On Tuesday, March 20, CRA attended a panel discussion hosted by the Citizens Research Council (CRC) of Michigan at the Michigan State Chamber regarding the “State of Michigan’s Road and Infrastructure System.” Panelists for the discussion included Kirk Steudle, director, MDOT; Sen. Tom Casperson (R-Delta), chair of the Senate Transportation Committee; and Rep. Triston Cole (R-Antrim), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Discussion focused on road funding and how even with the 2015 Transportation Package and the additional $175 million in funding, the best the state system can do is slow the rate of deterioration on roads, Steudle said. Obviously certain highway corridors and bridges will be improved but the overall condition will continue to deteriorate. Improving the system will take an estimated $2.2 billion on top of already increased funding (not sure if the director was speaking to the state system alone or statewide). Other aspects of the 2015 Transportation Package were also discussed by the 40 attendees, as well as asset management, road spending in Michigan compared to other states, public-private partnerships (P3s) and how Michigan can further stretch road dollars. Of important note, despite a recent article from the Citizens Research Council calling the MTF distribution formula “antiquated and ineffective,” Act 51 was not directly under attack. Some discussion did touch on legislation recently introduced recommending change to the formula distribution. I reminded the group that the county distribution is determined by quantifiable factors, and urban counties naturally receive more funding based on those factors. The obvious solution is additional revenue, not taking revenue from other Act 51 recipients or moving the chairs around the deck. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vHpbBoqT2UtJLEMiuV3uQFPsnqoE7wmi/view?usp=sharing |
