Washtenaw County officials testify about lack of road funding before state transportation committee
State Rep. Pam Byrnes, D-Lyndon Township, chaired today's meeting as the state House Transportation Committee sought testimony on state transportation funding issues.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Mayor Paul Schreiber says Ypsilanti is transforming from an industrial city dependent upon the automotive industry into a cultural city with a growing number of young professionals.
But a lack of state funding for roads and bridges has slowed progress, forcing officials to make tough budget decisions like whether to invest in transportation or police services.
Luckily, Schreiber said, voters in Ypsilanti agreed nine years ago to a road bond, which they still are paying at 4 mills.
"We have really nice local streets, we have water mains that are fixed, but yet our major streets are an issue," he said. "We just resurfaced a bridge — the Leforge Street Bridge. We had to back off on that and only do a deck replacement because we couldn't afford to do the full replacement that was required. So we're going to have to revisit that in 10 years."
Mass transit is another issue for Ypsilanti.
"Our bus transportation is funded out of our general fund, and I don't have to tell you that municipalities all around the state are having to cut police and fire," Schreiber said. "That's the same fund that we use to fund transportation. So what's happening is municipalities like Ypsilanti have had to choose between funding public safety and funding transportation."
Schreiber testified today before the state's House Transportation Committee, chaired by Rep. Pam Byrnes, D-Lyndon Township.
The committee held a special meeting at Washtenaw Community College to hear public testimony about the local impact of the state's five-year transportation plan. The legislators said they want local input with jobs and construction projects at stake as state transportation dollars plummet.
Mark Chaput, region engineer for MDOT's University Region, which includes Washtenaw County, testifies before the committee.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s 2011 transportation budget proposes cutting Michigan’s road and bridge program by 62 percent because of declining gas tax revenues and the state's inability to match federal dollars.
Michigan faces a $2.4 billion reduction in state and federal funding for projects between 2011 and 2014. MDOT has been forced to cancel 257 road and bridge projects, which in turn is estimated to cost the state 5,000 to 7,000 jobs. At least 38 counties in Michigan have been forced to return more than 100 miles of paved roads back to gravel because of dwindling budgets.
Byrnes said today's meeting in Washtenaw County was the third hearing her committee has held — the first two being in Traverse City and Kalamazoo.
"We believe that this is an extremely important issue to bring to the attention of the voters and the members of our community because they must be made aware of the crisis we have here in road funding and in transportation funding," she said. "And without that funding source, we will have projects to be cut."
Byrnes said the cuts hurt Michigan's economic viability.
"Our transportation infrastructure is critical to attracting businesses and I've often said, 'What business wants to stay or locate here in the state of Michigan where the roads are crumbling and the bridges are closed?'" she said. "We must step up to the plate to make sure that that funding source is there. By not having sufficient state funding, we are jeopardizing receiving federal funding."
Byrnes said the figure of $84 million gets thrown around a lot, but that's only what the state needs to come up with to plug a hole in funding for state roads through the Michigan Department of Transportation.
"That doesn't affect local projects as well, so that is just a part of the deficit that we need to be addressing," she said. "And there's also been talk of taking money from the 21st Century Jobs Fund to plug that hole, which I don't think is an appropriate use of those funds as well, because that takes money away from developing businesses here and attracting businesses here in Michigan."
The first testimony of the day came from Mark Chaput, region engineer for MDOT's University Region, which includes Washtenaw and nine other counties. Also there to testify was Tony Kratofil, region engineer for MDOT's Metro Region, which includes four counties surrounding Detroit.
"The impacts that we feel here in the University Region and the Metro Region are really a very significant portion of the overall impacts," Chaput said, adding that 55 percent of the state's highways and bridges are found in the two regions.
Chaput and Kratofil told the story of shrinking financial resources and growing infrastructure needs, which they said has translated into state highways in disrepair, bridges closed, and highway on-ramps crumbling.
Chaput said $175.6 million worth of projects are being delayed in MDOT's University Region over the next five years. That includes $33.4 million in bridge projects and $142.2 million in road projects.
He presented a chart that showed the following:
- 2011: Delay 26 bridges and 26 lane miles
- 2012: Delay 7 bridges and 37 lane miles
- 2013: Delay 12 bridges and 24 lane miles
- 2014: Delay 38 lanes miles
- Total: Delay the preservation of 45 bridges and 125 lane miles (10 road jobs)
"Each of those bridges that gets delayed, each of those roads that get delayed," Chaput said, "not only does it prevent those facilities from being improved — brought up to standard and brought up to today's safety needs — it also leaves them in the condition they are to continue to deteriorate and subject us to additional maintenance costs."
Because of an inability to provide matching dollars for federal aid, MDOT officials said annual highway capital and maintenance program revenues are going to drop from $1.44 billion to $639 million in the next year, down to $587 million by 2012, and then leveling out in the coming years.
"Our capital construction program for the foreseeable future is significantly reduced," Chaput said. "Our overall needs are probably about three times what we traditionally invested, which is about $1.5 billion a year. Now dropping that in half, we're about six times short of what the unmet needs are statewide."
Chaput acknowledged the state has resorted to putting up plywood underneath crumbling bridges to keep concrete chunks from falling.
Roy Townsend, county highway engineer for the Washtenaw County Road Commission, also testified.
He said local roads in Washtenaw County actually are in better condition than primary roads because of investments being made by local municipalities. He cited statistics showing 67 percent of local roads in the county are rated "fair," 26 percent "poor" and 7 percent "good."
Townsend said 58 percent of the county's federal aid roads are in poor condition, which he called "pretty appalling."
There are 111 bridges in Washtenaw County, 41 percent of which are rated functionally obsolete or structurally deficient, Townsend said. Across the state, MDOT is responsible for 4,403 bridges, 23 percent of which are rated functionally obsolete or structurally deficient. Cities and counties in Michigan take care of another 6,437 bridges, 28 percent of which are rated functionally obsolete or structurally deficient.
"I mean, it's terrible," Townsend said. "Closed bridges affect the economy."
Townsend placed the blame on lack of funding for MDOT's Local Bridge program. He showed a comparison between actual dollars spent in 1992 and projections for 2012. In 1992, $38 million was channeled through the program, which replaced 152 bridges. In 2012, $40 million is proposed, which would replace just 25 bridges and rehab another 16.
Townsend said Washtenaw County should be replacing or rehabbing two bridges per year, but in the last three years it only has been able to get funding for one. At the current rate of funding, he said, the county's bridges — with an average life span of 50 to 70 years — are going to have to last 300 years, which is going to mean more closed bridges soon.
"This issue affects every resident and business in Michigan. It's critical that we do something," he said.
Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell, who serves on the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study Policy Committee, called for action on an increase to the state's gas tax, which has not happened since 1997.
"The longer we wait to fix roads, the more expensive the fix becomes," she said. "I just don't understand the inability to do a minor increase in gas tax. The price of gas can change more in one week than the proposed increase."
Ryan J. Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
AlphaAlpha
Sun, May 9, 2010 : 8:22 p.m.
According to info at http://www.annarbor.com/news/opinion/fuel-tax-hike-needed-to-rebuild-michigan-roads-and-our-economy/ Michigan's fuel taxes are the 7th highest in the USA, but spending on roads is only 43rd highest. Maybe we could spend the fuel taxes on roads?
ThisAintKyle
Sun, Apr 25, 2010 : 2:05 p.m.
Options: 1. Raise the gas tax to pay to fix the roads. Then when you drive, you pay to use the road. And you see the cost to use the road every time you fill-up. Seems logical. 2. Raise other taxes to pay to fix the roads. The you pay for the roads even when you're not using them. Not so logical. Plus, the cost of the roads is masked somewhere else, making you think the roads are cheaper than they really are. Not good. 3. Privatize the highways, and use the MDOT funds to pay for all other roads. Let toll companies run the highways and worry about their condition. Drawback: paying a toll sucks. But it makes you think about how much the roads actually cost.. 4. Live with bad roads. 5. Hope that the roads will fix themselves. I like the last one myself. And, it seems, so do the people in Lansing.
krc
Sun, Apr 25, 2010 : 11:08 a.m.
@Awakened, surely you meant curb cuts?
Awakened
Sun, Apr 25, 2010 : 9:26 a.m.
But A2 is still putting in decorative sidewalk durb cuts paid by state grants. Hmmm. Maybe setting some priorities ARE in order.
digger
Sat, Apr 24, 2010 : 9:16 p.m.
The county might find more funding for roads if the competitive bidding process was still alive. Seems like our elected officials want to drive up costs of the projects by favoring this CUB agreement eliminating 50% or more of the normal bidders on projects because they are not union companies. Funny they make sure companies don't discriminate the workers but they disciminate companies.
ybecuz
Sat, Apr 24, 2010 : 6:18 p.m.
Why do we have so many dirt roads in Washtenaw County? Ohio has very few, if any. Many times during the year, the roads are almost unusable. I'm thinking of hitching up a team to my conastoga wagon and traveling that way. The thinking that if everybody buys American cars, then all will turn back to Ozzie & Harriet is naive. The corporate world chose long ago to outsource jobs to increase profits, too late to play the jingoistic patriot card now. How about a change to a pragmatic common sense tax and spend policy instead of blowing around like a wind sock.
outdoor6709
Sat, Apr 24, 2010 : 6:14 p.m.
Why is it that MDOT refuses to put it's budget on-line for all to see? There is no doubt money ment for road repair is being used for non-road expenses. Also why is the government requiring we drive more fuel effecient cars. Road funding will only get worse. Jim Walker, Send your $75 to the Washtenaw County Road commission, I'm sure they will spend it.
Mick52
Sat, Apr 24, 2010 : 11:49 a.m.
@TheGerman, I think belboz point is that with so many foreign cars, which are fuel efficient, we burn less gas, thus less gasoline tax is generated. Gas guzzlers create more fuel tax dollars. Additional taxes on gas is unacceptable because of the volatile nature of gas prices. In Jan of 2008, another liberal democrat, John Dingell, spoke in A2 and proposed a federal gas tax increase of $.50 gallon. I was glad no one listens to him in DC because that summer, gas prices went over $4/gallon without his help. Pam Byrnes has been totally ineffective as a MI rep., refusing to support many initiatives that would increase funding based on choice. The condition of our roads with her chairing the transportation committee is proof enough. Also raising gas prices is discriminatory to people of low to moderate incomes. @Engineer is correct, our tax system does not attract business which is what MI desperately needs. Ditto unions. Unions keep industry from MI, like the 6000 job VW plant that went south. With union shackled Dems in office, forget MI economy improving. Its tough but "reform" is what we need. Sure we need to raises taxes somewhere, its inevitable, but just to raise taxes to continue the folly is absurd.
Jim Walker
Sat, Apr 24, 2010 : 10:39 a.m.
After the government spokespersons, I spoke for the National Motorists Association. I quantified what a 50% increase in the state gas tax, about 9.4 cents per gallon, would mean to many people. If you drive 15,000 miles per year at 20 mpg, it would cost you about $75 per year or about $1.50 per week. At 30 mpg it would be about $1 per week. The gas tax is the RIGHT place to raise the road funds because it is proportional to use and the money is mostly dedicated to roads. Raising registration fees by a large amount is unfair to low mileage drivers and people with special cars that are not used as daily drivers. Raising income taxes or sales taxes would NOT dedicate the money to roads. I think most people would agree to pay another $1 to $1.50 or maybe $2 per week to dedicate another $400 million dollars to our roads, an amount that would go a LONG way to fixing the problems. Regards, James C. Walker
KJMClark
Sat, Apr 24, 2010 : 8:55 a.m.
If I recall correctly, "functionally obsolete" are code words for "they want to widen", and "structurally deficient" means either the thing is really starting to fall apart or they want it to be able to carry more weight. The first thing to do is put on long-term hold any project that involves widening unless it has a federal match to cover the widening, or the local jurisdiction is willing to pay for the widening when all repairs are paid for. And there's a lot of double-speak when it comes to roads: "We just resurfaced a bridge the Leforge Street Bridge. We had to back off on that and only do a deck replacement because we couldn't afford to do the full replacement that was required." If a resurfacing/deck replacement is good for the next decade, then a full replacement doesn't seem to have been "required", does it? This is one of those areas where people can't seem to (or more likely, don't want to) distinguish between "needs" and "desires". I think we "need" to fix potholes and repave some streets, and do structural repairs to bridges. Some people "desire" to widen bridges and roads and pave gravel ones. We should put all the 'desires' on hold unless or until there's funding available.
SonnyDog09
Sat, Apr 24, 2010 : 7:58 a.m.
I have an idea. Perhaps they could look at using the funding that they currently get more efficiently. For example, instead of paying five guys to stand around and watch one guy work, they could reduce that ratio and only pay three guys to stand around and watch one guy work. I know that this is too radical an idea to actually happen, but one can dream.
Richard C
Sat, Apr 24, 2010 : 7:29 a.m.
@Engineer Go live in Somalia. I'm sure there's no taxes there. No government either. You can live Free there. Michigan has put itself into a bad position: Term limits on the house and senate have left us with a perpetually juvenile government. Obsession with the automobile industry has made us a one-horse state and the horse is dead. I don't know what to suggest other than to concentrate our resources - which means more support for working urban environments and less support for suburban development. And cutting back on criminal sentences.
Engineer
Fri, Apr 23, 2010 : 10:02 p.m.
Read my lips! NO MORE TAXES. Taxes are the problem. The tax level here in Michigan is so high no business wants to move here. Lower the taxes in this state to a level consisitant with the lowest state in the country and business will look for us. Taxes are a death spiral of doom. Time to change out the tax and spend liberals. They have run this state into the ground with years of Jenny's policies. Fortunately she has termed out.
TheGerman
Fri, Apr 23, 2010 : 8:23 p.m.
@belboz You do know that even when you buy a foreign car, the state still collects state sales tax right? Also, GM has more models made out of the country than BMW.
belboz
Fri, Apr 23, 2010 : 6:38 p.m.
Too many foreign cars on the road, which means too many tax dollars leaving the state. Which means too many roads have no money to repair them. Meaning we need to stop the trade deficit before we can expect any return to the quality of life that once existed here. Roads, education, fire, police - everything is lacking funds. It has little to do with state legislature. It has to do with the tax base, which has to do with jobs, which has to do with me repeating myself...
81wolverine
Fri, Apr 23, 2010 : 6:02 p.m.
The road situation in this state is unacceptable and inexcusable. The people to blame are the short-sighted, partisan politicians in Lansing. Just for losing federal matching funding for roads, is a justifiable reason to lose their jobs. A 62% reduction in Michigan's road and bridge budget, which is already EXTREMELY underfunded, is a decision to forfeit Michigan's economic future. Michigan's roads are rated as the worst in the country. Why? Years of neglect by the politicians. Underfunding the roads has resulted in a crumbling infrastructure that discourages business investment, causes higher energy, insurance, and auto maintenance costs to taxpayers, and scares away people from the state. Washtenaw County roads are horrible, despite having one of the highest per capita incomes in Michigan. We have heavily traveled roads that are unpaved and in terrible condition most of the time. We have a main thoroughfare (Stadium Blvd) in Ann Arbor with two bridges falling apart. We have many side streets in greatly deteriorated condition. Mr. Townsend's statistics show 0% of county roads in good condition or better. Have our standards degraded so much that this is acceptable? The ONLY answer right now is to increase the funding of Michigan's roads. I have NO vested interest in this - full disclosure. I just want to drive over well-maintained roads again. The gas tax needs to be increased to a level high enough to receive all the Federal dollars we're entitled to AND to restore existing roads and bridges to a safe condition. This may not be a popular thing to do given the economic conditions, but in my opinion, there is NO choice. It's the only fair approach. If someone is buying gas, they're using the roads. However, I am in favor of truck companies paying more of a share as they cause more road damage. Michigan's legislature has screwed up our roads for many years and we simply CAN NOT afford to wait any longer to upgrade our roads. Otherwise, any attempt to diversify our economy and restore it to pre-recession levels will be delayed at best, and futile at worst. I recommend contacting your state representative and tell them in no uncertain terms that unless they support improved roads in this state, you will not vote for them any more.