|
Executive Committee meets September 22 SEMCOG's Executive Committee meets on Friday, September 22, 2006, at 1 p.m. at the Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport Hotel, located at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (2501 Worldgateway Place, Detroit 48242; 734-942-6500). Jon Hypnar, Director of the North Terminal Development Project, will discuss the new terminal. Action items to be considered include:
Contact: Kathleen Lomako, SEMCOG Deputy Executive Director.
SEMCOG releases traffic crash facts for 2005; downward trend of recent years continues Southeast Michigan experienced more than 7,600 fewer traffic crashes in 2005 than in 2004, and nearly 14,000 fewer than in 2003, according to 2005 Southeast Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, a report recently released by SEMCOG. The main objective of this report is to provide useful data to aid local communities in their efforts to improve traffic safety. In 2005, there were a total of 157,284 crashes (resulting in 43,680 injuries and 391 fatalities) in Southeast Michigan, down from 164,900 crashes in 2004 and 171,105 in 2003. The seven-county regional totals represent 45 percent of the total crashes in the State of Michigan. The state total was 350,838 for 2005, down from 2004's total of 373,028. The report contains important statistical information about all traffic crashes reported in Southeast Michigan in 2005, and also focuses on injury traffic crashes, fatal traffic crashes, alcohol-involved traffic crashes, vehicle-deer crashes, young-driver traffic crashes, elderly driver traffic crashes, and truck/bus traffic crashes. Highlights include:
Traffic crash data used in the report were received from the Michigan Department of State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center (CJIC). These data are combined with crash data from previous years to illustrate trends and provide a more complete picture of traffic crashes in Southeast Michigan. 2005 Southeast Michigan Traffic Crash Facts is available from SEMCOG Information Services, or can be downloaded in PDF from SEMCOG's Web site — www.semcog.org. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
New SEMCOG report stresses importance of Community Development Block Grants Building Stronger Communities: The Community Development Block Grant in Michigan, was recently published by SEMCOG and the Michigan Community Development Directors Association (MCDDA). The purpose of the report is to identify the important role of CDBG in funding essential community services such as housing rehabilitation, senior programs, public safety, and infrastructure improvements. It further emphasizes the considerable impact that reduced CDBG funding will have on Michigan communities' ability to continue these programs. Despite the program's positive impact in helping communities provide safe neighborhoods and essential public services for more than 30 years, funding has been reduced by 15 percent in the last five years. There is now a proposal to make major changes and further reduce the program. If the proposed changes are made, Michigan will be negatively impacted — 17 entitlement communities (out of 47) would lose all direct funding; only three communities would see any benefit under the new proposal. Through a survey of these communities, the report describes what programs were funded through CDBG and what programs would have to be reduced given the proposed funding reductions. This report will serve as a tangible example to Michigan's Congressional delegation of the importance of the CDBG program in the state and in individual communities. It offers additional suggestions for making sure that our delegation understands the benefits in each community. Building Stronger Communities: The Community Development Block Grant in Michigan is available from SEMCOG Information Services, or can be downloaded in PDF from SEMCOG's Web site — www.semcog.org. Contact: SEMCOG Information Services.
Nonresidential construction steady in 2005, according to new SEMCOG data Nonresidential floorspace either under construction or completed in Southeast Michigan in 2005 totaled over 33 million square feet, according to data released by SEMCOG on its Web site at www.semcog.org. Nonresidential Development in Southeast Michigan, Summary 2005 tracks projects which were completed or under construction in the seven-county Southeast Michigan region during 2005. Completed projects contributed 15.3 million square feet of new floorspace. More than 18 million square feet were under construction in 2005. Leading the region, Wayne County had 10.3 million square feet of floorspace either completed or under construction in 2005, accounting for 31 percent of Southeast Michigan's total nonresidential development. Oakland County followed next with 10 million square feet of floorspace completed or under construction (30 percent of region), and Macomb County, at 5.3 million square feet of new floorspace, was third (16 percent of region). The largest development projects in the region in 2005 were Henry Ford Health System (West Bloomfield Township; 677,000 square feet); Orion Commerce Center – Building 2 (Orion Township; 641,300 square feet); and Partridge Creek Fashion Park (Clinton Township; 640,000 square feet). Data are available in PDF format on SEMCOG's Web site — www.semcog.org. Under the "Data" tab at the top of the home page, look for "Nonresidential Development." Other data available include nonresidential development by community, nonresidential development projects by county and community, and a comparison of nonresidential development from 1995-2005. Contact SEMCOG Information Services.
|
|||
