Michigans Bad Roads Don't Just Suck - They Cost Us Money

When a Sign is Worth a Thousand Words

The only thing I can say about this sign is; It's Not Big Enough and there are Not Enough of Them.

Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA) released a calculator that tallies how much legislative inaction on road funding is costing Michigan taxpayers.

The calculator demonstrates the cost per second of inaction by the Michigan Legislature starting on June 12, when they left on summer break.

It appeared on one of my favorite web sites (Pothole Paradise is my absolute fave) JustFixTheRoads.com , and it keeps updating, working, even though Michigan lawmakers do not.

I encourage you to click on it below and check out the article.

Lots of good information and links on the site. If you know of any other good sites, informational or blogs, that talk about Michigan's lousy roads, and what we can do to get them fixed like other states, PLEASE let me know. Leave a comment or drop an email.

And as always, I encourage you to get a Bumper Sticker and let Michigan lawmakers know they have a job to do FIX OUR ROADS !

Just click on the Tab at the Top of the Page.  Thanks!

Drive Careful
Will

Fix Our Roads : News On Michigan Roads

Been away for a week or so. And what's new about the shape of Michigan's Roads and the prospect of getting them fixed? Well, one more bent rim on Miley (by trusty Volvo). Huge pothole at an intersection right on the edge of the pavement. WHAM! What more can I say.

In other Michigan Road News: Links

Road Salt will cost more this winter.
That's right. According to MIlive.com...

Like many Michigan cities and road commissions, Ottawa County buys road salt through a state-run bidding program. An “unusually harsh winter” has changed the market for road salt this year, according to the program, and “vendors have not sufficiently rebuilt their stockpiles which has resulted in scarce supply and significantly higher prices.”

There is also a neat database to see how much your city is spending on Road Salt.


State Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville needs ideas on how to Fix Michigan Roads!

"...quite frankly, we’re looking at all ideas now – newer ideas,” said Richardville. “And we’re not afraid to entertain anything from anyone.”

State Rep says 'Give me your ideas on how to fix the roads' !?! WTF ??  Apparently he doesn't know how to do the job he's being paid for... I guess that's really not news.

Farmers Almanac says this winter will be as bad or worse than last.
Article mentions southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois and guess what.  We're right next to them.

I'll be back soon. Until then...


Drive Careful,
Will

Crude Numbers: What It Won't Cost To Fix Michigan Roads

A couple of times on in this blog, I have mentioned either friends and relatives or my own pothole related car repairs. Thousands of dollars between just a half dozen or so people. 

The Michigan legislature agrees it will take about 1.4 Billion dollars to just get a start on Really fixing Michigan roads. And then about that much each year for the next 5-10 years to get them up to national standards. They have historically been spending only a small fraction of that, neglecting one of the jobs we hired them to do.

And they continue to arrogantly refuse to fund a fix to this huge problem in spite of the proof that Michigan citizens want and are willing to pay for road repairs. To have what people in other states have. Good Roads.

Lawmakers here say we don't want higher taxes (translation: 'If I raise your taxes you wont vote for me and I'll lose my job.'). Yet polls say we ARE willing to pay for better roads. That would mean among other things, lower auto repairs. So what would that get us?

Let's say each of us pays on average about $100.00 less a year on bad road related repairs to our cars, and take a portion of that savings if we get good roads and put it back into road repairs. Is that a reasonable number? Well consider this: Several well researched reports have stated that Michigan drivers pay an annual average of $538.96 in bad-road-related repairs, the highest among motorists in the Great Lakes States. But get this; One report I found, a TRIP report by the National Transportation Research Group released in January of this year stated in it's summary "Deficient roadways cost Detroit area drivers $1,600 annually, Lansing area drivers $1032 annually, and Grand Rapids area drivers $1,027 annually for a total of $7.7 billion statewide. Costs will rise and transportation woes will worsen without a significant funding boost.". The full report can be found here.

That is a crap load of money! Just look at MY bad road related repairs in the last 6 months, just about all front end parts busted by bad roads -

PLEASE MAKE IT STOP !!

What would we get if we took just a portion of that money, less NORMAL wear and tear related repairs and put it toward repairing and improving Michigan roads?

Here's what I read in an article by Rick Haglund titled A Tale of Two States: The Road To Prosperity.

 

        "In fiscal year 2013, Minnesota spent $502 per capita on transportation from state taxes, more than double the $223 per capita Michigan spent that year."

What's that got to do with car repairs? Again in the article Mr. Haglund said:

"What about Minnesota? You guessed it. Motorists there pay an average of $369.25 in repairing damage caused by poor roads, the lowest in the Great Lakes region, according to a White House report."

So, it won't cost us As Much in car repairs if we Fix Our Roads. And we can take some of that savings and put it back into fixing and maintaining our roads, something most of us in Michigan want to do. It just makes sense. In the end we all save money, improve business (businesses save on vehicle repairs too and tourism benefits), have less stress and plain feel better about our Great State of Michigan. Something I can not say right now about our negligent - self-serving legislators (my good opinion).

To sum it up. It won't cost us as much to Fix Our Roads as it does now to keep fixing our cars! Period.

Just sayin'

Drive Careful,
Will

A Pothole Filled Road Trip: So What's New?

Took a road trip to Southfield for business last week. Something happened I knew was just a matter of time. While I am quite experienced at avoiding potholes, cracks and chunks of broken pavement in the road (all without cops stopping me for suspected drunk driving) I realized after a particularly bad bunch of holes that some significant damage had been done to my Volvo. Incidentally, my beloved Volvo is called "Miley", get it?

So here are some shots of what I experienced. Miles of crappy roads. Nothing new for Michigan of course, except for the expen$ive damage to Miley.

Nice Start Entering Southfield

Southfields Master Traffic Plan: Don't fix the intersections and traffic will naturally slow down !

Lots of these. Placed right where Both Wheels will hit it's own hole.

Some work at Ten Mile & Evergreen

Above is the only real work I saw being done in Southfield on the trip. While it's good to see something, it's really only a drop in the bucket and the vast majority of Southfield's roads are deplorable.

Every major intersection in Southfield was a repeat. More of the same. Uggh!

Well the whole trip wasn't just jarring jolts and bangs. Even though I did leave the city with significant damage to Miley, on the way home there was something pretty and relaxing to view and it was not a roadway....

Just the thing to calm my nerves after the awful roads. 

"Hi Guy. Enjoy the Clover."

That's it. Next time my road trip to Dexter, Michigan and do things change? Come back and see.

Don't forget to get your All New

"Fix Our Roads" Bumper Sticker

Just $5.00 w/free shipping for one. Our 10" X 3", 4mil vinyl stickers are easy to apply and created to withstand outdoor use. Stick them to your car, truck, or any smooth surface.

Just Go to the Bumper Stickers tab at the top of the page to order yours today!

Let the last thing a Michigan Lawmaker sees before he rear ends you, 

"FIX OUR ROADS" 

 
Drive Careful,
Will

Royal Oak To Consider Road Repair Tax

If your constituents said they are willing to pay for fixing roads, what would you do?

The city of Royal Oak, Michigan, is considering a road tax to repair some of its 200+ miles of roads. Why? Because the roads there are in desperate need of repair and when asked in a recent city-wide survey if residents would support a modest tax increase dedicated to maintain and reconstruct local roads, the response was "yes". To be exact, 57% yes. So, City Manager Don Johnson, in a letter to city commissioners, recommended a ballot proposal asking voters to approve a 2.5-mills tax hike for roads for a period of 10 years. Good for you Mr. Johnson. You are doing you job admirably. And so it looks like a tax proposal will be on the ballot in Royal Oak for the people to decide.

|The city manager (of Royal Oak) said he doesn’t expect the state Legislature to offer any relief for local road funding.|

What about Michigan roads? When a poll commissioned by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce showed Michigan motorists are willing to pay the price of fixing the state’s crumbling roads, it seemed like a 'no brainer' for Lansing lawmakers. Right. Did I say 'no brainer' and Lansing lawmakers in the same sentence? Well you get my drift don't you? In spite of what the people in Michigan said they wanted the hired help in Lansing to do, nothing was done. No vote on road taxes, no roads repaired and a multi-billion road repair situation unaddressed and getting worse every day.

Well good for you Royal Oak by choosing to take matters into your own hands and asking voters in November to support a 10-year tax increase of 2.5 mills to repair the rough road terrain around Royal Oak. Let the voters do what Lansing will not do for you. And just a suggestion: How about the following sign...

 

Hey Lansing - Get It?

Look, doing your job is not always easy, just ask any parent etc. Even the question of raising money to fix Michigan roads is hard to raise. But if Royal Oak has the balls to raise the question and put it to voters, why can't our employees in Lansing do it? Guess they are just afraid of the voters. Wait 'till we fire them in November. Just say'n.


Drive Careful,
Will

Michigan Will Hire Lame Ducks To Fix Our Roads

New plan was hinted at by Top State House Democrat.

While searching for articles on the web yesterday, about Michigan road conditions and what is being done to achieve a fix, I came across one with a surprising new and innovative idea on how to tackle the problem. One that Michigan lawmakers do not have the backbone to do themselves.

Michigan Lame Ducks Off To Fix Roads

Apparently it is going to take a bunch of lame ducks to finally fix our roads. According to State House Minority Leader Tim Greimel 'a vote on road funding likely won't come until the Legislature's lame duck session'. The good news is that lame ducks work for 'chicken feed' and good health care. That we can offer them.


“I think there’s a very high likelihood that it doesn’t occur until lame duck, unfortunately,” said Greimel, D-Auburn Hills. He appeared on the Michigan Public Television program Off the Record. You can see the program here...

It's good to hear that somebody with something sensible to say in Lansing is finally being honest about what is needed to address Michigan's lousy road issues. Hell, nothing else has worked, why NOT think outside the box? Although if you ask me, and as far as I'm concerned you did, this plan has about as much a chance of working as a Michigan Legislator on summer recess. May as well try the ducks!

Give a Duck a Brake

Do you think I am joking? Michigan roads are a joke. What I am serious about is that from my point of view, NOTHING is being done to Fix Our Roads.

 
So, just to warn you, better be looking out for signs like these this fall. Seems only Lame Ducks have the balls to do the job. How sad.

Drive Careful,

Will

Michigan To Receive $115 Million For Fixing Roads

"Thanks for the effort" I told him.

Michigan Road Repair Fund

A long time ago, I had finished cleaning our pool and asked a friend if he'd like to come over and help me fill it up so it would be ready for the swimming season. A while later he showed up all right, with a bucket.

$115 Million ??

Not that I didn't appreciate his thought, but he really did not quite get the scope of the job. I said 'great, well throw a few buckets of water in and then ask the relatives to come on over and jump in'. He didn't get the joke. In reality, we always had water trucked in by tanker after a big clean-up and I simply wanted him to help with the hoses and such.

Well here in Michigan it is news that the state will receive a $115 million in special state funding this year for 124 specific road projects in certain districts. Now that is against a few numbers being tossed about of some $1.4 Billion needed each year just to get the roads "up to speed" so to speak. While it's more than a few bucket fulls in a swimming pool, $115 million IS less than 10% of what is needed just to start. How is a few percent of what is needed going to fix not just Michigan roads, but Michigan's lousy reputation as having the worst roads in our nation? It's not.

Good job on the $115 million, but I'm not just ready to jump in yet. Not even close. Lansing, JUST FIX OUR ROADS!

Details on the Road Funding...

Michigan Road Funding Will Be Cut Without Action

Will Michigan face a reduction in critical road funding if no action is taken by lawmakers?

That remains to be seen. In two Internet articles I have come across today the threat seems to be real. The very important federal Highway Trust Fund is on the ropes. It may soon run out and what does that mean for Michigan roads?

Both the Detroit News and Michigan Radio have brought up the ugly news. News almost as bad as a Michigan Pothole. Well maybe not much could be done by Michigan lawmakers about the Federal road trust fund, however I can't stop thinking that if Federal dollars (about 80 percent of Michigan road work is funded through federal Highway Trust Fund dollars) shrink or go away it is going to make raising road funds in this state that much harder. What ever can be raised will have to go that much further.

Is Our Road Money going Down the Toilet?

By not acting like leaders and addressing road repair and improvement issues in the past years when the fund was healthy, I can't help think that our Michigan legislators are flushing money and opportunities down the toilet. And you may well know how difficult it can be to get what went down the toilet out again. Our roads just get worse and worse.

If those in Lansing won't Just Fix Our Roads, their jobs can take that trip down the toilet too. Just sayin'.

Drive Careful,
Will

U.S. Rep. Kerry Bentivolio Thinks He Can Fix Michigan Roads

I hear that U.S. Rep. Kerry Bentivolio, R-Milford, has an idea on how to fix our terrible Michigan roads. Nice. He has introduced an "old fashioned" act he thinks will do the job. Here is what he has said...

Michiganians are fed up with navigating potholes after a hard winter. Transportation spending is one of the top concerns I hear from constituents. We in Congress need to take a different approach to fixing our streets: one that empowers local leaders and lessens the control of congressional appropriators over our lives. That’s why I have introduced the Repairing Our Aging Roads (ROAR) Act.

Well it's good someone representing us is making some noise, since the one's in Lansing don't seem to want to. You can read Mr. Bentivolio's explanation of the Repairing Our Aging Roads (ROAR) Act at the Detroit News Website Here.

Is Roaring the Answer ?

Maybe instead of Making Noise, Michigan legislators can Listen to what their constituents have consistently said, "Just Fix Our Roads". I don't necessarly agree with the whole ROAR act thing after looking into it, but I do agree we need action. Not inaction as we saw in the spring. I'm just sayin'.
 

Drive Careful,
Will