The House Transportation committee went on the road this week to Traverse City and heard from a packed audience about the funding crisis facing local road agencies and the Michigan Department of Transportation. State Representative Pam Byrnes, chair of the committee, was joined by Representatives Wayne Schmidt and Paul Opsommer on Monday afternoon in Traverse City as officials from MDOT, local road commissions, road construction companies, and private residents expressed their concerns about the current road funding situation in Michigan. State officials also talked about the expected northern Michigan impact from MDOT having to delay over 250 road projects around the state, due to their inability to bring almost a half billion dollars in federal gas tax money back to Michigan. Those who testified expressed frustration with the current funding situation, continued declines in state support and rising costs to the legislators in attendance.
The committee will continue this discussion at other stops around the state this spring. On Monday, March 22nd, the committee is scheduled to meet at Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Texas Township campus to talk about the project delays and the expected impacts on local communities and their economies. Details of this hearing can be found at: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(sb4pieaglq4o0yrzwdmswvm2))/mileg.aspx?page=committeemeeting&objectname=2010-HCS-c2ce47bf-b345-4175-885f-d4f9dbf3ee57.
I encourage everyone in the area to attend this hearing or other, future hearings. It is critically important that legislators understand the need for increased investment in roads, infrastructure and transit. These investments will play a key role in restoring our communities and the state's economy. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like further information on the road funding debate taking place in Lansing.
Chris Hackbarth is the transportation policy advisor for the Michigan Municipal League. Chris can be reached at 517-908-0303 or by email at chackbarth@mml.org.
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Staff at the Michigan Department of Transportation contacted the League recently to help reach out to communities with an opportunity to receive bicycle and pedestrian training assistance. Please review the following information and attachments and let me know if you have any questions.
The Michigan Department of Transportation has received training funds for Michigan to support Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety as well as encourage bicycling and walking through FHWA. Communities can apply to serve as hosts for these community/regional training courses with the obvious benefit of having your local streets critiqued by experts to make them more walkable, bikeable and ADA compliant. These courses support a diverse array of current local, state and national efforts including healthy livable communities, Complete Sreets, context sensitive solutions, and sustainable communities; just to name a few. The department will sponsor the cost of the consultant/expert, while the host community will beasked to assist with some of the logistical costs of the visit.
Attached is a list with a description of the three training courses your community is eligible to host or send participants. Please register your interest in these training opportunities by March 25, 2010. (Inquires can be made to Cindy Krupp kruppc@michigan.gov or Deb Wedley wedleyd@michigan.gov ). Please pass these opportunities on to communities that may be interested in these trainings. Thank you for your support.
Cynthia Krupp, Transportation Planner - MDOT, Intermodal Policy Division Phone: (517) 335-2923 Fax: (517) 373-9255 E-Mail: kruppc@michigan.gov
Chris Hackbarth is the transportation policy advisor for the Michigan Municipal League. Chris can be reached at 517-908-0303 or by email at chackbarth@mml.org.
Complete Streets MDOT Training list 2010.doc (28.50 kb)
Complete Streets MDOT Training Interest Form.doc (30.50 kb)
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Congressman Earl Perlmutter of Colorado and Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut have both introduced legislation, H.R. 4690 and S. 1619, to establish the "Livable Communities Act of 2010" and promote the economic development benefits of sustainable development and community planning.
Specifically, both bills would:
Create competitive planning grants that communities and regions can use to create comprehensive long-term plans that integrate transportation, housing, land use, and economic development.
Create challenge grants that communities and regions can use to implement these long-term plans through investments in public transportation, affordable housing, complete streets, transit-oriented development, and brownfield redevelopment.
Establish a federal Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities at the Department of Housing and Urban Development to administer and oversee the Livable Communities grant programs;
Establish a federal Interagency Council on Sustainable Communities that will include representatives from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal agencies to coordinate federal sustainable development policies.
The bills follow the League's message of building vibrant communties for the 21st century and our Center for 21st Century Communities program.
Arnold Weinfeld is director of strategic initiatives and federal affairs for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at 517-908-0304 or by e-mail.
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Yesterday, I sat in a workgroup on digital billboards. HB 5580 has been introduced which would
create a two-year moratorium on all digital billboards. Supporters of the bill, including Scenic
Michigan, have said that digital billboards are a visual distraction to drivers
and a public safety risk. They have
asked for a moratorium on new billboards until a federal study can be completed
this year that would make determinations on public safety risks and make
recommendations. Opponents, including
the billboard industry, have said that these billboards are easier and more cost
effective for advertisers, that they are not a driver distraction, and that
they can be used for amber alerts (which is contested by the State Police and
broadcasters).
The League supports the bill because we believe that these
digital billboards are a public safety hazard and need to be regulated for
motion, brightness and other areas. We believe
that the federal study should be finalized and released, and the Legislature
should take appropriate action for regulations.
In the meantime, though, there should be a moratorium. If there is not a moratorium in place, there
will be many more nonconforming billboards that communities will have to deal
with. These would be grandfathered in
and won’t have to follow new regulations. It would be costly to force them to
be in compliance.
I am looking to provide the committee with information on
local regulations. If you regulate
digital billboards (or ban them) locally, please let me know. Also, the industry has released a new list of
compromise options. We will have them up
for people to review shortly.
Andy
Schor is the Assistant Director of State Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League. Contact him at
(517) 908-0300 or by email.
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