Think Regional/Act Local

May 17, 2013 - My home has a main road along the side yard. To say that the road is not in the best of shape would be an understatement. The road causes “issues” on a regular basis. Here are some tips on how to make lemonade when bad roads are giving you nothing but lemons.

• Each spring I discover large chunks of road material on my lawn after the thaw. I would suggest that you do what I do: use these to line your flower beds instead of using those expensive landscaping stones.
• The resulting hole in the road can be put to practical use: fill it with some water and make it a wonderful birdbath. Don’t worry the birds will see the cars coming.
• I accumulate a nice collection of hubcaps that have been jarred loose by pot holes. Consider doing any of the following:
  • Erect a sign: “Hubcaps for sale!” (Remember to check local zoning ordinances)
  • String them on some coat hangers: they make very interesting mobiles!
  • Make a wind chime.
  • They make great Frisbees, and they can be used to create fake UFO photos!
• If you want to be helpful to your neighbors: sit next to the road with one of those NASCAR type jacks and a pneumatic lug wrench. You can have that blown-out tire replaced before the driver even gets out of the car. It would sure beat the afternoon I spent helping one young man changing his blown-out tire. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for that poor guy!

Of course all of this could be avoided if we could just convince the legislature to enact a funding plan for roads that will actually pay for the needed work!

Every budget, every project, begins with revenue. Bill’s posts will focus on local government revenue issues across the SEMCOG region and state. Also look for a few insights on how legislation coming out of Lansing may impact your community.

 

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May 13, 2013 – This week, SEMCOG’s Executive Committee will be asked to approve a draft 2040 Regional Transportation Plan for Southeast Michigan. Once adopted, the plan will guide transportation investment for the next few years.

One big difference in this plan is the funding anticipated to be available. The 2035 plan anticipated a significant increase in funding to build needed transportation improvements. The draft 2040 plan does not anticipate such a generous assumption. Why? Well, neither the Congress nor the Michigan Legislature has shown any courage to provide needed additional funding. It doesn't make any sense to continue to anticipate dollars to make improvements that just never seem to show up. If you do not see your favorite project included, it is probably because there just are not enough dollars to do all of the work that needs to be done.

The draft 2040 plan does anticipate additional Canadian funds to build a new bridge to Canada. The draft plan also includes two other major projects: improvements to I-94 from the Lodge to Connor and widening I-75 in Oakland County. The rest of the projects are all programmed to improve existing pavement and bridges. In this regard, the draft 2040 plan continues a "fix it first" approach consistent with the 2035 plan.

Another way the draft plan and the 2035 plan are similar is that there aren't significant new investments in public transit. The M-1 Streetcar project is a start – an important start. The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will hopefully be able to raise additional dollars in the coming years to allow the funding of additional service, including introducing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and other higher levels of public transit.

Be sure to review the materials on SEMCOG’s Web site and try to attend one of the remaining three public meetings and let us know what you think before SEMCOG’s General Assembly adopts the plan in June.

If you want to know what about anything related to transportation in Southeast Michigan, don’t miss Carmine Palombo's blog. Carmine has more than 30 years of experience in various phases of transportation planning at SEMCOG. He is responsible for administering SEMCOG’s transportation planning program, which includes the region’s long-range transportation plan and short-term transportation plan.

 

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May 7, 2013 — As the State Legislature debates and reviews spending decisions in preparation for a June 1 deadline to complete the 2013-14 State Budget, SEMCOG and MAC are providing citizens with an opportunity to consider priorities and give their thoughts. 

State law requires a balanced budget. Limited resources require weighing alternatives and making difficult spending decisions in government, just as we do in our households or businesses. While SEMCOG and MAC encourage residents to talk to their local officials about priorities in their own communities, this survey will provide citizens a chance to share their collective input at the state level.

The brief survey asks four questions that provide residents with a chance to voice their opinions, including an opportunity to specify 10 areas in which it is most important for the state to invest. In addition, there is a question on whether to increase funding for transportation, enabling much-needed road and bridge maintenance and improvement, and how to generate additional revenue. There is also a question on whether to support Medicaid expansion in Michigan, which would increase the number of low-income citizens qualifying for coverage, and take advantage of federal funding under the Affordable Care Act.

The issues being debated for budget consideration will significantly impact quality of life and economic prosperity in Southeast Michigan, as well as the rest of the state. Decisions on the condition of our roads and bridges and how we fund transportation, healthcare expansion and opportunities for cost containment, and how we support education, the Great Lakes, economic development and other critical issues will impact all who live, work, and raise families here.

Please let us know what you think and we will share your thoughts with Lansing leadership.

SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, and the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC) invite Southeast Michigan residents to voice opinions on the 2013-14 State Budget – Michigan’s priorities for the upcoming year and how they should be funded – via an online survey directly, or by visiting the website of either SEMCOG or MAC. The survey will be available until May 19. Additional comments can be e-mailed to  InfoCenter@semcog.org.

Paul Tait joined SEMCOG in 1972 and has served in a variety of planning and administrative capacities – becoming Executive Director in 1998. This experience gives Paul a rich perspective on the past, present, and future of our region. Please join him as he blogs about issues of importance to the region’s local governments and residents. Paul is also president of SEMCOG’s partner organization – the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC) – a coalition of business, labor, government and education.

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May 6, 2013 – Well, that sure didn’t take long! The first meeting of the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) was April 10 and already some groups want to revise the legislation that set it up. The latest attempt was made last week as a western Wayne County legislator introduced legislation in Lansing to allow for opt-out communities. We just can’t stand it when we actually do something right!

One of the strengths of the RTA legislation is that it addressed many of the flaws in the way we governed transit for many years. For example, the legislation made many of the RTA decisions subject to only a majority, instead of a unanimous vote. Even some of the more challenging issues only require a super majority vote instead of a unanimous vote. The RTA has the ability to raise its own revenue – this is crucial for implementing its plans. The legislation also includes all four counties – Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw – with no opt-out communities. We are either all in or all out. In my opinion, this is key.

Transit is an issue that impacts us all and we should all decide together how it should operate, where, when, and what it should look like. Even if you don’t personally use public transit, it impacts you in ways you may not even know. It helps people get to work so they can earn a living and pay taxes. It helps decrease auto emissions. It helps decrease congestion. It helps the young and the old get around without you and me having to provide that needed ride. Does everyone get back exactly what they put into it? The answer is no. At the same time, do the citizens that pay a gas tax get back a dollar-per-dollar benefit for what they put in – again the answer is no.

Legislators point out that transit is expensive and inefficient, yet they would introduce legislation ensuring it is run inefficiently – helping to legislate their point. This bill should be voted down and vetoed by the governor if it somehow gets that far.

If you want to know what about anything related to transportation in Southeast Michigan, don’t miss Carmine Palombo's blog. Carmine has more than 30 years of experience in various phases of transportation planning at SEMCOG. He is responsible for administering SEMCOG’s transportation planning program, which includes the region’s long-range transportation plan and short-term transportation plan.

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