Help Shape the Future of Transportation in Michigan
/| Southeast Michigan residents
have a unique opportunity to provide valuable guidance to elected leadership in
Lansing and help shape how we will maintain and improve the transportation
system – roads, bridges, and transit – in Southeast Michigan through a regional
online survey sponsored by the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC) and SEMCOG,
the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. Citizens can take the
online survey directly, or by visiting the
SEMCOG or MAC websites.
The region’s and state’s infrastructure needs are
estimated to cost $2.8 billion per year over the next 20 years, with only $1.4
billion currently available from federal, state, and local sources (primarily
gas taxes and vehicle registration fees). There are many causes for this large
gap, including the general economic downturn, fewer vehicle miles traveled, more
fuel-efficient vehicles, and the fact that the gas tax has not been increased
since 1997. In addition, we are the only large metropolitan area in the country
without a coordinated transit system that serves the needs of the region.
To ensure that Southeast Michigan preserves a high
quality of life and attracts and retains business investment, tourism, and a
dynamic and educated workforce, we need to maintain our roads and bridges in
good condition, and provide better transit
options.
The brief survey asks nine questions pertaining to two
transportation-related topics:
This Pulse of the Region survey is an easy way for the
public to voice their opinions and have an impact on the future of the region’s
transportation system. “With legislation just introduced in the State House and
Senate on these critical issues, now is a perfect time to speak up and let your
elected officials know what you think,” said Paul E. Tait, Executive Director of
SEMCOG and President of MAC.
This survey is powered by Cobalt Community Research, a Michigan-based
501c3 nonprofit research coalition with a mission to provide research and
educational tools that help schools, local governments, and other nonprofit
member organizations thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic, and
social landscape.
SEMCOG is a regional
planning partnership of governmental units serving 4.7 million people in the
seven-county region of Southeast Michigan striving to enhance the region’s
quality of life.
The Metropolitan Affairs
Coalition (MAC), a non-profit public/private partnership, is the only group that
brings business, labor, government, and education together to build consensus
and seek solutions to regional issues. MAC is uniquely positioned to be a
catalyst for change and help move the region and state
forward.
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