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Friday, November 20, 2009
Accidents piling up with snow
Lansing State Journal
Like other drivers, Lansing resident Analee Young, 23, has seen a handful of cars in ditches since last Sunday.
t's a sight she expects to see more this winter.
The Lansing area is beginning to see slick, wintery roads again, and two people died after their pickup collided with a minivan as they...
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Proposal overhauls funding for Michigan's roads
Detroit Free Press
A construction industry group is pushing to change gas taxes in Michigan to raise more money for roads and other transportation needs.
Advertisement
Two major changes would fund the bulk of a proposal by the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA) to raise an additional $1.5...
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Construction industry calls for higher road taxes
Booth Newspapers
Michigan contractors are asking lawmakers to quickly approve
more than $1.4 billion in higher fuel taxes and registration fees to
jump start road construction in the state.
Wednesday's proposal that the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation
Association wants lawmakers to consider during the...
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Transportation: Increased Revenue Recommendations
Spinal Column
The Michigan Transportation Funding Task Force submitted its recommendations to Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the State Transportation Commission on Monday, Nov. 10, underscoring a consensus that Michigan continues to underfund its transportation infrastructure.
The task force is a bipartisan, 13-member...
Friday, November 14, 2008
Road and bridge repairs must remain a priority
Daily Tribune
None of the proposals revealed a few days ago to boost Michigan's transportation funding has much appeal. But the alternative, watching our roads continue to crumble, has even less.
In fact, doing nothing is not a realistic option.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
State can't stand still on spending for roads
Detroit News
If Michigan doesn't change the amount of money it spends on transportation, a state task force reports, it is in danger not only of crumbling roads and bridges and lost jobs, but of losing up to $1 billion annually in federal highway funding. The task force recommends a significant increase in transportation...
read more...Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Michigan drivers likely to feel pinch of reduced road salt this winter
Grand Rapids Press
A surge in the price of road salt and cutbacks on road clearing this winter may keep motorists out of the fast lane.
The Michigan Department of Transportation has instructed county road agencies to reduce snow removal on several major routes, while county and city crews also plan to conserve salt.
MDOT...
Monday, November 10, 2008
Report: Better if Michigan taxes gas wholesale price
Forbes
Gov. Jennifer Granholm and lawmakers should consider eliminating Michigan's 19-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax and replacing it with a tax on the wholesale price of gas, according to a report released Monday.
Swapping the taxes would let revenues rise or fall with changing fuel prices rather than tying...
Monday, November 10, 2008
County road association responds to report
WLNS News
County road officials say tight budgets are forcing them to make tough decisions and it's taking a toll on our roadways. The County Road Association of Michigan says both Clinton and Livingston Counties have been forced to turn down federal funding because they don't have the matching dollars. Others...
read more...Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Fewer snow plows expected on the roads this winter
WZZM Grand Rapids
MICHIGAN(WZZM) You might find it a little more difficult to get around once the snow starts to fly.
MDOT says revenues are down because people aren't buying as much gas. As a result, road crews won't be plowing as much after hours this winter. The state says it can't afford the overtime.
In Kent...
Monday, November 3, 2008
Expect less sale, slicker roads
Charlevoix Courier
Northern Michigan road commission officials are putting motorists on notice now: Area roads might be a little slicker this winter.
At Friday’s Emmet County Road Commission meeting, engineer-manager Brian Gutowski said motorists should expect to see less pavement, even on state highways, at...
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Roads rated poor in region: Local managers blame funding
Ludington Daily
Mason County has a significant percentage of primary roads in poor condition, according to the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association.
read more...Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Salt prices may lead to conservative road clearing this winter
WWMT News Kalamazoo
WEST MICHIGAN (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - The sun may be shining bright this week, but there are already worries about winter and what to do when the snow falls.
Like so many other things this year, the issue is the economy. The cost of road salt is sky-rocketing.
It may seem a bit premature to be talking...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Winter woes for road crews: Road commissions lack funding this year
TV 6 Negaunee
UPPER PENINSULA -- Winter weather is creeping up on us and that means that road commissions across the state are gearing up in preparation. But this year, the common sight of orange plows on the road may become a little more rare in some areas. Road commissions in Michigan are struggling to do what...
read more...Friday, September 19, 2008
Increase funding, or ride bumpier, more dangerous roads
Detroit Free Press: Column by Brent O. Bair from Road Commission for Oakland County
The state Transportation Funding Task Force has determined that the needs of Michigan's roads and bridges now exceed projected funding for the work by more than $3 billion per year. We have gotten to this point after more than 40 years of ranking in the bottom 10 states in per capita state and local...
read more...Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Road projects could come to a stand-still
WWMT TV - Kalamazoo
MICHIGAN (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Hold onto your steering wheel. Construction could last a lot longer on Michigan roads.
State lawmakers have less than two weeks to green-light a transportation budget or all the road projects will come to a stand-still.
The hold-up is a dispute about bridge crossings...
Monday, September 1, 2008
With roads in mess, there's no expressway anymore
The Bay City Times
Traveling, such as going on a vacation by car, used to be an adventure - one that would create pleasant memories.
True, traveling with children can be challenging, but at least it was accomplished with a minimum of delays, detours, traffic jams and nerve-jarring "cone zones." One could expect...
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Infrastructure costs: Jackson's quandary
Jackson Citizen Patriot
If you're among the 34,000-plus city residents, you may have noticed recent news stories reflecting a growing list of infrastructure issues in the city. Here's a quick review:
Streets. Jackson is not the only "pothole city" in Michigan, but as any motorist knows, our streets are in terrible shape....
Friday, August 22, 2008
Raise the gas tax, then find a better way to fund roadwork
Detroit Free Press
Michigan's transportation system is running out of gas. On state roads alone, Michigan is now $320 million a year short of what's needed just for maintenance. In the Detroit area, $30 billion worth of needed transportation projects won't get done over the next 25 years because the money isn't available.
With...
Monday, August 18, 2008
Bridge money is scarce
Jackson Citizen Patriot
The pocked, crumbling concrete of the 74-year-old Cross Road bridge sits suspended about a foot above the Kalamazoo River.
It connected two sides of a dusty rural road in Spring Arbor Township before it was barricaded from use in April.
About 10 miles away on the Folks Road bridge in Pulaski Township,...
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Road commission asking state for share of gas taxes
The County Press
Road bosses are driving a grass roots effort to put a portion of pump pain back into the crumbling roads.
Lapeer County Road Commissioners are askng the state to return some of the windfall they're experiencing from gasoline sales taxes. As pump prices increase, so does the state's percentage, said...
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Ballot language ok'd for county road tax
Holland Sentinel
A divided Ottawa County board chose Tuesday, Aug. 12 to let voters decide the fate of a proposed road tax.
By an 8-3 margin, the board approved the ballot language for a suggested 6-year, .55 mill road tax.
The property tax will amount to about $55 for a home with a taxable value of $100,000.
Voters...
Monday, August 4, 2008
Bumpy future ahead for road funding
Livingston Daily Press
A report that states the costs of Michigan's basic road and bridge needs have doubled to $6.1 billion per year is especially bad news for Livingston County, which receives the least road funding per capita in the state, officials said.
Making matters worse, the state is expected to lose $4.5 billion...
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Bridges still safe to drive on, but need repairs
ABC 12 Television
MID-MICHIGAN (WJRT) -- (07/31/08)--A new report shows that state bridges are in bad shape, and the worst are in Saginaw County.
In fact, 49 of the 97 state bridges in Saginaw County are considered structurally deficient. Structurally deficient means those bridges need some repair work.
But it doesn't...
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Age, maintenance costs concern for Mich. bridges
Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Nearly half of Michigan's bridges are at least 40 years old, causing some concern that their repair and maintenance bills could escalate substantially within the next few years.
Like most states, Michigan has not significantly changed its bridge repair schedule or spending...
Monday, July 28, 2008
Lawmakers dither as the roads crumble
Lansing State Journal
The news about Michigan's roads continues to worsen. A new report now in the hands of the Granholm administration says the state needs to spend about $6 billion a year to keep up with "basic" maintenance of highways and bridges.
Michigan now spends about half that amount. And no one in state government...
Monday, July 28, 2008
Where is Michigan going to get money for road upkeep?
Cheboygan Daily Tribune
Did it come as any surprise to anyone who has ever driven in Michigan that the maintenance of roads and bridges is grossly under-funded? A task force charged with the daunting task of figuring how to improve state roads said Michigan must double its spending to keep roads and bridges from deteriorating...
read more...Friday, July 25, 2008
Creativity needed to find new roadwork revenue
The Oakland Press
The Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation Funding is suggesting that Michigan needs to double its spending on roads and bridges or many will keep deteriorating and become unsafe.
The committee, appointed by Gov. Granholm, estimates $6.1 billion a year is required for basic improvements to...
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Road work reduced: Winter costs, economy forces cuts in upkeep
The Port Huron Times Herald
A harsh winter and mounting economic pressures are forcing reduced road maintenance in St. Clair and Sanilac counties this summer.
Advertisement
Rob Morosi of the Michigan Department of Transportation's Metro Detroit Region said salting and plowing costs throughout the state left MDOT $18 million...
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Road session to map future
The Saginaw News
You're a Michigan resident and you're living with the highest jobless rate in the nation, constant layoffs, health care cuts, foreclosures, food and energy costs sprinting ahead of your income, a stagnant economy, rising taxes and relatives, friends and neighbors who are saddling up and leaving the state...
read more...Monday, July 21, 2008
Report: Michigan must double spending on roads
Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan needs to double its spending on roads and bridges or many will keep deteriorating and become unsafe, says a report to a task force studying how to pay for transportation projects without raising the state's gasoline tax.
The report issued Monday estimates $6.1...
Monday, July 21, 2008
Michigan roads in need of repair
WLNS TV 6 Lansing
Michigan roads are in dire need of repair and according to a new report that need is growing. The new report warns residents that many michigan roads and bridges will keep deteriorating and become more dangerous unless the state doubles it's spending on road work.
The study was compiled by a citizens...
Monday, July 21, 2008
Michigan risks losing road funds
The Detroit News
Michigan and its cities and counties will lose nearly $1 billion a year in federal funds and watch another 30 percent of their roads crumble into poor condition in the next decade unless they nearly double spending on repairs, a special state advisory committee says in a report it is releasing today.
The...
Monday, July 14, 2008
Road agencies' budget cuts mean less staff, more clutter
Detroit Free Press
Michigan's beat-up economy is showing another unattractive side in the form of freeways and roadsides that are dirty, with lingering litter and overgrown weeds.
Drivers are buying less gas, and that means less money for road upkeep. Top it off with that snowy, costly winter we endured, and road agencies...
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Rough Road
NBC Nightly News
You feel the skyrocketing price of oil whenever you fill up your gas tank, but what about when you drive down the road? NBC’s Savannah Guthrie reports on yet another ripple effect from the rising price of oil.
The link to the story will be live for a limited amount of time.
Click on the...
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Road repair is top priority
Battle Creek Enquirer
MARSHALL — Rising oil costs have forced area officials to shift their priorities to ensure roads get the care they need.
At the Calhoun County Road Commission, for example, not mowing miles of roadside grass, brining gravel roads once this summer instead of twice, scaling back tree removal,...
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Gas tax increase in Nebraska bucks trend
TMCnet.com
(Omaha World-Herald (NE) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jun. 23--LINCOLN -- At a time when some public officials have called for suspending gas taxes to give motorists a break on high gasoline prices, Nebraska is among a handful of states raising gas taxes this year.
Nebraska will add 3 cents of...
Sunday, June 22, 2008
State must deal with deteriorating roads
Flint Journal
The advancing deterioration of Michigan roads poses a dismal choice: Either invest in repairs now, or end up paying more later.
While drivers might curse the prevalence of construction barrels during this season, the state's Assessment Management Council advises that invisible "deferred maintenance"...
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
18 Bay County bridges deemed structurally deficient
The Bay City Times
Bay County has 18 highway bridges deemed "structurally deficient" by the Michigan Department of Transportation, according to a new report by the agency.
Motorists don't need to panic.
"It's just an overall condition problem. It means one of the three main parts of the bridge - the deck, the beams...
Friday, June 13, 2008
Michigan Roads Getting Worse
WLNS TV 6 Lansing
It's a bumpy ride on Michigan's roads and it could get worse. That might not surprise anyone who's driven anywhere lately, but a new state report confirms those suspicions. It says the number of Michigan roads in poor condition has nearly doubled since 2004. The number of roads in good or fair condition...
read more...Friday, June 13, 2008
State Gas Tax Revenues Drop Over Two Years
Gongwer News Service
Soaring gasoline prices have led to lower gas tax revenues for the state over the last two years, officials said. Since the 2005-06 fiscal year, gas tax revenues have fallen by more than 7 percent, officials said.
The drop in gas tax revenues will not have a major effect on projects for this year,...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
State's already poorly maintained roads will crumble further as money dries up
The Detroit News
A new state report says one-quarter of the pavement on Michigan's main roads is in poor shape, and that percentage will reach nearly half in 10 years if the state doesn't come up with the money to fix the roads faster and maintain them better.
"The most important roads in our state are deteriorating...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Michigan Roads Face Even Bumpier Future
WXYZ Action News
Your morning commute is most likely a bumpy one.
Roads across the state are crumbling at an alarming rate.
The new report... obtained by our partners at the Detroit News... reveals bad roads aren't going to get better anytime soon.. and in fact.. could crumble even more.. if funds don't come fast.
Already......
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Quarter of Michigan's road miles rated poor
Chicago Tribune
A new state report says Michigan's roads are getting worse.
The study says 26 percent of lane-miles on major roads in the state were in poor condition last year, up from 12 percent in 2004. The report predicts bad roads will make up 45 percent of the total in 10 years unless road spending increases.
The...
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Rough winter sets back MDOT funding for summer
ABC-12
MID-MICHIGAN (WJRT) -- (05/20/08)--The Michigan Department of Transportation is bracing for major budget cuts this summer, and officials say the near-record snowfall last winter is to blame.
An MDOT spokesperson says this past winter the state spent more money than normal just trying to keep the roads...
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Minnesota Agency Faulted on Bridge Upkeep
The New York Times
Before the Interstate 35W bridge in downtown Minneapolis collapsed last year, state transportation officials had put off recommendations from experts to make it safer, failed to follow their own inspection policies and at times allowed financing concerns to affect how it was maintained, a team of investigators...
read more...Sunday, May 18, 2008
Gas tax holiday is just another cynical play for our votes
The Bay City Times
Presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain want us all to know that they care about the little guy.
So, here's the bone they throw: A 98-day holiday, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, from the 18.4-cents-a-gallon federal gasoline tax.
It's a ridiculous, unworkable and damaging...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Rouge River bridge crossing on M-14 reduced to one lane
Detroit Free Press
Unanticipated problems with a freeway bridge in western Wayne County may cause traffic headaches through the end of the week – or longer.
The Michigan Department of Transportation said today it’s reducing taking eastbound M-14 down to one lane on a bridge crossing the Rouge River after...
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Gas-tax break would please some, but could leave roads in ruins
Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- In an era of $4-a-gallon gas, Linda Sharp is like a lot of Americans: Conflicted.
We love our cars. But we hate expensive gas, even while we curse the crumbling roads that get paved by some of what we spend at the pump.
Still, Sharp said, we deserve a break -- maybe even the much-mocked...
Monday, May 5, 2008
Some many potholes, so few dollars and crews for repairs
Detroit Free Press
When you see more potholes and fewer crews out repairing them this year, you can thank money problems that increasingly limit what county road commissions can do to keep up.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Make roads a priority and funding will follow
The Oakland Press
A pothole season that is arguably the worst in Michigan history is likely to fuel discussion of what to do about Michigan's crumbling roads and bridges.
It all boils down to money.
Some local funding options were mentioned in this space last week. But a broader package aimed at more than just potholes...
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Expensive winter drains road funds
C & G Newspapers
OAKLAND COUNTY — The recently — and hopefully, finally — concluded winter was one of the most expensive road maintenance seasons ever, state Road Commission for Oakland County officials.
Unfortunately, state road funding continues to decline, creating a troubling financial future...
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Contest a cute approach to serious road problem
The Oakland Press
A 2.5-foot-wide pothole near Pontiac Lake Road and Irwin Drive in Waterford Township was cited as one of the four worst in the state. It won Jessica Herbert of Kalamazoo, daughter of Niel Nielsen of Waterford Township, an award of $318 after she photographed it and submitted the picture to the Michigan...
read more...Friday, April 11, 2008
Photo of massive pothole wins Saginaw woman money
The Saginaw News
The photographer's instinct in Angela C. Davis told her the massive pothole on Veterans Memorial Parkway was worthy of her camera's lens.
Her inclination paid off, as the photo she snapped ended up winning her $318.
"Photography is my passion. I follow my passion, and it leads me to potholes,"...
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Pothole Contest
MIRS and Gongwer
Here's A Little Help For That Pothole
MIRS, 4.9.08
A carton of asphalt and a plastic yellow "hard hat" were handed out today to lawmakers whose districts boast the most pot-holed road in Michigan. Seven House members and seven Senators received the "gift."
The latest gimmick from the Michigan...
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Michigan potholes so big, they're awarded prizes
AutoBlog California
As we told you a couple weeks back, Michigan roads are a mess. The orange barrels keep popping up all over the place, but for every road that is fixed, two begin to crumble. The problem has been ongoing for decades, and it has gotten to the point where finding Chevette-sized craters can net you some...
read more...Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Grand Canyon pothole wins dubious honors
The Oakland Press
WATERFORD TWP. Niel Nielsen called it the "Grand Canyon" - a 2.5-footwide pothole he managed to avoid this spring while driving in his Waterford Township neighborhood near Pontiac Lake Road and Irwin Drive.
His daughter Jessica Herbert of Kalamazoo managed to avoid it on her visits. In late March,...
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Walker, Grand Rapids don't want to claim pothole contest winner
Grand Rapids Press
WALKER -- Even in the ruin and rubble of the worst pothole season in recent memory, there's still a place for pride.
Walker city officials leaped to defend their streets Monday after a statewide group claimed one of the four worst potholes in Michigan was within their borders, on O'Brien Street SW.
"Are...
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
State's worst potholes named
Detroit Free Press
Potholes from four regions of Michigan won a contest to find the worst potholes the state could offer.
The winning potholes were on Irwin Drive in Waterford; O’Brien Road in west Michigan’s Walker; South Jackson Street in Jackson; and Veterans Memorial Parkway in Saginaw.
Honorary...
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Jackson Bumpy Roads
WLNS TV Lansing
Drive along the roads in Jackson and you're in for a bumpy ride.
City officials say there are lots of roads in need of major repairs. It would cost the city millions of dollars to fix them all. It's money city offcials say they don't have and they say they aren't getting enough help from the state....
Monday, April 7, 2008
A push for road repairs
Jackson Citizen Patriot
Municipalities statewide are making a statement to state lawmakers: Their roads are in bad condition and they need more money.
``It is part of our statewide effort by the Michigan Municipal League and other groups to find a solution to Michigan's transportation problem,'' Jackson City Manager William...
Monday, April 7, 2008
Grand Rapids Area Crater Wins Statewide Pothole Contest
WXMI Fox 17
LANSING — A coalition working to secure more funding to fix Michigan's roads and bridges Monday announced four "service station scholarship" winners of a month-long contest to identify the worst rim-bending potholes in the state.
The judges chose award-winning potholes in Walker, Waterford,...
Monday, April 7, 2008
Walker pothole a statewide winner
WOOD-TV
A crater on O'Brien Road was one of four Worst Potholes in the state, chosen by the Michigan Transportation team's statewide contest. Size and depth mattered.
Potholes from around the state were also "honored," but some in West Michigan were true standouts. An entire stretch of Dean Lake Road in Grand...
Friday, April 4, 2008
This winter was perfect for potholes
The Livingston Community News
If you were looking to "grow" a good crop of potholes, you'd be hard pressed to find a better growing season than the winter that was just put to rest.
With four or five freeze-and-thaw cycles, the winter of 2007-08 was a beauty for creating just the right conditions for potholes to pop up on state,...
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Don't wait for another disaster before road funding is fixed
The Bay City Times
Michigan's road system is falling apart, along with the nation's highways.
On March 18, the M-84 bridge in Frankenlust Township over Interstate 75 dropped golfball- and baseball-size chunks of concrete onto the freeway below. Police closed a southbound lane and crews hastily made repairs.
The 48-year-old...
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Budgetary potholes rattle economy
Oakland Business Review
Guest Opinion
By Michael Nystrom
March 27, 2008
Michigan's roads are a growing problem. Every Michigan driver has had at least one encounter with a rim-bending pothole, and as we enter the heart of pothole season, it's only going to get worse.
Policymakers have the power to end the neglect of...
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Where's Leadership?
Lansing State Journal
Letter to the Editor
Sen. Valde Garcia, R-Howell, made it clear in his March 12 Viewpoint that he is firmly against raising the gas tax. What he omitted is a plan to fix Michigan's crumbling roads and bridges. Anyone driving on Michigan's roads can recognize the dire situation that we have. This...
Friday, March 21, 2008
Crumbling: Michigan needs investment in roads, not more gravel
Lansing State Journal
Ground down by financial pressures, road agencies in Michigan are looking at a policy of grinding down damaged paved roads into gravel tracks.
That would put counties like Clinton in reverse, though. Michigan communities cannot be backing up when it comes to infrastructure.
In the end, Michigan...
Friday, March 21, 2008
Donohue: State's road to prosperity built on trade, infrastructure
Lansing State Journal
Thomas Donohue is president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a business advocacy group.
Michigan is facing tough times. Some are writing off the state, arguing it will never recapture its glory days.
I couldn't disagree more.
I envision a future where Michigan's economy is high tech, science-based,...
Thursday, March 20, 2008
No cure for the Van Dyke blues: Local business owners frustrated over road conditions
C&G Newspapers: Sterling Heights
STERLING HEIGHTS — Abe Sobh says he would have thought twice about opening a business on Van Dyke had he known how drastically the road would deteriorate over the last year.
Sobh, owner of Lil Meesas Pizza near 15 Mile, said customers have told him they won’t be back because they don’t...
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
From plowing snow to patching potholes
The Morning Sun
Michiganders look for robins as one of the first signs of spring, but potholes are also a sign that winter is coming to an end, as water thaws and refreezes under road surfaces.
The Isabella County Road Commission went from snow plowing to repairing potholes in a matter of a week.
"It’s...
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Crews working to fix crumbling M-84 bridge over I-75
The Bay City Times
Motorists called to say chunks were falling on I-75
A chunk of concrete fell from the overpass that takes M-84 over Interstate 75 onto the highway Tuesday morning, and officials rushed to the scene to investigate the problem and protect motorists from danger.
Deputies from the Bay County Sheriff's...
Monday, March 17, 2008
When roads go bad: Clinton County considers grinding route into gravel
Lansing State Journal
BINGHAM TWP. - Traversed more by cracks than cars, Taft Road just south of St. Johns is falling apart.
It has deteriorated so much that Clinton County officials are on the verge of letting nature have her way.
They would grind down what is left of Taft into bits of stone and leave it - gravel to...
Friday, March 14, 2008
Haggerty stretch full of bumps, missing chunks
Detroit Free Press
The winner of today's Disaster of the Week honor is one of those roads we can't do without -- as much as we'd like to when it's in such poor condition.
Advertisement
Even so, it's on what I'd call the high end of the disaster scale: no fun but not dead yet.
NAME: Haggerty Road.
LOCATION: Between...
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Roads: To get beyond potholes, Michigan needs Capitol aid
Lansing State Journal
A Lansing State Journal editorial
Mayor Virg Bernero and his chief of staff, Jerry Ambrose, had a couple of clear messages for Lansing drivers Tuesday:
• The potholes will be filled.
• Better roads for the capital city - and the surrounding area - rest on the state's ability to provide...
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Five-foot pothole ruining tires in Royal Oak
The Detroit News
ROYAL OAK -- A pothole on westbound 13 Mile has caused flat tires on at least 15 vehicles this morning, Royal Oak Police said.
The pothole is five feet long and three feet wide, according to a WWJ-950 (AM) report. The station initially reported the pothole appeared to be 15 feet long.
Police said...
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Pothole problem not easily patched
Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- A bumper crop of potholes on Michigan's streets and freeways has road officials taking extreme measures to combat a problem that's straining budgets, driving up damage claims, and forcing patching crews to work around the clock.
"It's not just a Grand Rapids issue; it's a Kent County...
Monday, March 3, 2008
Higher gas tax plan fuels debate
Lansing State Journal
Dylan Miller sells insurance and figures each week he puts about 1,000 miles on his 2004 Nissan.
Despite the high mileage, the Lansing man isn't opposed to a proposed boost in the state gasoline tax, even if it means paying an extra 9 cents per gallon.
Why?
The gas tax helps fund local road...
Monday, March 3, 2008
Potholes an expanding problem
Battle Creek Enquirer
Potholes can be bone-jarring, jaw-clenching obstacles that are at least bothersome, and might actually do damage to your vehicle.
Michigan drivers are no strangers to potholes, especially in late winter and early spring, as the weather warms. But this year has been particularly hard on drivers, roads...
Monday, March 3, 2008
With a rising gas tax, what price will we see at the pump?
Minnesota Post
Now that Minnesota's gas tax is increasing, will it mean higher pump prices for consumers as Gov. Tim Pawlenty and nearly every news organization in the state has said?
"No, you can't say that," said Mary Welge of the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) in New Jersey, a national authority on fuel...
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Gas tax increase necessary to fix state's roads
The Oakland Press
State Rep. David Law, R-Commerce Township, is working on legislation that could help repair Oakland County's crumbling road system.
The bills would change the way road funds are distributed to counties.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
An ode to potholes: Michigan driver's poem on road craters
WZZM 13 News
BY MATT HELMS, FREE PRESS DRIVING COLUMNIST
Created: 2/22/2008 10:36:33 AM
Updated: 2/22/2008 10:37:49 AM
Charles Roach writes down his thoughts and notions, and sometimes they become poems.
He doesn't always finish them right away. His muse might need a rest, so his work will stew a bit, awaiting...
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Potholes are a pain: Drivers lament sorry state of roads this winter
The Macomb Daily
Motorists irate about problem potholes on Van Dyke Avenue have flooded the Michigan Department of Transportation office in Lansing with telephone calls.
Advertisement
But, according to Rob Morosi, public relations specialist for MDOT, it won't do any good.
Morosi said motorists have to be patient...
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Turn that road crater into cash
Detroit Free Press
Here’s a way make money off that ruinous pothole you’re warning everyone to avoid.
A road-improvement group is holding a contest to find the state’s worst, most menacing chuckholes. Three winners will receive what the Michigan Transportation Team calls “service center scholarshipsâ€...
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Someone must pay: Raising the state gas tax would make the most sense
The Detroit Free Press
This spring is likely to be the worst for potholes that Michigan drivers have felt since 1997, when another freeze-and-thaw winter undermined pavement that was years behind in maintenance. The roads were so bad that year that then-Gov. John Engler ended his long opposition to a gas tax increase, approving...
read more...Thursday, February 21, 2008
Car eating potholes ahead
Detroit Free Press
Pothole season is upon us, and it's going to be a rough one. Don't expect any quick fixes, though. There's not enough money for roads, and finding more won't be easy. Here are some suggestions to ease the bumpy ride.
Cut federal roadblocks: Congressional earmarks waste dollars, skew priorities
Here's...
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Rocky roads: Potholes, ruts and icy streets imperil vehicles, motorists
Lansing State Journal
It's a war zone out there. Well, it may look like it in spots around Lansing, judging from road conditions.
Potholes. Ruts. Sheets of ice.
"This is the worst I've ever seen it in the Lansing area," driver Joe Epchison said Wednesday. He's knocked out alignments and lost hub caps.
"Waverly is...
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Help! Get to these potholes first
Detroit Free Press
We want these potholes fixed!
We asked, and readers are responding with suggestions for bad stretches of road where crews should head ASAP.
I’ll be passing these along to the appropriate road agencies, but here are the nominees we’ve received. I’ll be updating them through...
Monday, February 18, 2008
Dreaded potholes pop out early
Detroit Free Press
We are under siege from the destructive seasonal catastrophe known as the pothole.
read more...Monday, February 18, 2008
Win Money With Worst Pothole
Click on Detroit.com
It's that time of year where the roads have turned into battle grounds.
Odds are you have come across a major pothole in your commute.
A contest, sponsored by the Michigan Transportation Team, runs from Feb. 19- March 28 to help identify where the problem roadways are located.
The contest will...
Monday, February 18, 2008
Michigan's Worst Pothole Contest
WILX TV-Lansing
The season we call winter is also being referred to as 'pothole season.' and a contest sponsored by the Michigan Transportation Team wants you to find the worst pothole in the state.
"We are in a dire state here with the deterioration of a roads and bridges," said Mike Nystrom, Co-Chairman of the...
Monday, February 18, 2008
Pothole contest looks for largest street craters
The Muskegon Chronicle
Did the asphalt divide and swallow your Bug? The concrete crack and crunch your Chevy?
Driving U.S. 131 this week is a tie-rod twisting, shock-shaking, Goodyear-grinding demolition derby that could use reflexes and vehicles better fit for the Baja 1000.
And as another thaw-freeze cycle makes mincemeat...
Monday, February 18, 2008
Pothole contest looks for largest street craters
The Muskegon Chronicle
This story also appeared in The Grand Rapids Press.
Did the asphalt divide and swallow your Bug? The concrete crack and crunch your Chevy?
Driving U.S. 131 this week is a tie-rod twisting, shock-shaking, Goodyear-grinding demolition derby that could use reflexes and vehicles better fit for the...
Monday, February 11, 2008
Potholes lie in wait
The Saginaw News
Prepare for a bumpy ride.
The snow will melt and the icy grip of winter will fade, but not without inflicting serious damage to our roads. In the meantime, the season of bone-rattling potholes has started.
"It's the worst I've ever seen," said Mike A. Nystrom, vice president of Government and Public...
Monday, February 11, 2008
Overtime, salt, fuel eating up road budgets
Lansing State Journal
More than 50 inches of snow has fallen on the Lansing area so far this season.
That's almost 40 percent above normal and the prime reason a number of local highway departments are hemorrhaging money.
"Everybody has had enough of winter," said Joe Pulver, director of operations for the Ingham County...
Monday, February 11, 2008
Michigan Highways Get The Short End
WILX-TV Lansing
Driving down the highway can be a rocky ride for Mid-Michigan residents -- A ride that needs constant reconstruction and repair.
"Obviously Michigan is struggling, we have an infrastructure that's falling apart. You drive on our roads and see the potholes. You drive under our bridges and concrete...
Monday, February 11, 2008
Overtime keeping roads open, leaves budgets tight
The Muskegon Chronicle
Snowplow drivers throughout West Michigan have been working overtime to clear roads -- overtime that is stretching road commission budgets.
read more...Saturday, February 9, 2008
Potholes sink road budgets
Port Huron Times Herald
"They spring up where they spring up. It's kind of like a teenager with acne."
So said Kirk Weston, director of the St. Clair County Road Commission, about the predictability of potholes. The randomness already has started, with several area roads bearing the cratered scars of winter.
A 3-foot...
Friday, February 8, 2008
U.P. road commissions have to cut back: Officials tell State Legislators that without proper funding, they can't provide certain services
WLUC 6 Marquette
MARQUETTE -- If you don't have the money, you can't continue the service. That's what county road commission officials told State Representatives Friday morning.
"We just wanted to make them and the public aware that the road commissions are having financial problems," says Jim Iwanicki of the Marquette...
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Beware the big bang boom
Detroit Free Press
As our weather careens from brutally cold one day to snowy or unseasonably warm the next, potholes flourish and motorists cringe.
That freeze-thaw cycle breaks up roads and leads to other unwelcome reverberations. The jarring blow from running over a nasty pothole may keep on jolting drivers with...
Monday, January 28, 2008
Drivers to see major toll hikes
USA Today
From the Golden Gate Bridge to the New Jersey Turnpike, the nation's toll booths are getting dramatically more expensive to drive through.
The sharp increases come as states endure financially lean times triggered by the housing and credit crunch and struggle to find money to maintain or replace vital...
Friday, January 18, 2008
Where the ramps are rough
Detroit Free Press
Today's winner of our Disaster of the Week award more than lives up to the honor, manhandling drivers and their vehicles with potholes and patching.
Name: Ramps at the intersection of Ford and Evergreen roads.
Location: Dearborn and Dearborn Heights.
Why it matters: The intersection is overshadowed...
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Group: Fund cuts chop roads to rubble
The Detroit News
When is the last time you heard of a paved road being returned to gravel?
According to the County Road Association of Michigan, that's exactly what has happened because of the continuing free fall in state transportation and road funding.
Seven counties across the state, mostly up north, are pulverizing...
Thursday, January 17, 2008
County's winter road budget strained: Continued snow, ice removal may impct summer road construction
Hillsdale Daily News
Any more snow and ice on county roads this winter could become a headache for drivers well into the summer.
Advertisement
The Hillsdale County Road Commission already has used half of its winter budget for snow and ice removal, drying up those funds in December after the heavy weekend snow storms....
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Loud Dam residents fight to keep road from being turned to gravel
Oscoda Press
OSCODA - When the Iosco County Road Commission began to tear up a section of Loud Dam Road in the spring of 2006, the residents were happy; they thought they were getting a new road.
They were wrong. Instead of a new road to replace the extremely deteriorated surface, residents learned their road...
Monday, January 14, 2008
County road commissions tap reserves: Snowstorms, reduced funding strain budgets
Port Huron Times Herald
The Sanilac County Road Commission is having to dip into its savings to pay employees and cover bills - and it's not the only road commission in the state facing such problems.
According to a survey conducted by the County Road Association of Michigan, most of the state's road commissions are struggling...
Monday, January 14, 2008
Staff, money to clear roads limited: Road commission tackles 'myths' about plowing priorities, gasoline taxes
The Macomb Daily
bove-freezing temperatures and a little rain bring a smile to Robert Hoepfner.
As chief highway engineer for the Macomb County Road Commission, Hoepfner bears ultimate responsibility for keeping a lot of county roads snow-free.
And when Mother Nature cooperates, Hoepfner's job is a lot easier.
"People's...
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Citizens group battles bad road
Traverse City Record Eagle
BOYNE CITY -- Joe Soulliere stood in his backyard near Boyne City-Charlevoix Road and watched as vehicles rumbled across patched potholes.
"I don't drive that road unless I have to. I don't want my truck torn to pieces. It's no easy thing on the front end of a vehicle," he said. "With it so rough...
Monday, January 7, 2008
Group Wants Budget Surplus Put Back to Fixing Roads
WLNS-TV Lansing
A lobbying group for Michigan roads is demanding its share of money back from the state after being hit with deep funding cuts. Just this week, lawmakers announced the state finished the 2007 fiscal year with a surplus. Now one group says some of that extra money should go back towards fixing Michigan's...
read more...Monday, January 7, 2008
Pave the way for better road funding
Detroit Free Press
Gov. Jennifer Granholm is on the right road in approving a new task force to seek alternative ways to pay for transportation improvements. But she and other state leaders must show a lot more fortitude than they have demonstrated in their failure to raise the state gas tax if they want any of these new...
read more...Friday, January 4, 2008
Gas taxes also could increase
Port Huron Times Herald
The state Department of Transportation's multi-billion dollar budget isn't enough to maintain the state's roads at their current condition, and Sen. Jud Gilbert, R-Algonac, wants solutions.
Recently, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a bill Gilbert sponsored last year that will create a task force and...
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Minnesota 2020 calls for 10-cent hike in gas tax for roads
Minnesota Bemidji Pioneer
A 10-cent hike in Minnesota’s gasoline tax would cost an average rural Minnesotan about $60 a year. Not doing anything could cost $400 a year — $200 in car maintenance and $200 in higher property taxes.
So Minnesotans actually would save money with a higher gas tax, proffers a new report...
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Thirteen years of inspections offer the deepest look into the bridge's condition
Minnesota Pioneer Press
Cracked welds. Loose bolts. Parts of the bridge literally being eaten away by the elements.
A Pioneer Press review of 13 years of in-depth inspection reports for the Interstate 35W bridge revealed an accumulation of problems that lingered as inspectors hustled to the next bridge. Federal law requires...
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Fight continues to fund roads: money needed in 2008 to fix Michigan's crumbling infrastructure
The Dowagiac Daily News
LANSING - The Michigan Legislature failed to provide adequate funding to fix our crumbling roads and bridges in 2007, but transportation leaders will be heard loud and clear in 2008.
"We want legislators to know we are not backing down," said Mike Nystrom, vice president of government and public relations...
Monday, December 24, 2007
Task force to look for road funding
Crain's Detroit Business
There's a new player entering Michigan's road-funding debate.
A public-private task force, created through a bill passed earlier this month, will look at alternative ways to fund roads in 2008, as well as the adequacy of aeronautics service and finance.
Under Senate Bill 59, sponsored by Jud Gilbert,...
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Association supports road repair discussion
Monroe News
The Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA) is hoping Gov. Jennifer Granholm's comments on why the gas tax shouldn't be raised to fund more road improvements gets the public thinking more about the issue.
Gov. Granholm commented at her year-end press conference Tuesday that she...
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Budget Cuts Taking Toll on Road Commission
WLNS-TV
The cleanup continued Monday after mid-Michigan was blasted with a winter storm. Crews worked all day to clear the roads , but not in time to keep some area schools from closing. In Clinton County, workers were forced to leave several streets unplowed over the weekend. They say budget cuts are to blame.
Just...
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Budget woes
The Bay City Times
... According to the County Road Association of Michigan, declining fuel tax revenues - coupled with the rising costs of materials, labor and equipment - means most Michigan motorists will see fewer plows this winter.
CRAM recently surveyed counties to get a better perspective on how funding shortages...
Monday, December 10, 2007
Push is on for road funding; Shifting sales tax on gas is one option
Crain's Detroit Business
Supporters of increased Michigan road funding continue to make a strong push in the Capitol, as the Legislature's immediate attention turns beyond budget crises and taxes.
Road builders and others also are looking at new options in the wake of Michigan's recent $1.5 billion in tax hikes that could...
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Crumbling Bridge Causing Delays for Emergencies
WLNS TV-Lansing
A crumbling mid-Michigan bridge forces some local fire trucks to take a four-mile detour.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Road Funding Shortage Having Impact
WLNS TV-Lansing
New fears about Michigan's roads- will funding problems steer us toward big problems? A warning from transportation leaders when it comes to fixing our crumbling infrastructure- there's just not enough money to get the job done. They say the funds are drying up faster than ever. Orange barrels- if you've...
read more...Tuesday, November 27, 2007
State's road-fix shortage: $300M
The Detroit News
Industry and government transportation leaders are warning that a dramatic drop in Michigan road funding next year will result in steadily deteriorating highways and the loss of thousands of construction jobs in Michigan.
Because of declining fuel tax revenues and the completion of a state transportation...
Monday, November 26, 2007
Area pleas for I-94 bridge; Sheriff: Stretch of highway is too dangerous
Port Huron Times Herald
PORT HURON TWP.- Investigators can only guess why Gene Goyette Jr. didn't realize traffic had come to a standstill on Interstate 69/94 near the Water Street interchange.
What is certain is he didn't see the danger until it was too late. His minivan slammed into the tractor-trailer at the back of the...
Monday, November 19, 2007
Survey Reveals Depth of Cost-Cutting at RCOC
Road Commission for Oakland County
The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) has been forced to cut staff and services in recent years as state road funding has remained stagnant in the face in rapidly increasing road maintenance costs, and those cuts are expected to become more severe in the next couple of years. The depth of the...
Monday, November 19, 2007
Oakland County Road Commission gives gloomy forecast
Detroit Free Press
The Road Commission for Oakland County today forecast a rougher future for drivers as it and other Michigan road agencies cut road repairs and other services because of declining state gas tax revenue coupled with rapid growth in costs of equipment, materials and fuel.
read more...Saturday, November 17, 2007
High gas prices fuel worry over road funding
The Lenawee Daily Telegram
Rising fuel prices are putting the future of Lenawee County’s road system increasingly in doubt.
High prices at the pump are forcing people to drive less and look at hybrid vehicles and other alternatives. And that means less fuel tax revenue to spend on building and maintaining roads, said...
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda
The New York Times
Two dates — two numbers. Read them and weep for what could have, and should have, been. On Sept. 11, 2001, the OPEC basket oil price was $25.50 a barrel. On Nov. 13, 2007, the OPEC basket price was around $90 a barrel.
In the wake of 9/11, some of us pleaded for a “patriot taxâ€...
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Pay now, or pay later?
Monroe Evening News
Crumbling roads will cost citizens.
A decline in the amount of money being put into the maintenance of the state's road and bridges will hit your wallet someday soon.
That's the sentiment of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA), who has released a study saying the...
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Hike in fuel tax could offset cut in road funds
Monroe Evening News
LANSING - In the midst of the budget turmoil and debates over service taxes, school funding and the possibility of a government shutdown, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) seemingly was forgotten.
According to Keith Ledbetter, director of legislative affairs for the Michigan Infrastructure...
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
State cuts will affect local road commission
Huron Daily Tribune
Now that Michigan lawmakers have finalized a budget for fiscal year 2008, transportation officials are crying foul at funding decreases.
One of the largest cuts in the state’s fiscal 2008 budget was an 18 percent decrease in funding to build and maintain the state’s roads and bridges,...
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Budget woes affect road clearing
Cheboygan News
The Cheboygan County Road Commission announced Friday that delays for motorists this winter will be likely because of shrinking budgets, personnel reductions and increasing costs.
read more...Friday, October 26, 2007
Road Funding Becoming Critical?
WLUC TV-6 Upper Michigan's Local News
Story summary: The snow-belt of Michigan is bracing for less plowing of snow due to less road funding.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
State must address aging infrastructure
The Ann Arbor News
How many bridges do you drive over in a given day? Many are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Throughout the state of Michigan, deficient bridges span interstates, rivers and railroad tracks.
The collapse of a freeway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis last August, a...
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Road Millage Up To Voters
WLNS TV-Lansing
Voters head to the polls in a little more than two weeks. In Charlotte, voters are being asked to approve a three-million dollar road millage. City officials say the money is desperately needed. It isn't exactly smooth sailing as you drive through Charlotte. Many residential streets are littered with...
read more...Saturday, October 20, 2007
Increase investment in Michigan's bridges, roads
Kalamazoo Gazette
Thirty-seven bridges in southwestern Michigan are structurally deficient. Another 35 area bridges are functionally obsolete.
How many of them do you drive over in a given day?
Southwestern Michigan receives about $16 million a year to repair, maintain and replace bridges. Local transportation officials...
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Coalition pushes for gas tax hike
Booth Newspapers
By Peter Luke
LANSING -- A gas tax is a job creator, while the service tax is a job killer. So say the interest groups out to hike the one and scrap the other. Despite the pressure, lawmakers are tax averse at the moment.
On Wednesday, a coalition of road builders, union leaders, local governments...
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Construction Workers Rally at State Capitol
WLNS TV-Lansing
Construction workers rallied at the Capitol asking lawmakers to help save their jobs. They say the state's budget problems is unfairly punishing them. You can't miss them- orange barrels lining roads all across Michigan. For some, they're a sign of progress, for others an inconvenience. For one group...
read more...Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Lobby seeks hike in road taxes.
Detroit Free Press
LANSING -- Cuts in spending on road and bridge construction could cost Michigan more than 12,000 jobs in the next three years unless the state raises another $1 billion a year in fuel taxes and vehicle registration fees, a coalition of business, government and labor groups backing the tax hikes said...
read more...Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Gas tax hike still being pushed in Lansing
The Grand Rapids Press
A gas tax is a job creator, while the service tax is a job killer. So say the interest groups out to hike the one and scrap the other. Despite the pressure, lawmakers are tax averse at the moment.
On Wednesday, a coalition of road builders, union leaders, local governments and general business groups...
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Transportation groups keep pushing for gas tax increase
Associated Press
Transportation and business groups are still pushing to raise Michigan's gasoline tax by 9 cents a gallon over three years.
They argue that declining road funding will lead to lost construction jobs at a time Michigan needs all the jobs it can get.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Drop in State Road Revenues Expected
Leelanau Enterprise
The county Road Commission may incur a significant drop in state transportation revenues next year if projections issued by a state-wide advocacy group are proven true.
At its meeting Tuesday, the commission reviewed financial statements showing Leelanau County received $1,836,4890 in Michigan Transportation...
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Lawmakers want probe of MnDOT in 35W collapse
Minnesota Pioneer Press
A joint Minnesota House and Senate committee looking into the Interstate 35W bridge collapse wants to hire a team of investigators to examine state Department of Transportation decision-making in the months and years leading up to the Aug. 1 collapse.
Likening it to a special counsel, Sen. Steve Murphy,...
Monday, September 24, 2007
State still has too many bad bridges
Kalamazoo Gazette
Michigan is ranked sixth-worst in the nation when it comes to structurally deficient bridges.
That ranking means that 14 percent of national highway system bridges in Michigan are structurally deficient.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Shutdown would have broad impact: Ailing state's image, economy on the line
Detroit News
LANSING -- A Michigan government shutdown on Oct. 1, which grows more likely with each passing day, would deliver a blow to the state from Main Street to Wall Street, political and image experts agree.
The damage to a state struggling to rebound from severe economic woes would be immediate and long-lasting....
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Area ranks 8th nationwide in time drivers lose because of congestion
Detroit Free Press
Metro Detroit remains among the 10 most congested places for spending time stuck in traffic, with drivers losing an average of 54 hours a year, up three hours from about a decade ago, a new study found.
Nationwide, drivers lose an average of 38 hours a year -- about 4.2 billion hours total -- inching...
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Drop in State Road Revenues Expected
Leelanau Enterprise
The county Road Commission may incur a significant drop in state transportation revenues next year if projections issued by a state-wide advocacy group are proven true.
At its meeting Tuesday, the commission reviewed financial statements showing Leelanau County received $1,836,4890 in Michigan Transportation...
Friday, September 14, 2007
Fuel tax and registration fees expected to increase
Petoskey News-Review
The state’s 83 county road commissions, the Michigan Department of Transportation, city and township officials, truckers, and the road building industry as a whole are pushing for a $1 billion increase in funding for roads over three years, according to Brian Gutowski, engineer-manager of the...
read more...Monday, September 10, 2007
Chunks of bridges a not-so-subtle reminder
Detroit Free Press
The Legislature got a bit of a surprise in boxes last week when a state construction trade group hand-delivered pieces of pavement collected from beneath state and local bridges across Michigan.
All state senators, representatives and Gov. Jennifer Granholm received the chunks.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Oregon Governor Eyes Gas Tax Increase
Associated Press
Gov. Ted Kulongoski says a gas tax increase should be part of a long-term transportation proposal to be considered by the Oregon Legislature to upgrade highways and bridges.
Gasoline taxes haven't been popular with voters, though. Voters crushed the most recent ballot measure - a nickel-a-gallon increase...
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Bridges decay without money
Port Huron Times Herald
The following in-depth article is a good overview of the funding crisis facing counties across the state.
The elegant steel bridge carrying Speaker Road over Mill Creek may be in the middle of nowhere to most people, but it's important to David Beard of Lynn Township.
The 46-year-old lives about...
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Bridge maintenance is in the Stone Age
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, sat down last week with Star Tribune editorial writers to discuss the Interstate 35W bridge collapse. Here are excerpts.
read more...Friday, August 24, 2007
Proposed Budget Shows Funding Shortfall
Road Commission for Oakland County
The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) presented its proposed fiscal year 2008 budget at a public hearing last night, Thursday, Aug. 23, at the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Auditorium in Pontiac.
The proposed 2008 budget, at $104 million, includes plans for $30.5 million worth of...
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Bridge closing stokes gas tax politics at Capitol
News from Minnesota
From KARE 11 Television News
On the day the Minnesota Department of Transportation closed a bridge on the Red River talk of a gas tax hike ramped up at the State Capitol.
MnDOT announced it had closed the Drayton Bridge in Kittson County, which carries Highway 11 over the Red River into the city...
Monday, August 20, 2007
Web site says 7 area bridges are in critical condition
The Flint Journal
GENESEE COUNTY - Even as the state launched a new Web site promoting the safety of large bridges in Michigan, counties are struggling to find the money to repair or replace dozens of small, often out-of-the way crossings in poor condition.
The Michigan Department of Transportation site - www.michigan.gov/highwaybridgereport...
Monday, August 20, 2007
Bridge Disaster Fuels Push to Raise Tax for Repairs
Bloomberg
Former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta recalls how his boss, President George W. Bush, bristled at the idea of raising gasoline taxes in the 2005 highway bill.
``He took his Sharpie out and said, `Norm, get those tax increases out. I don't want a tax increase,''' says Mineta.
While Bush...
Monday, August 20, 2007
Several bridges 'poor,' obsolete
Livingston County Press
The Michigan Department of Transportation has released a report on the condition of the state's highway bridges, 14 of which were in Livingston County and found to be either functionally obsolete or structurally deficient.
A bridge is listed as structurally deficient if one part of the structure receives...
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Care of infrastructure need not break bank
Detroit Free Press
BY THOMAS M. DORAN
In the aftermath of the I-35W Bridge collapse in Minnesota, we've been told that much of our infrastructure is aging and in need of repair, or else it doesn't have the capacity or durability to handle what it is experiencing. Michigan also has other needs that demand funding, and...
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
State should raise gas tax to meet road needs
Detroit Free Press
The sky or bridges aren't falling yet in Michigan, but the state's roads are still among the worst in the nation. Over the next decade, the state's transportation system faces billions of dollars of unmet needs.
With revenues as they are, Michigan will fall more than $300 million a year short of what...
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Bridge-repair funds shouldn't be reduced
The Ann Arbor News
When infrastructure fails, people can die. We saw it when the levees broke in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. And we were reminded of it earlier this month when Minneapolis' 40-year-old I-35 West bridge crumbled into the Mississippi River.
Crucial lessons can be learned from the tragic collapse,...
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Minn. bridge collapse should fuel state gas tax hike, backers say
The Detroit News
he collapse of a Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis last week should alert Michigan leaders to needed road and bridge repairs here, backers of an uphill campaign to increase the state gas tax said Wednesday.
Mike Nystrom, co-chairman of the Michigan Transportation Team, said more than 3,000 state...
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Timely Bridge Repairs
Grand Rapids Press
When infrastructure fails, people can die. We saw it when the levees broke in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. And we were reminded of it last week when Minneapolis' 40-year-old Interstate 35 West bridge crumbled into the Mississippi River.
Crucial lessons can be learned from the tragic collapse,...
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Design for New Minnesota Bridge Unveiled
Associated Press
A soaring yet simple concrete bridge set atop 70-foot, land-based piers will replace the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River.
The design was made public Monday by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the companies it hired to build the replacement bridge, which is...
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Design for New Minnesota Bridge Unveiled
Associated Press
A soaring yet simple concrete bridge set atop 70-foot, land-based piers will replace the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River.
The design was made public Monday by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the companies it hired to build the replacement bridge, which is...
Thursday, August 9, 2007
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read more...Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Hike in gas tax urged to fix Michigan bridges, roads
The Detroit News
LANSING -- The collapse of a Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis last week should alert Michigan leaders to needed road and bridge repairs, backers of a gas tax increase said today.
Mike Nystrom, co-chair of the Michigan Transportation Team, said the state has more than 3,000 bridges that are...
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Better Michigan Bridges May Cost You
WLNS TV
If you want safer bridges here in Michigan, be prepared to pay for it. Transportation officials came together calling local bridges a threat to public safety. This comes one week after a deadly bridge collapse in Minnesota. Every time you drive these days, you likely ask yourself, am I safe?
Vicki...
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Lobbyists, Lawmakers Battle Over Bridge Funding
Channel 10 Television
It's no secret Michigan roads and bridges have seen better days. In fact, according to the lobbying group the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Assocation, or MITA, Michigan's roads are in worse shape than Minnesota's, the site of last week's deadly bridge collapse.
"This is not a scare tactic,"...
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Bridges: Michigan's choice -- Invest more via taxes or just sit
Lansing State Journal
A Lansing State Journal editorial
The collapse of a bridge in Minnesota sent state officials in Michigan, and elsewhere, scurrying to re-check similar spans and issue assurances.
The good news so far:
Michigan has only four bridges like the Interstate 35 span that collapsed. All four have been...
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Bridge fall may mean gas-tax hike
USA Today
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Minneapolis bridge disaster that suddenly is the symbol of the nation's crumbling infrastructure could tip the scales in favor of billions of dollars in higher gasoline taxes for repairs coast to coast.
There are 500 bridges around the country similar to the Minneapolis...
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Bridge Collapse Revives Issue of Road Spending
New York Times
In the past two years, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota twice vetoed legislation to raise the state's gas tax to pay for transportation needs.
Now, with at least five people dead in the collapse of the Interstate 35W bride here, Mr. Pawlenty, a Republican appears to have had a change of heart.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Bridge disaster points to our infrastructure
Port Huron Times Herald
State, local spans need work
If the collapse of the Minneapolis' I-35W bridge increases your anxiety whenever you cross one of Michigan's bridges, don't dismiss it as paranoia. Like much of the nation, Michigan's infrastructure needs work.
Two consecutive administrations - Gov. John Engler's...
Monday, August 6, 2007
A gas tax can help maintain Michigan's bridges
Crain's Detroit Business
As a young reporter in Grand Rapids, I often pulled a short straw and was assigned to do stories about annual studies of the region's “infrastructure.â€
You may insert your own yawn here.
Inevitably, the reports forecast dire problems looming with roads, bridges and other publicly owned...
Friday, August 3, 2007
Collapse underscores abysmal state of bridges
Kalamazoo Gazette
The abrupt collapse on Wednesday of a key bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis -- and the horrifying loss of life caused by it -- reminds us of an important truth: The nation's infrastructure cannot be neglected.
The Interstate 35W span was inspected two years ago, when structural deficiencies...
Friday, August 3, 2007
Collapsed bridge sends a warning
Detroit Free Press
The abrupt collapse on Wednesday of a key bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis -- and the horrifying loss of life caused by it -- reminds us of an important truth: The nation's infrastructure cannot be neglected.
The Interstate 35W span was inspected two years ago, when structural deficiencies...
Friday, August 3, 2007
Experts: Leadership, money keys to building bridges
CNN
Nearly a quarter of the nation's roughly 600,000 major bridges carry more traffic than they were designed to bear, according to reports based on federal government data.
The Interstate 35W bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River during rush hour Wednesday.
Experts said Thursday that the problem...
Friday, August 3, 2007
Officials see new urgency to improve USA's bridges
USA Today
Against the shock of a mighty span's inexplicable fall — at rush hour, into the nation's greatest river — bridge experts offer this reassurance: The same federally mandated inspections that show one-quarter of U.S. bridges to be "structurally deficient" or "functionally obsolete" also indicate...
read more...Thursday, August 2, 2007
Scrutiny increases on condition of Michigan bridges
Associated Press
The state of Michigan is sending inspectors back out to look at four bridges in the aftermath of a bridge collapse in Minnesota.
State officials made the announcement Thursday, while stressing that Michigan's bridges are safe despite hundreds of them being considered structurally deficient.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Some Michigan Bridges Critical, Others to Be Re-Inspected
WILX TV
Michigan bridges are reaching a crossroads. According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, 200 bridges across the state are critical, meaning they need immediate repairs.
Each structure is inspected every two years, but some require some extra attention.
"Here in Michigan we have our own...
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Not all state bridges so mighty
Detroit Free Press
Happy 50th birthday this weekend to the Mackinac Bridge, the majestic span that links Michigan's peninsulas. The Mac's in great shape for a 50-year-old, which, unfortunately, cannot be said of many of its smaller cousins around the state. The Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association released...
read more...Saturday, July 28, 2007
Builders Use Bridge Birthday to Highlight Needs
Gongwer News Service
As the state celebrates the anniversary of the opening of the Mackinac
Bridge, it should also put some focus on the condition of the rest of the
bridges in the state, the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation
Association said this week.
The group noted that some 200 bridges are on the state's...
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Gas Tax Could be Going Up
News from Utah
Two legislative committees are considering raising the tax on gasoline in order to pay for road construction projects.
Utah created a per gallon gasoline tax to pay for road projects more than 50 years ago. According to the Deseret Morning News, a 24.5 five cents per gallon tax has been the standard...
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Road funds: Without boost in fuel tax, roads lead in one direction
Lansing State Journal
As the state with the nation's highest unemployment rate, Michigan is in no position to let jobs slip away.
That's why lawmakers need to find some time this summer to tackle fuel tax and vehicle fee increases to boost road construction.
This week, the Detroit News reported on a disturbing trend...
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Highway Contractors in Jam
The Grand Rapids Press
This spring, for the first time in 20 years, Arnie Morren could not hire back all the employees at his road construction business.
And, despite the 15 percent cut in work force, some crews at his Moline-based Nagel Construction are working fewer than 40 hours a week and get little overtime, Morren...
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Roads sacrificed to maintain status quo
The Detroit News
Michigan will soon see a very visible sign of the state's dismal economic condition -- its roads will be rutted and crumbling.
The state can't sustain spending on road construction projects with tax revenues declining. And federal funds are drying up.
Construction employment in the state is down...
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Michigan roads need steady revenue stream
Kalamazoo Gazette
Drive around Michigan today, try to get through road-construction detours, dodge orange barrels and wonder how on earth to get there from here, but remember: It could be worse.
If Michigan were not pouring hundreds of millions of borrowed dollars into road repairs and improvements, the state's transportation...
Monday, July 9, 2007
Roadwork jobs fade as state cuts back
The Detroit News
After decades of growth, companies that build Michigan's highways and public water and sewer systems are closing their doors or laying off workers and seeking work in other states.
A drop in taxpayer funding -- fueled largely by the state's sluggish economy -- has curtailed the multimillion-dollar...
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
$44B Michigan roads shortfall projected by 2030
The Toledo Blade
Maintaining Michigan's transportation network and expanding it where necessary to accommodate traffic growth between now and 2030 will cost about $81 billion, or $44 billion more than the revenue currently forecast to be available, a state long-range plan released yesterday states.
"Projected funding...
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Study will road-test a transit levy by the mile, instead of by the gallon
Charlotte North Carolina Observer
RALEIGH --
North Carolinians are driving more miles every year, but they're buying less gas.
Better fuel economy sounds great for the pocketbook and good for the planet, but it spells trouble for the state's reliance on gas-tax money to pay for transit and highways.
The federal Highway Trust Fund...
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
County OKs 5-cent gas tax
A newspaper in Florida--
Lake Okeechobee News
Beginning Jan. 1, 2008, county residents will pay an additional 5 cents a gallon in gasoline tax.
Despite the protests of several residents, the Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to increase the county gasoline tax by an additional 5 cents at...
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Gas Tax Increase Needed
Associated Construction Publications
Approximately 44 percent of Michigan's urban interstate highways are congested compared to one-third nationally, according to a report that was presented in April by Paul L. Anderson, principal and chief executive officer of Anderson Economic Group, L.L.C., at the Michigan Aggregates Association Annual...
read more...Monday, June 4, 2007
Overpass review will cost more
The Detroit News
Inspections launched in April to determine the condition of concrete overpasses in Metro Detroit will take twice as long and cost 80 percent more than first thought, officials say.
But fixes now are being made as workers go, rather than being set aside for later, Michigan Department of Transportation...
Friday, June 1, 2007
Conservative Group Supports Gas Tax Increase
Michigan Contractor and Builder
A report released recently by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy supports long-term efforts to increase state transportation system funding. Without significant funding reforms, the condition of state, county and local roads in Michigan will deteriorate significantly over the next decade, while congestion...
read more...Wednesday, May 30, 2007
High Gas Prices Bring Low Spirits
The Voice
Soaring gas prices are leaving sinking feelings in many people's pockets as they fill up their tank at the pump.
With gas prices in the New Baltimore area hovering around $3.45 to $3.60 per gallon, many motorists had something to complain about as they put gas into their cars.
"I remember when...
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Roads Could Pay Price
Oakland Press
A shift to alternative fuels and more fuel efficient vehicles might make good sense for the environment, but an unintended victim could be the condition of the country's roads and bridges.
Federal and state gas taxes charged at the pump pay for local, state and federal roads and bridges. Motorists...
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Metro Detroit needs more roads, report states
Detroit News
Unless more or bigger roads are built in Metro Detroit, it'll take commuters 50 percent longer to get to work by 2030, according to a report released today by a national nonprofit research group.
read more...Monday, May 21, 2007
Frozen Federal Gas Tax Leading to Higher State Gas Taxes
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- A cash crunch is fast approaching for the government trust fund that pays to build and repair highways and bridges.
The federal tax on a gallon of gas has not risen in 14 years and Congress is reluctant to increase it. People are demanding more fuel-efficient vehicles—less gasoline...
Monday, May 21, 2007
Minnesota Legislature preparing fallback transportation bill if gas-tax increase proposal dies
Pioneer Press
The Minnesota Senate passed a "lights-on'' transportation spending bill this morning aimed at keeping critical operations going in case a more ambitious bill doesn't clear the Legislature later today.
The House and Senate last week passed a measure that increases the gas tax by a nickel a gallon,...
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Please Raise My Taxes
Grand Rapids Press
Please tell the Michigan Legislature and governor to raise my taxes. The state, led by the Republicans, for many years has been cutting taxes and it isn't working. We are now suffering the negative effects of this approach.
You can see it when you drive on our roads. You can feel it in your wallet...
Friday, May 4, 2007
Time to Join the Pothole Patrol
Lansing State Journal
Derek Wallbank
Lansing State Journal
Alisha Harris has had two flat tires this spring after hitting potholes.
“It’s been like this for awhile,†the 34-year-old Lansing resident said while looking recently at potholes in southeast Lansing. “It’s not just me, two...
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Survey: Half could support higher gas tax
CNN Money.com
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- More than half of Americans would support higher gasoline taxes if the money went to research into alternative fuels, according to a survey released Wednesday.
The question in the survey, which was sponsored by the conservation-minded Civil Society Institute, didn't specify...
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Prices pumping up?
Cadillac News
n the coming months, three pieces of legislation might have a impact on the price of gas over the next couple years.
On April 3, 2007 Rep. Hoon-Yung Hopgood, D-Taylor, Chair, House Transportation Committee and Rep. Craig DeRoche, R-Novi, House Minority Leader, introduced three bills to significantly...
Monday, April 30, 2007
Enough pandering; fix the budget
Kalamazoo Gazette
Reality is starting to rear its ugly head in Lansing. But will reality trump ideology, at long last?
It's hard to tell, but judging from what local state lawmakers are saying, only the most adamant tax foes can't see that the state government's chronic budget shortfalls cannot be solved by cuts alone...