Background
Every year the state of Michigan allocates funding for rural roadways and transit service. SEMCOG serves as the Rural Task Force #1 (RTF #1) chair for the seven-county region. The RTF #1 every year estimates the money available, identifies rural projects, and monitors project implementation. RTF #1 receives approximately $3.4 million annually in rural funding. Funding is allocated to the state-defined rural counties within the SEMCOG region: Livingston, Monroe, St. Clair, and Washtenaw.
The funding comes from two funding sources:
Surface Transportation Program (STP) Rural for improving the federal aid system; and
Transportation Economic Development Fund (TEDF) Category D for building an all-season truck network.
Since the funding available each year is relatively small and all rural funding for a given year must be obligated within that fiscal year, SEMCOG works with the RTF #1 to obligate the entire amount available.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) issued guidelines for managing the rural program in November 2013 (updated in 2022). Section III of the guidelines state that each county’s rural projects should be submitted to the appropriate Rural Task Force (RTF) and the final list of projects should be selected at the RTF level. Public involvement for selected projects occurs as part of SEMCOG’s regular TIP Amendments.
Michigan Local Rural Transportation Program
Regional Guidelines
General Program Accounts
Rural Task Force Data Sheets
Road Project
Transit Project
For occasions that an FAC cannot obligate the entire funding available in a given year, the documents below may be used to collaborate with other FACs to allow money to be spent in another county in exchange for additional rural funding in a future year.
Exchange Guidelines
Exchange Agreement
Confirmation of Obligation
If there is unprogrammed rural funding in a given year, the RTF #1 will use the remaining funding on the best qualified rural projects in the SEMCOG region. The following forms are used to determine project eligibility.
Rural Application
Project Scoring
Recent Meetings
March 2024
October 2023
Contact Information:
Ally Racisz
Transportation Planner II
[email protected]
313-624-1518