Good asset management starts with an accurate assessment of the condition of existing infrastructure. To evaluate the condition of major roads in Southeast Michigan, SEMCOG works with county road agencies and other partners to collect and document pavement condition data for all lane miles of roads in Southeast Michigan that are eligible for federal funds.
SEMCOG uses the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (PASER) method to evaluate roads in the region. Roads are rated and categorized into good, fair, and poor conditions (examples are shown below). Typically, roads are evaluated on a two-year cycle. However, COVID restrictions prevented data collection in 2020. To ensure the continuity of data, all major roads were rated in 2021. In 2022, based on guidance from the Transportation Asset Management Council (TAMC), the State of Michigan returned to the typical two-year rating cycle, collecting 50% of the federal aid network.
Figure 1: PASER Rating System Example
20,994 total lanes miles in Southeast Michigan were evaluated during the 2021-2022 rating cycle using the PASER method. Data in figure 2 shows over 23% of roads are in good condition compared to 21% in 2018-2019. The 2021-2022 data also shows 34% of lane miles in poor condition, 1,554 fewer lane miles compared to 43% in 2018-2019.
Figure 2: Southeast Michigan Pavement Condition
Breaking down pavement conditions by jurisdiction, including Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), county, cities, and villages, the data shows that MDOT and county roads are generally in better condition than city and village roads. In 2021-2022, city and village roads saw a reduction in the percentage of lane miles in good condition, at 17% compared to 19% in 2018-2019 (shown in figure 3). However, all road owners saw reductions in the amount of pavement in poor condition. This breaks a trend of steadily increasing roads in poor condition (shown in figure 4).
Figure 3: Southeast Michigan Pavement in Good Condition by Road Owner
Figure 4: Southeast Michigan Pavement in Poor Condition by Road Owner
County includes all county roads in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties.
City includes all federal aid eligible locally owned roads in cities and villages within the SEMCOG region.
The region is making strides to improve road conditions. Road agencies always seek to apply the right fix and the right time. Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), counties, and local communities spent nearly $1.5 billion dollars on road projects in 2020 and 2021. In recent years, increased federal and state revenues, along with bonding initiatives, have bolstered funding for much-needed road repairs. Nonetheless, more funding is vital to enhance pavement conditions. You can find more information about road conditions in your community by visiting SEMCOG’s Pavement Condition Map.
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