© 2024 Interlochen
CLASSICAL IPR | 88.7 FM Interlochen | 94.7 FM Traverse City | 88.5 FM Mackinaw City IPR NEWS | 91.5 FM Traverse City | 90.1 FM Harbor Springs/Petoskey | 89.7 FM Manistee/Ludington
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Coverage from across Michigan and the state Capitol with the Michigan Public Radio Network and Interlochen Public Radio.

Road Package Moves To Senate, New Money Unresolved

Peter Payette

The state House has adopted legislation to allocate about $450 million dollars for road repairs and maintenance. It’s being applauded as an initial step, even though it falls short of the $1.2 billion dollars Governor Rick Snyder says is the minimum needed. 

But this a good first step, says Representative Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City), who chairs House Transportation Committee.

“It’s simple,” he said. “Good roads equal good jobs, and a strengthened economy, so let’s work together to put Michigan back to work.”

The bill passed the House with bipartisan support, but without a raft of complaints that the House should have come up with more money.

“Our residents are actually asking us to actually fix the roads in front of their homes, on the roadways to their businesses and that’s what we should do,” said Rep. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing).

There were also complaints that the legislation does not put enough into public transportation or prioritizing existing roads over building new ones.

“For those of us who claim to be fiscally responsible, and I consider myself one of them, every new mile of road that is built is eight million dollars of sprawl,” said Rep. Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills).

But the biggest complaint is the package has little net new revenue for roads – rather it permanently commits a bigger share of the state sales tax from gas pump sales to transportation funding. But it’s no more than the Legislature has appropriated an annual basis over the past couple of years. It would also boost the diesel tax, and change how fuel is taxed so revenue grows with inflation.

The transportation funding debate now moves to the state Senate, which is expected to tackle the question of where to come up with more revenue for roads.  

Rick Pluta is Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He has been covering Michigan’s Capitol, government, and politics since 1987. His journalism background includes stints with UPI, The Elizabeth (NJ) Daily Journal, The (Pontiac, MI) Oakland Press, and WJR. He is also a lifelong public radio listener.