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TIP
amendments announced The public is invited to comment on projects being considered for amendment to the FY 2004-2006 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is a short-range planning tool used to implement the goals, objectives, and projects of the 2025 Regional Transportation Plan. The amendment to the TIP adds 64 projects and deletes four projects. The net increase as a result of these changes is $137.5 million, funded from federal, state, and local transportation agencies. Projects in the TIP amendment must undergo the same scrutiny as original projects æ an air quality conformity analysis, an environmental justice review, and a public comment process (details are available from SEMCOG). The TIP must be constrained to reasonably available funding; the proposed TIP, as amended, estimates $2.294 billion in revenues and $2.286 billion in expenditures. A complete
list of all projects, including amendments, is available from SEMCOG
Information Services or on SEMCOG's Web site. information is available in the box on the reverse side. Address e-mail comments to infoservices@semcog.org. Comments can be made in person at the following meetings, all held at SEMCOG offices:
Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
A discussion of the existing situation at both land border crossings in Southeast Michigan and the short-term and long-term strategies being implemented or planned to improve the flow of people and goods will be the topic of a new SEMCOG University workshop æ U.S.-Canada Border Improvement Strategies æ on Tuesday, July 13, 2004, from 9 a.m.-12 noon (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.) in SEMCOG's Buhl Building office in downtown Detroit. The Detroit-Windsor and Port Huron-Sarnia land border crossings in Southeast Michigan/Southwest Ontario are the busiest international crossings in North America and represent nearly 50 percent of the traffic volume crossing the U.S./Canada border. Over the last decade, Canada and the U.S. have developed the largest bilateral trade relationship in the world. U.S. Department of Commerce figures show that U.S. merchandise trade with Canada totaled $U.S. 330 billion in 1999, up 20 percent from 1995. Forty-two percent ($U.S. 140 billion in 1999) of the total merchandise trade volume crossed at the Detroit-Windsor and Port Huron-Sarnia border crossings. Planning agencies on both sides of the border have recognized the need to develop a coordinated, short- and long-term strategy in that area. To that end, they have launched a number of initiatives to help improve the flow of traffic at the borders. Learn about existing conditions at the border crossings, projects already underway to improve existing conditions, and long-term solutions being studied. Susan Mortel, Director/Bureau of Transportation Planning, Michigan Department of Transportation, will lead the discussion. SEMCOG University workshops are free-of-charge for SEMCOG members and partners; there is a $75 charge for nonmember local governments. Contact: Sally Walt, SEMCOG Transportation Department, to RSVP. You can also register online.
The comment period for the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan for Southeast Michigan is now underway. The draft document and an interactive project list are available for review on SEMCOG's Web site – www.semcog.org. From the home page, click on the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan logo. The public can learn about the plan and comment at the following five Town Hall meetings in July.
Comments on the transportation plan can also be made via mail (mailing address is at thebottom of this page), e-mail (infoservices@semcog.org), phone (800-961-3334), or fax (313-961-4869). The plan is the "blueprint" for transportation planning in Southeast Michigan and enables about $1.5 billion to be spent annually in the region to improve roads and bridges and maintain transit. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
The Southeast Michigan Water and Sewer Service Providers will meet on Thursday, July 15, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. in SEMCOG's downtown Detroit office. This meeting is a follow-up to the April meeting where possible changes to the Clean Water and Drinking Water Revolving Loan Funds were discussed. Staff at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is evaluating possible changes to the programs and agreed to return to SEMCOG to discuss their ideas with service providers in the region. This is another opportunity for us to work together for changes that improve the programs and meet the needs of both the state and service providers. In addition to continuing those discussions, we will be updated on several other initiatives, including the Michigan Water Legacy Act. Contact: Ted Starbuck, Senior Planner, SEMCOG Environmental Programs
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is accepting applications for community forestry grants. Public agencies and nonprofit private entities are eligible to apply. All projects must be performed on non-federal public land or land open to the public. Community forestry activities considered for funding include local government program development, urban and community forestry education, and tree planting projects. Applications are due July 15, 2004. Contact: Kevin Sayers, Urban and Community Forester, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, (517) 241-4632.
Paul Tait, SEMCOG Executive Director, was elected Chair of the Executive Directors Committee and Board Vice Chair of the National Association of Regional Councils at its annual meeting in June. John Hartig, River Navigator for the Greater Detroit American Heritage River Initiative of the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition, will leave that position to become the first Refuge Manager for the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, effective July 10, 2004.
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