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SEMCOG invites public comment on amendment to the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan for Southeast Michigan SEMCOG announces the public comment period for projects being considered for amendment to the region's long-range transportation plan. Nine projects are proposed for amendment — five new projects as described below and four existing projects from which funds will be transferred to the new projects:
The 2030 RTP was adopted by SEMCOG’s General Assembly in November 2004 and updated in March 2007, and serves as a guide for developing a transportation system that is accessible, safe, and reliable. The 2030 RTP enables about $1.5 billion to be spent annually in the Southeast Michigan region to improve roads, bridges, and nonmotorized systems and to maintain transit services. The proposed amendments are needed to reflect changing priorities and take advantage of new project funding. The amendment process requires all proposed projects to undergo the same evaluation as the original RTP. Additional project details and evaluation results are available online. Comments on projects should be mailed, phoned, or faxed to SEMCOG Information Services (see address information in the box on the reverse page). Address e-mail comments to infoservices@semcog.org. Comments can also be made in person at the following meetings:
Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
SEMCOG University: The Wild Goose Chase: How to Manage Resident Geese Populations SEMCOG invites elected officials, county drain and road commission staff, public works, and parks and recreation staff to learn techniques to manage their local geese populations, particularly shoreline modification, so that communities can decide what options will work best in their area. SEMCOG University presents The Wild Goose Chase; How to Manage Resident Geese Populations on Tuesday, August 21, 2007, from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (registration begins at 9 a.m.) in SEMCOG’s Buhl Building office in downtown Detroit. Resident geese populations can create nuisances in public parks, golf courses, and other recreational areas. If high concentrations of geese exist in a single area, they may even elevate bacteria levels in surface waters. The benefits of managing local geese populations include protecting human health and improving water quality in recreational areas. Contact: Ken Bishop, SEMCOG Environment Administrative Assistant, to RSVP, or register online via the Meeting Calendar on www.semcog.org.
What’s the status of bridges in Southeast Michigan? Since bridges have been in the news lately, we thought it important to include here what we said about bridges in the Winter 2007 issue of SEMcope that focused on transportation funding. "Simply, they are old, getting older, and in desperate need of repair. In total, we have 3,560 bridges in our region. Unfortunately, 1,387 bridges are currently considered deficient and 50 percent are over 30 years old. It is estimated that by the year 2030, 2,880 bridges will be deficient. We will need $7.2 billion to fix all of our bridges. "On the positive side, the number of deficient bridges decreased by seven percent over the last four years. Since 2004, 316 bridges have been rehabilitated, reconstructed, or replaced. However, the reality remains that the money is just not there to address our deteriorating bridges. For obvious reasons, bridges need to be structurally safe and reliable. As a driver, you wouldn't want to risk your life or the lives of your loved ones on an unsafe bridge. "Without regular maintenance bridges fall into disrepair, may require closure, or may not support the extra weight of trucks and buses. When a bridge is weight restricted or closed, travelers are forced to seek alternative routes that can be miles out of the way. With each closed bridge, driver travel time, congestion, and pollution increase. Perhaps most importantly, bridge closures have a negative effect on response times for emergency services, such as fire and ambulance. In any emergency, you would want the fire truck or the ambulance to take the fastest route to your house, wouldn’t you?" Additional copies of the Winter 2007 issue of SEMscope are available from SEMCOG Information Services. Contact: Sue Stetler, SEMCOG Communications Director.
Protect our environment: save water Did you know that individually we use about 77 gallons of water each day? Excess water from over watering our lawns can easily carry pollution to the storm drains and then to our lakes and streams. By using less water on our lawns we can help prevent some of this pollution and save money. Here are a few individual actions that will help protect our environment:
Please view the new SEMCOG video on best practices to save water. Click on the Ours to Protect logo on SEMCOG’s Web site. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
SEMCOG report focuses on preparing Michigan’s workforce for the new economy Workforce development is one of the greatest economic challenges facing Southeast Michigan. The new economic reality is exacerbated by the regional forecast that shows aging of the population and a reduction in the number of working age people in the next 30 years. SEMCOG's report, Preparing Michigan’s Workforce for the New Economy: Recommendations of SEMCOG’s Task Force on Workforce Development in the Changing Economy, provides practical ideas and assistance to help address the consequences of the economic change and move the region forward in developing a knowledge-based economy. The report is available from SEMCOG. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
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