Study lists three Washtenaw County road projects as keys to revitalizing the state economy
A new study lists three Washtenaw County road projects as part of a plan to revitalize Michigan’s economy.
TRIP, a national non-profit transportation research group, created a top 50 list of state road projects it says are key to getting Michigan back on its feet.
“The physical condition of Michigan’s transportation system will play a significant role in determining how successfully the state’s economy will perform,” TRIP Director of Policy and Research Frank Moretti said in a statement. “Investments in transportation today would represent a critically important down payment for a stronger Michigan economy in the years to come.”
The list includes two projects to expand US-23 and the proposed Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter rail as numbers 10, 15 and 27 respectively. The Detroit River International Crossing Project ranked number one.
TRIP ranked the projects based on factors such as job creation, safety improvements, accessibility and mobility improvements and long-term improvements in the regional or state economy.
A plan to expand US-23 in Ann Arbor came in as Washtenaw County’s highest-ranking project and number 10 on the list. The $400 million project would expand the freeway from four to six lanes and replace a bridge.
The report estimated the project would create 4,400 construction jobs and provide access to Ann Arbor from the north. It said it would also provide north-south access from the state line to I-75 north of metro Detroit.
Widening US-23 in Washtenaw and Livingston counties also ranked high on the list at number 15. The project, at a cost of $152 million, would widen the freeway from four to six lanes from M-14 to the Washtenaw County line. The report said the expansion would create more efficient travel and attract and retain more business in the area.
The Ann Arbor-to-Detroit commuter rail came in at number 27 on the list. The report said the project would attract and retain a knowledge-based workforce by providing additional travel options for students, residents and workers. The plan would use existing Amtrak freight lines to connect the cities and cost $124 million.
Comments
CynicA2
Sat, Dec 4, 2010 : 6:20 p.m.
Americans have always preferred personal transportation to public transportation, and always will. The automobile, or its descendant - powered by cow farts or whatever, will be around long after the choo-chooers around here are cold in the ground. Warren Buffett bought BNSF because it is a profitable FREIGHT hauler, not because they have anything to do with passenger rail, for obvious reasons. Trucks aren't going anywhere anytime soon either, just ask UPS, or Fed-Ex, or any other company that knows how to use them profitably. There isn't anything you purchase that doesn't move by truck at some point from creation to consumption. It would be impossible and impractical to try and move everything everywhere by rail, which is why it hasn't happened... and never will. The vast majority of Americans use our roads and bridges every day, as they they enjoy the unparalleled convenience and flexibility of their very own car. If you want socialized transportation, move to NY and pay NY taxes. Thankfully, the recent election results will put an end to most of these boondoggles.
Dalouie
Fri, May 14, 2010 : 7:19 a.m.
A lot of A2 people go to work in Dearborn but the big connections for A2 are the airport and Ypsi. Thousands of UM workers live in and around Ypsi. The UM has 45000 employees, 20000 at the hospital complex. They would ride the train if they could get off right at work. Dearborn just got $34 million for a new station, A2 is looking for the same thing in the next round. All they need at Metro is a covered platform for the shuttle to pull up and Ypsi is raising money to remodel the great old station they have.
JSA
Wed, May 12, 2010 : 1:29 p.m.
Dalouie, who do you think is going to ride the train? It has virtually no stations as it is proposed now. Very few residents of Washtenaw County go to Detroit other than for sports/entertainment. Certainly not commuters and they are what is needed to make a train work. That fact is, there is not the necessary population to support a train.
Macabre Sunset
Wed, May 12, 2010 : 10:24 a.m.
The sprawl is already here. We can rail against it, but that's how many people choose to live. People who pay their taxes just like everyone else. Because of how we live, trains don't work very well. The wally project simply throws stations out there - with no way to get to them aside from small roads. We don't have the population density to attract many riders. Nor do we have the job density to make the termination point in Ann Arbor all that interesting unless there's a coordinated effort to have a direct bus ready for each train. People don't want to triple their commute time otherwise. This means that maybe the university would benefit from the train, provided the infrastructure was in place on the other end. But it isn't, which is why the university isn't willing to pay for this train. No one is. People read the reports, saw the flaws, and decided not to invest. Maybe there's a place for trains somewhere in lower Michigan. I can't talk too much about the A2-Detroit line because I haven't read all the reports. But I have read everything I can about wally, and it's a horrible, wasteful boondoggle that would cause extreme stress on a road system not designed to handle volume if it actually did succeed. But it won't, because it's inconvenient. Even if they made the rail upgrades the study said were necessary to attract the claimed ridership. The upgrades have since been removed from the plan because of the cost, but the irresponsible politicians supporting wally have not made any adjustments to their ridership claims. It's long past time for the wally talk to end. I don't know if it's worth widening 23 at this point, given the budget disaster our legislature created. But this study seems reasonable, and I have no problem believing it's the 10th most valuable use of road improvement money in the state right now.
Dalouie
Wed, May 12, 2010 : 8:18 a.m.
The lesson of the past has been that every time expressways are expanded there are more cars and the road is clogged again in a few years. Michigan needs passenger rail, the tracks are already there. It is much cheaper than massive road projects that create sprawl and bring more congestion.
glimmertwin
Wed, May 12, 2010 : 7:09 a.m.
clownfish - I don't disagree with you about the money will certainly help businesses in the area. I also don't disagree with you that this is probably a better way to spend money than the way the government has done in the past few years. However, I still would much prefer infusions of private sector business and industry leading the headlines and being the "keys to revitalizing the state economy." Although roads and infrastructure are important, I can't help but sense that when our state is depending so much on government money, either welfare or "reinvestment act", it is nothing less than a giant ponzi scheme. Sooner or later, taxpayers have to pay it back. Regards -
Woman in Ypsilanti
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 4:17 p.m.
If you widen US-23 all it will do is encourage more sprawl. Yuck.
clownfish
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 2:59 p.m.
@GLIMMER: building roads and infrastructure is not necessarily welfare. Business look at many things when considering location, including the state of infrastructure, especially roads that will be used for logistics and employee travel. Where it could become welfare are the cases where local tax payers pony up money for new passing lanes, traffic lights etc at new shopping centers or subdivisions. But, these things are not listed in this report. Also, businesses don't care where customer money comes from, for the most part. Govt workers spend money the same way any body else does, at restaurants, with the mortgage company, kids shoes etc. At this point keeping govt workers paying mortgages may be a great use of borrowed money, as many private businesses are not keeping people in their homes very well. This drives ALL of our home values down and makes it harder for ALL of us to obtain the operating capital needed to keep our businesses up and running.
Thick Candy Shell
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 12:55 p.m.
@blah, I agree, especially from State to the east. West bound is a disaster in the morning. East bound is a disaster in the evening.
blahblahblah
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 11:29 a.m.
@Thick - I am more concerned about I-94 between State and US-23. So they should at least focus on that stretch first. Better yet, add a lane between Ann Arbor Saline Rd. and US-23.
glimmertwin
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 9:39 a.m.
I think it's very sad that "keys to revitalizing the state economy" rests on, what is essentially, government-funded jobs. Very sad indeed. This story makes it sound like we live in a welfare state.
clownfish
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 8:51 a.m.
How about stop spending OUR tax money on 2 WARS and spend it on OUR infrastructure. Should OUR tax money be spent on DEATH or spent on LIFE. Or is that asking to much? Yes, it IS asking too much. Spending our money to build and rebuild roads in Iraq and Afghanistan is defending against Islamo-fascism terrorists. Spending it at home is Marxist and will lead to a "taking back" of our government and giving it to those that know how to run it, the oligarchs and MIC contractors. BTW, I am not, nor have a I ever been a resident of Ann Arbor.
Thick Candy Shell
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 8:22 a.m.
@blah, I-94 can't be widened at Jackson Rd unless part of the Cemetery is moved to change the geometry. The Washtenaw Area Transportation Studies (WATS) had a study about it many years ago. I don't know if it is still available on their site.
clownfish
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 8:21 a.m.
JSA, as it will be the government spending the money and dictating the projects, there is no way to NOT discuss this as political. It is politics that got our roads where they are, it is politics that will get the funding directed to the projects. We have the roads we have because we have the tax structure we have. The state has been drowned in the bath tub, ain't it grand!
Dalouie
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 8:18 a.m.
$400 million for widening 23, $10 million for the N/S rail line? Where will all the extra cars go when they get to A2? Will local streets me widened too? The 1,200 riders identified so far are only the UM employee's who would sign up early, thousands more would ride in the rail comes on line. Park and ride lots would allow thousands of drivers to leave their cars north of the city, they won't have to pay $100 month for parking, they won't have to wait in traffic. Saving money like this makes too much sense for Michigan.
krc
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 8:10 a.m.
I'm glad they are considering widening 23 up through Livingston County. It will be interesting to watch just how they do this as there are so many properties close to the road. Like for instance the entire town of Whitmore Lake.
JSA
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 7:49 a.m.
You've got to love the residents of Ann Arbor. The issue is road construction and most of the posts are political blathering. Give me a break!
Homeland Conspiracy
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 7:12 a.m.
How about stop spending OUR tax money on 2 WARS and spend it on OUR infrastructure. Should OUR tax money be spent on DEATH or spent on LIFE. Or is that asking to much?
Basic Bob
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 4:22 a.m.
These all seem like worthwhile projects. Years of being a donor state for federal transportation funds have caught up with us, and now it is time to get that money back. An increase in the state gasoline tax should be *earmarked* to provide the matching funds. I'm sure there are hundreds of good local projects that didn't make the list. Stadium bridges comes to mind.
Macabre Sunset
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 2:25 a.m.
Because the wally train (wally being Australian for a dim-witted person) would only serve about 1,000 people a day if the most generous rider estimates were accepted and they spent twice as much as they claim it will cost to start. Meanwhile, the US-23 expansion (which was approved before Jenny decided to punish Livingston County) would serve a far greater number of people. There's a reason it's number 10 on this list and wally is nowhere to be found.
Dalouie
Mon, May 10, 2010 : 10:24 p.m.
Why spend hundreds of millions to expand 23 north of A2 when all you will get is more cars trying to cram onto Main St. or Barton Dr. Spend 10% as much and you get the rail line to Howell with park and ride lots just off the highway at Whitmore Lake. I guess it makes too much sense for Michigan to do it.
David Briegel
Mon, May 10, 2010 : 8:46 p.m.
Inside, you obviously don't remember Your Beloved turning away federal highway funds that would have provided vast highway improvements. He must have been "blown away" by lunacy! Or ideology. Shame!
InsideTheHall
Mon, May 10, 2010 : 8:09 p.m.
David, Now that is good blaming the beloved John Engler. Sheesh, where has Guv Jenny been for the last 8 years??????????? BLOOOOOWN AWAY!
treetowncartel
Mon, May 10, 2010 : 7:12 p.m.
As someone with a place up north I hav e a vested interest in my vote to widen 23 to at 96, if not to 75.
David Briegel
Mon, May 10, 2010 : 7:01 p.m.
Gee, where is John Engler when we need him? He should have to answer for his failures!!! First, there should be a 6 lane circular of A2. Second, 94 should be 6 lanes to Jackson or at least Jackson Co. Third, 23 should be 6 lanes from Milan past Brighton. These are minimum requirements. People are being killed because of these shortsighted policies. And now, our Repubs are turning away Federal Highway dollars to drive their ideology. Just like they did previously. Their ideology is stubborn foolishness!! When will sanity prevail?
hotsauce_gm
Mon, May 10, 2010 : 6:26 p.m.
Widen/expand what part of US-23? What exactly does "expand" mean? Replace which bridge? Can we have better details? So many questions left unanswered lol!
Kafkaland
Mon, May 10, 2010 : 5:47 p.m.
Agreed. Widening I-94 through Ann Arbor seems most improtant, but I haven't heard much talk about that lately. Seems to have fallen off the map...
blahblahblah
Mon, May 10, 2010 : 5:35 p.m.
1.) US 23 north of Ann Arbor should be widened before US 23 thru Ann Arbor. 2.) I-94 thru Ann Arbor should be widened before US 23 thru Ann Arbor. Where was I-94 on the list?