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Terri Blackmore says the coming years will be rough for Washtenaw County and its roads, with no identified source of funding for hundreds of needed projects.
"There's a lot that we are trying to accomplish, but unfortunately our road system is going to continue to get worse," said Blackmore, executive director of the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study. "Even with all of the money we plan to spend on pavement, we'll still have about 50 percent of our pavement in poor condition, which really then starts to speak to who wants to locate here with jobs?"
WATS has rolled out a new long-range plan that spells out $3 billion worth of transportation improvements that will be funded through 2035. But in the back of the report is a sore point for local leaders: A list of nearly 800 deficiencies representing an estimated $1.6 billion worth of unfunded transportation needs.
The new WATS long-range plan is the product of its member agencies, including most of the municipalities in the county. They've been working together for the past year to identify and prioritize needs with limited resources.
The 2035 plan is an update to the last long-range plan from WATS, which ran through 2030. The 2035 plan places a stronger emphasis on public transit and nonmotorized transportation.
The report doesn't ignore the fact that serious talks are under way to expand the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority with a new countywide millage, or that plans are gaining ground to better connect the region with commuter and rapid transit rail lines.
Components of WALLY - the Washtenaw and Livingston Line - are included in the plan. The commuter rail project has been heavily discussed in the last few years by government and business leaders, and the AATA has agreed to help operate the proposed north-south service linking Ann Arbor and Howell.
The WATS plan is included in a larger plan for the region called Direction2035, which is the work of the the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. SEMCOG officials told a group of residents and public officials gathered Thursday that the region's transportation system is large and complex with many needs - $2.8 billion per year, to be exact - but right now, there's only $1.4 billion per year in identified funding.
"While we are making some improvements, we're still only meeting about half of our total transportation needs," said Jennifer Evans, SEMCOG transportation coordinator. "We need more money."
Because of a funding shortfall, SEMCOG has been careful to prioritize projects. Some of the top priorities for Washtenaw County include the East Stadium Boulevard bridges in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Avenue from I-94 to Huron, Beakes Street/Plymouth Road from First to US-23, Jackson/Huron/Washtenaw from Hilltop to Stadium, and Washtenaw from Stadium to Huron. State Road from Ellsworth to Packard and Ellsworth from Maple to Michigan also are included.
The WATS Policy Committee plans to formally adopt its 2035 plan at a public meeting at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Scio Township Hall, 827 N. Zeeb Road. Public comments are being accepted.
Eric Bombery, a WATS associate transportation planner, points out the plan might not include many of the projects residents would like to see.
"The big reconstructions and new roads, they're not in there," he said, again citing a lack of funding. "So those big things that people are looking for, there's no money to do that anymore. It's all pretty much maintaining the system that we have now."
WATS and SEMCOG say the state and federal government must change the way transportation is funded to address unmet needs, including the current push for high-speed rail.
"Prior to the interstate system happening, the federal government levied a tax that was considerably higher than what they levy now to get that system built," Blackmore said. "If they really want to build a high-speed rail system and really want to build transit systems that connect, they're going to have to do a similar program.
"And the state of Michigan is in a position where if they don't raise the gas tax, or the vehicle registration fee or some other user fee, we won't be matching federal dollars after the year that starts Oct. 1."
SEMCOG's Direction2035 plan includes spending $315 million per year on maintaining the existing transit system and adding three rapid transit lines between Ann Arbor and Detroit, Ann Arbor and Howell and along Woodward Avenue in Detroit. Evans said more rapid transit will be added as funding becomes available.
SEMCOG is a membership organization of local governments that covers Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne counties.
Ryan Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
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