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Executive Committee meets December 2 SEMCOG's Executive Committee will meet at 1 p.m. on Friday, December 2, 2005, in SEMCOG's downtown Detroit office. Action items under consideration include: approving the PM2.5 (fine particulate pollutants) conformity analysis of SEMCOG's 2030 Regional Transportation Plan for Southeast Michigan and 2006-2008 Transportation Improvement Program. Jeff Gerritt, editorial writer and columnist for the Detroit Free Press, recently visited Curitiba, Brazil, and wrote about this visit in a column titled, "Curitiba, Brazil shows world how to run a transit system," which appeared in the Free Press on September 18, 2005. (There is a link to this column on SEMCOG's Web site, www.semcog.org; from home page, go to Transportation Planning, then Transit). He will talk about what he saw and discuss potential application of this system in Southeast Michigan. Diane Ward, CEO of the American Red Cross Southeastern Michigan Blood Region, will also speak about blood-related challenges during the holidays. Contact: Amy Malmer, SEMCOG Executive Office Coordinator.
SEMCOG releases statistics on deer crashes in Southeast Michigan There were 6,196 vehicle-deer crashes in Southeast Michigan in 2004 (down from 6,641 in 2003 and up from 6,094 in 2002), according to figures released by SEMCOG, based on crash data received from the Michigan Department of State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center. That figure represents 3.8 percent of all crashes in 2004 (164,900 total).
Rochester Hills and Scio Township experienced the most deer crashes in Southeast Michigan in 2004 (and for the past seven years). Those SEMCOG member communities in the top 10 list ¾ Rochester Hills, Scio Township, Oakland Township, Brighton Township, Washington Township, and Genoa Township, along with Livingston and Oakland Counties ¾ each received, from SEMCOG, a special informational display customized for their community on the dangers of deer crashes. They were all encouraged to display it in a public place, along with "take with" materials SEMCOG provided for residents. SEMCOG staff visited Rochester Hills and presented the display and materials to Mayor Patricia Somerville (see photo and other additional information on the Michigan Deer Crash Coalition's Web site, accessible from the home page of SEMCOG's Web site — www.semcog.org). SEMCOG is a member of MDCC, working to decrease vehicle-deer crashes. The coalition notes that deer crashes occur most frequently during October-December, mostly on two-lane roads between dusk and dawn. In 2004, there were three fatalities involving deer in the state. The coalition cautions drivers not to swerve out of a lane to avoid a deer. It's generally safer to hit the deer than run off the road or risk injuring another motorist. Contact: Tom Bruff, SEMCOG Transportation Coordinator.
SEMCOG publishes final rain gauge report SEMCOG recently released the SEMCOG Rain Gauge Network January-June 2005 Report, documenting precipitation amounts, annual departures from median amounts, calculated probabilities, and annual changes from 2004. June 30, 2005, marked the end of data collection by the SEMCOG network. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department will collect these data in the future. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services for a copy of this report.
SEMCOG co-sponsors MCDDA winter conference on December 7 The Michigan Community Development Directors Association (MCDDA) will hold its winter conference on Wednesday, December 7, 2005, at the Lansing Center, Lansing, MI. The conference will focus on the most timely and urgent issues in community development affecting local governments, including updates on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) budget, and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority's (MSHDA) Five-Year Plan on Affordable Housing. HUD is also sponsoring a one-day training on HOME during the conference, targeted to participating jurisdictions and MSHDA HOME grantees. MSHDA will provide training on the Office of Community Development's new energy efficiency policy, and an update on the new Michigan lead hazard rule. Contact: Naheed Huq, SEMCOG Community & Economic Development Coordinator.
Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant program (PDM) funds available for FY 2006 The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has informed the Michigan State Police Emergency Management Division about the availability of FY 2006 PDM funds. The PDM is designed to assist communities in funding pre-event, cost-effective measures that reduce or eliminate long-term risk of damage to human life and property. It may also provide funding for developing or maintaining hazard mitigation plans. These federal funds will be available at up to 75 percent federal share of the cost of the hazard mitigation measure. Letters of interest are due to the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management Division by November 18, 2005. PDM program guidance can be found at www.fema.gov/fima/pdm. Contact: Karen Totzke, Michigan State Police, at totzkek@michigan.gov.
MDOT invites comment on Five-Year Transportation Program Interested citizens, regional officials, and community representatives are invited to comment on the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) draft 2006-2010 Five-Year Transportation Program. The following listening sessions provide multiple opportunities to discuss transportation issues and local projects with MDOT regional representatives. Tuesday, November 29, 2005, 10 a.m.-noon; Macomb Transportation Center, 38257 Mound Road, Sterling Heights; Wednesday, November 30, 2005, 10 a.m.-noon and 6-8 p.m., Detroit Transportation Service Center, 1400 Howard Street, Detroit; Thursday, December 1, 2005, 10 a.m.-noon, Oakland Transportation Service Center, 2300 Dixie Highway, Suite 300, Waterford; Monday, December 5, 2005, 2-4 p.m., University Region Office, 4701 W. Michigan Avenue, Jackson; Monday December 5, 2005, 6-8 p.m., Taylor Transportation Service Center, 25185 Goddard, Taylor; Tuesday, December 6, 2005, 6-8 p.m., Green Oak Township Hall, 10001 Silver Lake Road, Brighton; Thursday, December 8, 2005, 10 a.m.-noon, Port Huron Transportation Service Center, 2127 11th Avenue, Port Huron; Thursday, December 8, 2005, 6-8 p.m., Oakland Transportation Service Center, 2300 Dixie Highway, Suite 300, Waterford. Contact: Benjamin Kohrman, MDOT, (517) 335-3084.
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