 65 percent of all urban interstates are congested in each of those five states. But nationally, the percentage of urban Interstates that are congested fell below 50 percent for the first time since 2000, when congestion standards were revised," the report states.

Hmm. So just as the rest of the nation is seeing some improvement on congestion, Michigan ranks among the worst.

Michigan also is one of the five states that contain about 60 percent of all the urban interstate miles in poor condition.

Finding a way to gain $475 million in federal highway aid might prove helpful in addressing that little need, right?

The current Legislature has distinguished itself for its undistinguished work on a wide variety of topics. But its consistent refusal to address basic reform of transportation funding will be a big burden for this state to overcome.
 

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100921/OPINION01/9210309/1086/OPINION01