Kalamazoo Train Depot

Earlier today, the Senate Appropriations committee took up SB 254(S-2).  This bill is the FY 2009-2010 transportation budget for the state of Michigan.  This budget provides $3.2 billion for all state and local transportation/transit programs throughout the state. It is main source of funding the 20,914 miles of local roads and bridges, and the 78 transit agencies that operate in every county in Michigan.

The Senate Appropriations committee has used the budget to fill gaps in the state’s general fund budget by reduce funding for our local operations. The budget will provide $16.26 million less for local roads and bridges. The budget will provide $4.28 million less for local bus operating support. The budget will provide $2 million less for the state funded AMTRAK routes (the Port Huron to Chicago line; and the Grand Rapids to Chicago line).

So what does this mean for us? It means that our local roads and bridges will continue to be underfunded. It means that our local transit operators will continue to suffer from a “death by a million cuts”. But most drastically, it means that one or both of the AMTRAK lines will cease to operate.

In these times of dwindling transportation revenues, where our communities will start facing deficits in transportation funding beginning in 2012, we can not afford for our Legislators to pile more troubles on top of all of that. See the full Issue Advisory on the current situation by clicking here.

Please visit our Action Center to call your Legislators and ask them to ACT NOW and restore these cuts!!! Ask them to ACT NOW and support the Transportation Funding Task Force (TF2) funding legislation.

I’ve returned from the 2009 American Public Works Association (Michigan Chapter) annual meeting in Boyne, MI. The APWA is the association of public works directors and employees throughout the state. These are the folks who manage municipal infrastructure (water, sewer, and roads). Each year, I give a Legislative Update to the members of the APWA and try to provide some perspective on what is going on in the State Legislature. This year, my task was to educate them on the Transportation Funding Task Force (TF2) funding legislation that is coming soon.

Part of my presentation included sharing with them a spreadsheet from MDOT that shows what each Michigan city and village can expect to receive in new transportation money if the TF2 bills are enacted (available here: TF2 MTF Forecast Plan City Village 5-11-09.pdf (41.95 kb)). It was good to see them get excited about the possibilities of a legislature finally supporting the efforts to get good transportation in Michigan.

I had to remind them that they have the power to get this done, just like you do. I’ve been told many times by legislators “Yeah Dave, I get it. Transportation needs more money. But I’m only hearing it from you, not from my folks at home.” We need you to ACT NOW!

Here’s a sample resolution that you can have your city councils adopt (available here:5-18-09 A Resolution Requesting Enactment of the Transportation Funding Task Force Legislation.pdf (32.47 kb)). Here’s a link to our action center so that you can send emails or make calls. Let us know how you’re doing with these calls. Tell your friends and families to call. We need the legislature to ACT NOW on transportation funding.