The House Transportation committee has finalized the details for their third hearing on transportation funding. This hearing is scheduled for Friday, April 23, 2010 at 10 am at Washtenaw Community College's Morris Lawrence Building (the link to the official committee posting is below). The origin of these hearings was to discuss the state trunkline project delays that are expected due to Michigan's inability to match all available federal gas tax revenue with our own road revenues. The result of this shortfall is that Michigan runs the risk of leaving nearly a half of a billion dollars in Washington for other states to claim. In addition to this discussion, county and municipal road and transit agencies have testified at the two previous hearings, in Traverse City and Kalamazoo, on the impact that declining state road funding has had on local road systems and local economies.
The Municipal League is scheduled to play a key role in this week's hearing. League CEO Dan Gilmartin will be joined by Board of Trustees President Jeff Jenks and officials from the cities of Saline, Ypsilanti and Lansing, as the case is made for the Legislature to take action on bills to increase funding for roads and transit. I encourage everyone to attend this hearing and show your support for increased road funding! If you plan on attending or would like to speak before the committee, please give me a call.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(k3erlz45zvdpr245ybq14l45))/mileg.aspx?page=committeemeeting&objectname=18476
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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