Michiganders urge lawmakers to address $3.9B shortfall to fix Michigan roads

It's no secret that Michigan roads are in dire need of repairs. The issue is, how do we fund the repairs? Now, lawmakers are being pushed to figure out a plan.

Road funding is a topic I have covered extensively over the last several years. From a proposed gas tax, to a toll road study, to charging a tax by mileage, it's all been talked about. However, nothing has been agreed upon.

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Bradley and Jessica Dillaha are siblings in business. They run a food truck.

“What do you think the roads are like here in Michigan?” I asked.

“Atrocious," Bradley said.

“What is it like driving that food truck?” I asked.

“It’s hard cause there is a lot of traffic and to try to merge and get over. A lot of people are trying to stay in one lane because one lane is bad, the other one is worse. It’s not fun," he said.

“The potholes are unbelievable, and then they are fixing many sections at once instead of maybe just working on one and getting it done, and then moving on, so we have all these detours," Jessica added.

But all of the work could come to a standstill without any funding.

In 2020, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer bonded out $3.5 billion to help the Michigan Department of Transportation fix roads over a five-year period.

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“The reality is, is that there is a lot more work to do and we will be on a slippery slope if we don’t do something about how we fund our roads," Rob Coppersmith, the executive vice president of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA), said.

MITA recently sent maps to lawmakers showing a breakdown of just how bad the roads are in every Michigan Senate and House district .

“The idea of the maps was that, we were thinking if I were a lawmaker, I would really want a clear picture of what this looks like for my district," Coppersmith said.

MITA is calling for lawmakers to figure out a way to make up a $3.9 billion shortfall. That dollar amount is drafted by a consulting firm for MITA.

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“Would it surprise you if I tell you the roads are currently underfunded by $3.9 billion?” I asked Steven Alex from Detroit.

“No, no not at all. It shows it’s been a problem for a long time, so to hear that is it underfunded, I mean, it is more expensive because they’re underfunded so it’s just piling onto of itself," he said.

“I don’t feel like it's MITA’S position to come up with a solution, but to just educate that we need a solution, that is what we have elected officials for," Coppersmith said.

In 2019, the governor proposed a 45-cent gas tax to fix the roads. That was met with backlash.

“Would you be willing to pay a gas tax like that?” I asked.

“Maybe meet somewhere in the middle on that, like a 20%, 20-cent," Bradley said.

There have been studies on how to fund our roads, including looking at toll roads and charging per lane mile, especially with drivers switching to EVs.

The federal government has provided some funds through the infrastructure deal, but with an election year, it's hard to predict what will happen next.

Drivers I spoke to say it doesn't matter how. As long as the money is generated to fix the roads, they would be willing to pay up.

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“Would you be willing to pay more in taxes if it meant repairing those roads?” I asked Mellanie Wheeler from Detroit.

“If it meant repairing the roads. Often taxes raised go toward a particular issue and the issue still exists, so I wouldn’t want to pay more in taxes if we still have bad roads," she said.

“When taxes come out it’s to take care of a public good, so I don’t mind," Alexander said.

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