I brought Arnold Weinfeld (the League's Director of Stategic Initiatives & Federal Affairs) along with me yesterday to testify before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation. This is the legislative group tasked with beginning to shape the State's transportation budget for the coming fiscal year. We were joined on the agenda by representatives of the County Road Association of Michigan and the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association. While each of us talked about the importance of providing sufficient revenues to maintain our road network, Arnold and I took the time to share with the legislators the importance that all of the various aspects of the transportation system have on the economic vitality of Michigan's communities. We talked about the 2008 reforms that were highlighted within the Transportation Funding Task Force report. Those recommendations included things like Public-Private Partnerships and Private Investment Infrastructure Financing tools. We explained the economic value of Transit-Oriented Development and the need for the state to support commuter and high speed rail projects, along with efforts to help communities transform their neighborhoods and downtowns through the use of policies like Complete Streets. We made the point the Legislature needs to understand that transportation is about offering driving, walking, biking and transit options. This budget will provide them with an opportunity to prioritize funding for programs that will make a difference on the economic well-being of Michigan's communities.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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