7 Washtenaw County road and bridge projects on list of state cuts
Seven Washtenaw County road and bridge projects lost funding today as the the state Transportation Commission approved the Michigan Department of Transportation’s 2010-2014 plan.
The five-year plan includes the elimination of 243 road and bridge projects statewide. State officials said the commission was forced to cut the projects due to continued declines in state gas tax revenues and the state’s inability to match federal dollars beginning in 2011.
Several road and bridge projects in Washtenaw County are being eliminated.
File photo
Road projects in Washtenaw County that received the axe include:
- The I-94 Business Loop (Jackson) from West Junction I-94 to Main Street.
- M-14 east of Earhart Road to the county line.
- M-52 from Austin to Dutch.
- US-12 (East Michigan Avenue) from B01 to Maple Road.
Bridge projects in Washtenaw County being cut include:
- M-52 over the Raisin River.
- Two projects that involve work on Willow Road and Bemis Road over US-23.
The 243 canceled projects include: 128 bridge replacements and rehabilitations, 105 road rehabilitations and reconstructions, eight new roads and two capacity improvements. Click here to see the full list.
Steve Puuri, managing director of the Washtenaw County Road Commission, said none of the projects being put on hold in Washtenaw County are that significant. But taking a guess, he said it probably means the loss of a few million dollars to the county.
Puuri said the bigger problem is the state, due to a lack of transporation funding, is deferring low-cost preventative maintenance projects that may end up requiring costlier fixes in the future.
“We must invest in transportation to jump-start Michigan's economic recovery,” state Rep. Pam Byrnes, chairwoman of the House Transportation Committee, said in a written statement today. "We must take action now to ensure a stable source of revenue to invest in modernizing Michigan’s transportation system.”
According to the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, without the ability to match federal aid, Michigan’s return on the federal gas tax will drop from 92 percent to just 50 percent in 2011.
“Michigan’s dire funding situation has left MDOT with no other choice than to make drastic cuts and provide only the basic level of services to our residents,” Mike Nystrom, the association's vice president of government and public relations, said in a press release.
MITA points out that the commission’s approval of the five-year plan comes just two days after Byrnes and Rep. Richard Ball, R-Laingsburg, introduced revenue bills to help resolve Michigan’s transportation funding crisis. The bipartisan package of bills - HB 5768-70 - is aimed at restructuring Michigan’s motor fuel taxes and follows the recommendations of the Transportation Funding Task Force.
According to MITA, between 2011-2014, the package of bills would increase transportation revenues by $1.4 billion and also allow the state to capture more than $2.46 billion in matching federal aid.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
Paul the Malcontent
Mon, Feb 1, 2010 : 4:13 a.m.
@Edward: Thanks for the details. The point I had hoped to make in asking my questions was that a typical news article should already contain that information; the fact that AnnArbor.com is online and can include a link to the source document(s) shouldn't lead to lower quality stories (i.e., less informative) than what would have been put into a print edition.
SonnyDog09
Sat, Jan 30, 2010 : 7:36 a.m.
I have an idea. How about if they use the money that they get now more efficiently? For example, they could have only three guys stand around and watch one guy work instead of the five to one ratio that appears to be sop today? That would allow them to get more work done with the same amount of money.
FreedomLover
Sat, Jan 30, 2010 : 1:09 a.m.
While we're at it, let's blame Bush too in addition to Engler! I'm sure he had something to do with it. Maybe with less people in the state we just need fewer roads. Let's close some!
tdw
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 12:04 p.m.
Krc is correct its been that way for over 40yrs
krc
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 11:55 a.m.
I can tell when I drive across the state line into Ohio on 23 not by the sign but by the difference in the road surface. And coming back, it's "Yup! we're in Michigan again!"
TXteacher
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 11:41 a.m.
@Belboz- the biggest trade deficit Michigan has is all the residents the state has donated to other states' tax bases. This is just another reason why people move out-people unwilling to fund even the most basic of necessities in the name of saving people a few bucks. Those commercials we get down here pumping the great business climate in Michigan are a joke. The guy who does them from the Chelsea playhouse must think he is in a fantasy play.
tdw
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 11:20 a.m.
@Top Cat since when has the gov't ever raised a tax by a "few" cents? It always seems its either a lot or nothing
Top Cat
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 10:56 a.m.
I hate tax increases, however bad roads are not free. You pay for bad roads with extra repair costs on your shocks, suspension and tires. A few cents more on a gallon of gas will help repair our roads and not further harm our business environment.
BobbyJohn
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 10:06 a.m.
@bryan123 I am curious. What free cell phone plan for the poor? Is there a government funding for this? Please enlighten us.
tdw
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 9:32 a.m.
@Morris When were Michigan roads EVER one of the best? I've been driving over 30yrs all over the country and Michigan roads have always been one of the worst ( witch I've always blamed our constant freezing and thawing )
Morris
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 9:20 a.m.
Tax cuts were not the problem, but... Sen. Engler established his political reputation by defeating senators who voted for a tax increase. Thus the legislators were afraid to vote the gasoline tax we needed to keep up our roads. As the result, Michigan's roads went from being one of the best in the nation to being one of/the worst. One more of the "positive" contributions Engler made.
belboz
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 8:55 a.m.
Raise taxes? Are you kidding me? There are less people in the state, hence less gas use. People cannot afford to spend as much, so they spend less on gas. And the car companies have created more fuel efficient vehicles. You want to reward all of that with higher taxes on gas? You want to reward people for being more efficient with a higher bill at the gas station? Haven't people responded by saying they can't afford the bills, so they are spending less and being more efficient? Raising taxes would be a slap in the face. Please. Hasn't Economics been tought at the schools in Ann Arbor? When the jobs go, when manufacturing leaves, when people are unemplyed, when property taxes are way down - the tax money dissappears. Solving the problem by raising taxes is - frankly - a very dumb response. How about passing some laws that promotes buying things that are actually made here in Michigan. Why are the police vehicles built in Canada? Shouldn't they all be either a Mustang or some other vehicle made in Michigan? Shouldn't all of the cars people drive be made in Michigan if people really feel that the economy is the #1 priority? Shouldn't we be putting the taxes on the vehicles we import to pay for things here? How about that for a tax. Raising the gas tax is showing a complete lack of understanding as to why Michigan and the rest of the U.S. is in the economic turmoil it is - the trade deficit.
tdw
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 8:04 a.m.
If taxes are raised and people conserve more would'nt that be a wash?
jondhall
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 8:02 a.m.
Lets raise the state gas tax per gallon and cut the Defined Benefit plan for State Union Workers! The all the tourist will be happpy and so will I. We need to get those matching Federal Dollars our Senators surely are not bringing anything back from Washington! We are number 50 of 50 for a long time now, and Levin and Stabenow are not even concerned fro us Michiganders! It is a shame a bloody shame. Cut the pensions, fix the roads!
Bruce Amrine
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 7:16 a.m.
In my opinion, higher fuel taxes are the right way to go. We need the revenue and it encouragees conservation. They should be adjusted upward each year on a gradual basis to keep the revenue stream constant.
Bryan123
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 7:03 a.m.
@DonBee Thanks for pointing out the facts here. You expressed exactly what I was thinking when I read the first few comments. The lack of money here isn't due to tax cuts, it's due to the fact that people are now using less gasoline. Conserving gas is good for the environment and good for our pocket books, but bad for funding roads at the current tax rate. But before I would look at raising taxes, I would look at getting the money by cutting programs such as the ever popular "free cell phone for anyone on welfare". Then we'd have better roads and fewer people yapping on their cell phones while driving on them.
Ignatz
Fri, Jan 29, 2010 : 6:33 a.m.
I'm all for more heavily taxed fuel. Having been to Western Europe and seen what their taxes get them, I've been convinced for years. I can use better roads and mass transit, as I'm sure most of us can. An added benefit might be that people will not buy so many huge vehicles, let whatever they have idle for heat or use drive throughs so much.
DonBee
Thu, Jan 28, 2010 : 10:42 p.m.
@fjord - The tax cuts are not the issue here it is that as a state we are using less gasoline, good for the environment, bad for gas tax revenue (OBTW - there are 2 state taxes on gas, a sales tax - goes to schools and other uses AND a fixed amount per gallon that goes to roads). No one cut either of these taxes - what they have not done is raise them to match the decline in gasoline sales in the state. What we need is to get the Michigan Delegation in Washington DC to get us the same waiver of local funding that several other states have in the Transportation bill. Many great plains states have no where near enough gasoline sales to support their roads, so they get waivers to matching and earmarks. All we need is for our representatives and senators to get active on this issue. The other choice is to raise the price of gasoline about 10 cents a gallon (which will also raise the sales tax on the gasoline by 0.6 cents and help the schools) to meet the matching requirements. How about it folks - more expense gasoline and diesel fuel?
belboz
Thu, Jan 28, 2010 : 10:07 p.m.
Well, what do people expect when there are so many Honda, Toyota's, Subarus, Volkswagens, etc... on the roads here in Michigan. The money Michigan used to have is now in Japan, China, and Germany - to name a few - fixing up their roads... Alright Obama, lets get rid of that trade defecit. Do people understand now???
David Briegel
Thu, Jan 28, 2010 : 8:54 p.m.
Gee, where is John Engler anyway?
Paul the Malcontent
Thu, Jan 28, 2010 : 8:54 p.m.
"US-12 (East Michigan Avenue) from B01 to Maple Road" To what does B01 refer? And where on the approximately 20 miles of US-12 in Washtenaw County is this stretch of US-12 (Saline perhaps)? I see the state's spreadsheet doesn't detail any of the locations more precisely than what you've indicated; it would be helpful for a "news reporter" to indicate in which city or township the various projects are located. Thanks.
A2Dave
Thu, Jan 28, 2010 : 6:21 p.m.
Who need roads, schools, healthcare, bridges, etc. What we need is more tax cuts for businesses. Welcome to Mississippi North.
phdeez
Thu, Jan 28, 2010 : 6:03 p.m.
Does the I-94 Business Loop refer to that horrid stretch of potholes connected by small patches of intact asphalt that runs from downtown to the West Side? If so, that is great. I will schedule my next front end alignment.